In a word, no, but don’t worry: we’ll totally qualify that position. Nintendo’s financial troubles in 2011, and initially slow sales of the 3DS, followed by its steep price cut have renewed perennial calls for the company to forego the hardware market and release its titles on other platforms. SeanOrange and Vinnk discuss whether or not such a move would be vialbe for Nintendo, and if the company is leaving a lot of money on the table by not embracing the iOS market.
In our younger days, we couldn’t have all the games we wanted. We had to play what we were given (or could afford), and we often played those games to death. Now? It’s incredibly easy for anyone young or old to buy more games at bargain-basement prices than they could ever hope to play in a lifetime. How much is too much? Vinnk and SeanOrange talk about their trip to Chicago Comic Con 2011, taking photos with Felicia Day, what we expect to see at the upcoming Tokyo Game Show, and more!
Nintendo’s steep price cut of the 3DS may have taken some news outlets by surprise last week, but we called it way back during E3. When Sony introduced the PSVita at the same price point as Nintendo’s new handheld that was already struggling in sales, we knew a price cut could not be far behind. It looks like Nintendo agreed! SeanOrange and Vinnk discuss the 3DS Ambassador program, the wisdom of deciding not to release the GBA Virtual Console games to the general public, and whether or not these 20 free games will entice us (or anyone) to buy the system at $250 before the price cut goes into effect next Friday, August 12th.
by Sean "TheOrange" Corse, filed in Games, News on Jul.28, 2011
Purchase Nintendo’s latest handheld for $80 less on August 12. Existing 3DS owners will get exclusive Virtual Console games not sold in stores.
With the announcement of the PSVita at E3 2011, sluggish sales both in and out of Japan, and the possibility of having their connectivity gimmick copied before the Wii U hardware is even released, we predicted Nintendo would need to adjust the price of the 3DS in a big way. It looks like they got the message!
I’m not one to gloat, but– yes I am. We totally called this in our Famicom Dojo Podcast during the week of E3 — not just the need for a price drop, but the exact price point!
For those upset at the severe price drop, Nintendo will automatically enroll all 3DS owners in an “Ambassador” program — if they use the online store between now and August 11. The perks? 10 free NES titles on Virtual Console which will later be available to the public, and 10 free Game Boy Advance games via Virtual Console that Nintendo does NOT plan on ever making available for public sale.
(This smacks of the “no plans to release” the three games that are the focus of Operation Rainfall.)
So what do you think? Will a price drop of 1/3 be enough for you to buy this machine? $170 is within striking distance of an impulse buy for a 30-something with a college degree, but what about the kids? That’s still more than it costs to buy a Wii, but it looks like people aren’t paying for that that either. Are the 10 exclusive GBA games enough to get you to pay the full $250 before the price drop?
It’s hard for the average gamer to play absolutely EVERYTHING, even everything that’s good. But is that any excuse? Should gamers be shamed for failure to expose themselves to certain kinds of games? In our first Video Game Confessional, Vinnk and SeanOrange talk about the game franchises we should have played, but didn’t. And for good measure, we also discuss a few games we love to death, but have no business liking.
Region locking is nothing new. It hasn’t taken many different forms, but wasn’t always deliberate either. Many handhelds were exempt from this scheme for the longest time (including the Game Boy and DS series), but with time all things change. SeanOrange and Vinnk discuss the very state of affairs that necessitates the existence of organizations like Operation Rainfall, how they came to be, and where they might go from here.
Xenoblade, Pandora’s Tower, and The Last Story have been released in Japan and Europe, but the US has been passed over. That’s where Operation Rainfall comes in: to urge Nintendo of America to release these games that have already been localized for the major languages spoken in North America. At a time when the Wii is suffering a drought of games — let alone good ones — don’t we deserve better?
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