The Nintendo 3DS has struggled since its launch, and Nintendo has announced a severe price cut of $80 to $169.99, down from $249.99. The price cut will be implemented on August 12, 2011.
If you bought your 3DS before August 12, the 3DS Ambassador Program will offer 3DS owners 20 free digital titles.
According to the press release:
“These free games are available to anyone who owns a Nintendo 3DS system and uses a wireless broadband Internet signal to connect to the Nintendo eShop at least once before 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Aug. 11. These users will automatically be registered in the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador program.”
The free downloadable titles will be released in two stages:
- Starting Sept. 1, Nintendo 3DS Ambassadors will be able to download 10 NES™ Virtual Console™ games at no charge and before they are available in the Nintendo eShop to the general public. These games, including Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong Jr., Balloon Fight, Ice Climber and The Legend of Zelda, are slated to become paid downloadable games, but Ambassadors get them early for free. Once the paid versions of the games are posted to the Nintendo eShop later in the year, the updated versions will be available to Ambassadors for download at no cost.
- By the end of 2011, Nintendo will provide Ambassadors with 10 Game Boy Advance Virtual Console games. These include games like Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Metroid Fusion, WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$ and Mario vs. Donkey Kong. These games will be available exclusively to Ambassadors, and Nintendo currently has no plans to make these 10 games available to the general public on the Nintendo 3DS in the future.
Let us know if the cut to $170 will influence you to pick up a 3DS, or if it’s just too much – or if the games you’re waiting for have yet to be released.
[UPDATE: “Never in Nintendo’s history have we lowered prices to such an extent, less than half a year since the product launch,” [Nintendo CEO Saturo] Iwata said. “But we have judged that unless we move decisively now, there is a high possibility that we will not see many of our customers enjoying a Nintendo 3DS.” ]
We’ve mentioned this in the past, but the tough economy gives many smaller developers great opportunities for success. While big publishers struggle to look good in the eyes of the investor, tiny developers can produce quality titles for minimal cash investment and time to market. Ten years ago, smaller developers tried to compete with the big boys making larger titles, cloning successful titles or simply asking investors to put it on the line for their game. Today, developers can create a small iphone app, a cute WiiWare title or exploit the XNA efforts of Microsoft for Xbox Live Arcade and actually have a chance.
Typically, we have “exclusive” fallout from the console war which forces the hand of the consumer to purchase all consoles to play all the games they love. Many hardcore gamers are into first person shooters like Halo and Gears of War but also like their Grand Theft Auto and Final Fantasy fixes. In years prior, you’d have to invest in Microsoft and Sony’s solutions to get your fix. Now things are changing.
… wow! so the 3DS is tanking.
Unfortunately for Nintendo, I am quite a PC fanatic, so no, it won’t influence my decision of not buying one.
Offering games as compensation for the people who bought the system while the price was high is actually a move that I admire.
If I weren’t trying to save money for a better car this would be one of the things on my list to buy. If I were going to buy one, I would buy one before the 11th. Seems like 20 free games is well worth the eighty bucks. I’m sure the early adopters are smiling ear to ear right now.