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Nintendo NPD PR: 3DS has surpassed 60 million unit worldwide
- Thread starter Ryng_tolu
- Start date
Idk Squeenix was pretty on board with the Bravely series and the Dragon Quest remakes.
3DS has/had quite a bit of support from Ubisoft, Square Enix, Level 5, Namco, and a few others.
I don't see how you can call the lowest/slowest sales in the entire Nintendo handheld line excellent. That said, they aren't horrible. Especially compared to the only other handheld this past generation.
chrisPjelly
Member
A great Nintendo system that totally deserved it! Can't believe the 3ds outings this year, its supposed last "full" year in the market, are still going relatively strong instead of pathetically going out on a whimper like your usual Nintendo.
Tom Nook Sawyer
Member
That growth rate doesn't seem that impressive then...though I suppose we don't know exactly how far beyond 60 million they really are
So on board that they let Nintendo do all the heavy lifting for them when it came to distribution and marketing!
mrmickfran
Member
Yokai Watch anyone?
Mediking
Member
Really funny how my gaming tastes have changed within a generation. Used to play my 3DS like crazy but stopped when I got a PS4 and a Vita. Fire Emblem Fates brought me back but I haven't even finished it. Just keep going back to my PS4 and Vita. Congrats though to 3DS. It manages to hit a few demographics. I will pick up Dragon Quest and Pokémon for 3DS though and that cool Monster Hunter spinoff.
They made and released those games for Japan. They just didn't think they were worth localizing. Still counts as support.
flatearthpandas
Member
3DS is a great system. Bought the OG 3DS about a week after launch in 2011. First Nintendo handheld I bought at (near) launch. I love the 3D, despite all the hate it gets, and 3D is much improved on n3DS XL.
3D Galaxy Force II and 3D Thunder Blade are some of the best examples of 3D on the system.
Looking forward to DQVII and still hope the physical release is still happening in NA (not sure what the status on that is).
3D Galaxy Force II and 3D Thunder Blade are some of the best examples of 3D on the system.
Looking forward to DQVII and still hope the physical release is still happening in NA (not sure what the status on that is).
Would be terribad all around if NX handheld sales collapse to only >30 million in its lifetime.
Nintendo is pretty much the only one left in that market (other than mobile devices). They can't afford to lose it.
But it wouldn't surprise me, especially if they stumble out of the gate again.
Nintendo is pretty much the only one left in that market (other than mobile devices). They can't afford to lose it.
But it wouldn't surprise me, especially if they stumble out of the gate again.
Braveyly series was done a shoe string budget. Also, SquareEnix haven't even published the Dragon Quest remakes nor any of the Bravely series in the West. Nintendo is doing the publishing of the Dragon Quest series in the West and Nintendo published Bravely series in the West.
Ubisoft support was utter garbage. Level 5 and Square Enix doesn't even published their own 3DS games in the West. I'm sorry most systems(yes your beloved home systems cuz potable don't count due to reasons) when compared to Nintendo handheld will fall short.
Any how many people actually brought the 3DS to play Yokai Watch in the West?
ShockingAlberto
Member
Edit: Whoops, I meant this for the other upset with Nintendo news thread.
Father_Brain
Banned
Before people point to this as some sort of proof that the dedicated handheld market is healthy: 3DS sales peaked in Q3 2012, even before its second holiday season on the market, and have been in almost continuous decline ever since.
mrmickfran
Member
Being able to play DS games plus its own library makes this the GOAT handheld by default. Well deserved.
Congrats on the 60mil, but you'd better have a plan to replace this fucking thing that isn't 'portable version of the NX in late 2017 / early 2018'.
With the delay in the NX to early 2017 I want to see the handheld version there day and date.
Which, to be fair, is because
a) It's a really, really mediocre piece of hardware that felt dated by late 2012/2013, and
b) The software people wanted (3D Land and Mario Kart 7) and the price cut had both hit by then.
60 mil units with such a flawed product is fine. Create a better product and they can still have a market niche there.
With the delay in the NX to early 2017 I want to see the handheld version there day and date.
Which, to be fair, is because
a) It's a really, really mediocre piece of hardware that felt dated by late 2012/2013, and
b) The software people wanted (3D Land and Mario Kart 7) and the price cut had both hit by then.
60 mil units with such a flawed product is fine. Create a better product and they can still have a market niche there.
Lord of Ostia
Member
That's true, but the system has been selling well enough to reach 60 million, which is nothing to scoff at. It's definitely a huge contraction in the handheld market, but the ability to sell that much hardware means that there is still space for a dedicated handheld.
What does this have to do with anything?
3DS is the worst selling Nintendo handheld to date, coming off the best selling Nintendo handheld to date. Sales are still higher than what Xbox One will manage, but I think a drop that's quite a bit bigger than the PS2 to PS3 drop negates excellent sales status.
I don't think the third party support is much worse than what the GBA received.
Plinko
Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
Because the last generation wasn't saturated with smartphones and tablets. Comparing last handheld gen to this one is like apples and oranges. Totally different competition.
Citation needed. Nothing about the Bravely Games scream low budget to me.
If I only read your posts I'd be shocked that it was beating the Wii U. What numbers should an overpriced handheld that doesn't get many games in a smartphone world hit? A million shipped in 2 months is fine. Not great, not even good, but fine considering what it is in the overall market.
Yes, but by that standard, you could call current Blackberry phone sales excellent because they have to compete with iOS and Android now when the old Blackberry phones basically had the market to themselves.
SinCityAssassin
Member
I mean. It's only one of three handheld lines they've made between the Gameboy and the DS lines, so it's not hard to be "the worst selling Nintendo handheld".
If you count the Game and Watch, that one lags behind the 3DS by a good 15 million.
It is? I genuinely haven't heard of any games coming aside from Bravely Second and Metroid (which is a negative game as far as I'm concerned). EDIT: Oh and Pokemon of course.
Actually no you can't.
Coffee Dog
Banned
The vita, though? People aren't buying these things for tech.
SinCityAssassin
Member
The selective reading you do online doesn't help. But if you need to know, 2016 is basically full of titles like Zero Escape, Shin Megami Tensei, Monster Hunter, and Ace Attorney.
Also Kirby which is literally out here tomorrow.
chrisPjelly
Member
Monster Hunter X, Yokai Watch 2, Pokemon Sun&Moon, Bravely Second, Kirby, Ace Attorney, Fire Emblem, Dragon Quest, SMT, Zero Escape, the (shitty) Final Fantasy MonHun ripoff. There may not be anything for you, but that's arguably a decent lineup for a Nintendo system that SHOULD have been replaced this year
congratz
nintendo basically supported the system itself outside japan. Without them so many games wouldn't be localized due to the fears of Japanese publishers thinking western market has no interest in handhelds anymore.
with hardly any western developers making handheld games anymore and how mobile gaming has taken over everywhere even japan. Its very surprising to see 3ds sell this much. Their next handheld won't even reach 3ds numbers though.
nintendo basically supported the system itself outside japan. Without them so many games wouldn't be localized due to the fears of Japanese publishers thinking western market has no interest in handhelds anymore.
with hardly any western developers making handheld games anymore and how mobile gaming has taken over everywhere even japan. Its very surprising to see 3ds sell this much. Their next handheld won't even reach 3ds numbers though.
Not true at all. Sega, Square, Marvelous, Bamco etc have all supported it. And Capcom has also released Ace Attorney and Resident Evil on it, among other titles.
Plinko
Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
Except this doesn't make sense because Blackberry phones are phones, just like iPhones and Android phones. The 3DS is a dedicated game system that has nowhere near the features.
No one is arguing that the nearly 60% drop from the DS to the 3DS can't be accounted for. Smartphones hit dedicated gaming devices hard. The Vita is more than proof of that.
The 3DS weathered the storm better than Sony's handheld did, however, a 60% drop from your previous product is not really excellent sales.
As for RIM/Blackberry:
Marketshare took a huge dive, because iOS/Android blew the market open, but their sales numbers actually continued to increase or slowly decrease well beyond the point that people where starting to declare them dead.
True to an extent I guess. Blackberry faltered because they couldn't match/keep up with iOS or Android in terms of features and cross platform synergy. Dedicated handhelds have declined because a lot of people are happy with the gaming experiences they can get on the mobile device they already own.
I don't buy this argument. You can't tell me Nintendo is satisfied with these numbers.
One of my favorite systems ever. I like it so much I'll probably buy another to hold in case my current system dies out, especially if the NX lacks BC (seems likely).
I'm guessing it'll end somewhere between 65-70 million.
It's a shame Japanese developers didn't do as much on handheld as they did during the DS years. Regardless, except for the first year, it's been a great time.
I'm guessing it'll end somewhere between 65-70 million.
It's a shame Japanese developers didn't do as much on handheld as they did during the DS years. Regardless, except for the first year, it's been a great time.
Fair enough - SMT and Zero Escape I am certainly going to be looking forward to, forgot about those.
I got like 11 3DS games I'm buying before the end of the year. Shit is crazy.
Plinko
Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
Nowhere did I ever say or imply that they were.
Oni Link 666
Member
Such a far cry from DS sales.
The price was way too high, launching at $250.
Bad launch as far as games went. Ridge Racer and SFIV were my favorites of the bunch. I was actually buying stuff like Shinobi, Blaze Blue, and DOA Dimensions for something to play on it back then.
Brand confusion was real. People didn't know that the 3DS was something new and not just another DS.
3D didn't help. The 3D backlash was strong at the time. Nobody wanted 3D movies, 3D TVs, and especially not 3D videogames.
The price was way too high, launching at $250.
Bad launch as far as games went. Ridge Racer and SFIV were my favorites of the bunch. I was actually buying stuff like Shinobi, Blaze Blue, and DOA Dimensions for something to play on it back then.
Brand confusion was real. People didn't know that the 3DS was something new and not just another DS.
3D didn't help. The 3D backlash was strong at the time. Nobody wanted 3D movies, 3D TVs, and especially not 3D videogames.
Father_Brain
Banned
We'll see, but DS certainly didn't prove that there was anywhere near a ~150M market for a successor, nor did PSP prove that there was anywhere near an 80M market for a successor. So, particularly given the aforementioned sales trends, it seems very questionable to look at 3DS and assume there's anywhere near a 60M market for a successor.