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3DS price dropped $80 to $169 August 12. 20(?) Free games if purchased before.

DeusfauxDeusfaux Registered User regular
edited July 2011 in Games and Technology
http://ds.ign.com/articles/118/1184670p1.html

Nintendo announced a price cut of the 3DS from $249.99 to $169.99 in the U.S. effective August 12, 2011.

Japan will see a price cut from 25,000 yen to 15,000 yen on August 11. Australians will see a cut from AU$349.95 down to AU$250 on August 12. Pricing for Europe has not been announced.

"For anyone who was on the fence about buying a Nintendo 3DS, this is a huge motivation to buy now," said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. "We are giving shoppers every incentive to pick up a Nintendo 3DS, from an amazing new price to a rapid-fire succession of great games."

If you purchased a 3DS anytime before the price cut date, you will receive 10 free Virtual Console NES and 10 free Gameboy Advance games. Users must connect to the Nintendo eShop at least once before the price cut date. They will then be automatically registered in the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador program.

The list of NES games include:

Super Mario Bros.
Donkey Kong Jr.
Balloon Fight
Ice Climber
The Legend of Zelda
+5 more

These titles 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."

The list of GBA games include:

Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Metroid Fusion
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$
Mario vs. Donkey Kong
+5 more

Nintendo says the GBA games will be available exclusively to Ambassadors, and that it "currently has no plans to make these 10 games available to the general public on the Nintendo 3DS in the future."

They were already selling it @ $50 off here in Canada the last several weeks, but a further $30? That's a huge cut, and so early in the system's life.

Of course it was overpriced from the beginning... but still.

Deusfaux on
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Posts

  • AstaleAstale Registered User regular
    Balloon fight? Hot damn! They're pulling out the big guns.

  • plufimplufim Dr Registered User regular
    Australian price is dropping from $350 to $250.

    3DS 0302-0029-3193 NNID plufim steam plufim PSN plufim
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  • AbsalonAbsalon Lands of Always WinterRegistered User regular
    edited July 2011
    That crow is well-deserved fare. There simply weren't enough games.

    Absalon on
  • Jam WarriorJam Warrior Registered User regular
    Whaaaaa? That is some serious back pedaling. Nice to see an attempt to compensate the early adopters but I would really have much preferred to have payed the lower price than VC versions of a bunch of games I have either already played or wasn't that interested in. >:I

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  • mntorankusumntorankusu I'm not sure how to use this thing.... Registered User regular
    edited July 2011
    I think they've got it wrong here, actually. There's no reason to drop the price by that much. I'm not complaining, I'm glad more people will be able to buy it, but the only reason the 3DS isn't selling as much as they want is because there are no games for it.

    There are none.

    mntorankusu on
  • Mojo_JojoMojo_Jojo We are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourse Registered User regular
    It was too expensive, so it's good that they fixed that problem. Now it just needs some games.

    Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
  • Jam WarriorJam Warrior Registered User regular
    I like that by being an early adopter I am now a '3DS Ambassador'.

    That sounds so much better than 'Naive Fool'.

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  • RidleySariaRidleySaria AnaheimRegistered User regular
    Wow. Shit just got real.

    -- Switch friend code: 2978-3296-1491 -- PSN: RidleySaria -- Genshin Impact UID: 607033509 --
  • Kuribo's ShoeKuribo's Shoe Kuribo's Stocking North PoleRegistered User regular
    anybody who bought a 3ds (including me) had to see this coming.

    maybe not so soon, but still.

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  • TheSonicRetardTheSonicRetard Registered User regular
    Fuck this

    Just like the goddamn PS3 "welcome back" bullshit, I already own all those games, the real damn ones. Like, on the NES, and the real goddamn GBA carts. I'd rather have my $80 back nintendo.

    Fuck, I'm never buying another Nintendo product at launch again. This is bullshit.

  • Kuribo's ShoeKuribo's Shoe Kuribo's Stocking North PoleRegistered User regular
    oh and for the OP

    Yoshi's Island and Super Mario Advance 3 are the same game.

    there are 5 unannounced gba games.

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  • DeusfauxDeusfaux Registered User regular
    yeah, even the $50 off it's been at was a lot, I thought, and quite early.

  • Kuribo's ShoeKuribo's Shoe Kuribo's Stocking North PoleRegistered User regular
    they might have done better to just offer a mail in for two free 3ds games

    of course, that would cost them money where digital content does not

    it's a solid list though, and I certainly don't own all those games, and will be glad to have them

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  • Red or AliveRed or Alive Registered User regular
    Jesus. That's just over £100. (Which means that it'll be ~£125 over here when the price cut takes effect.)

  • ShenShen Registered User regular
    I need games Ninty, not a price cut. I especially need obscure Japanese RPGs, and living in Europe that pretty much means I need your console to be region free.

    3DS: 2234-8122-8398 | Battle.net (EU): Ladi#2485
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  • Kuribo's ShoeKuribo's Shoe Kuribo's Stocking North PoleRegistered User regular
    I think they've got it wrong here, actually. There's no reason to drop the price by that much. I'm not complaining, I'm glad more people will be able to buy it, but the only reason the 3DS isn't selling as much as they want is because there are no games for it.

    There are none.

    this is my opinion on the subject as well

    if they'd launched a little later and set the price at $199, they'd be doing a lot better right now.

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  • TheSonicRetardTheSonicRetard Registered User regular
    they might have done better to just offer a mail in for two free 3ds games

    of course, that would cost them money where digital content does not

    it's a solid list though, and I certainly don't own all those games, and will be glad to have them

    After I sat and made my post, I thought I'd rather have a couple of 3DS games instead

    and then I tried to think of what 3DS games I'd like

    and I'm drawing a blank

    why the hell did I buy this?

  • Jam WarriorJam Warrior Registered User regular
    Maybe with the whole 3DS using population getting WarioWare at the same time I'll be able to resurrect my plans for some kind of forum high score battle!

    It went so well last time...

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  • Kuribo's ShoeKuribo's Shoe Kuribo's Stocking North PoleRegistered User regular
    presumably because nintendo rarely launches strong but they always build up a solid library, at least of their own titles

    how long did it take before the original DS got a solid foothold?

    most people I knew had the psp pegged as the nail in the ds coffin

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  • reVersereVerse Attack and Dethrone God Registered User regular
    edited July 2011
    they might have done better to just offer a mail in for two free 3ds games

    of course, that would cost them money where digital content does not

    it's a solid list though, and I certainly don't own all those games, and will be glad to have them

    After I sat and made my post, I thought I'd rather have a couple of 3DS games instead

    and then I tried to think of what 3DS games I'd like

    and I'm drawing a blank

    why the hell did I buy this?

    That's how I feel about my DS, PSP and Wii.

    I seriously need to stop buying consoles. I do most of my gaming on the PC anyway.

    reVerse on
  • ReynoldsReynolds Gone Fishin'Registered User regular
    edited July 2011
    Wow. I cancelled my preorder originally, and just broke down and bought one like two weeks ago. Even though I found one for about $225 with no tax, that's still $35 or so I could have saved. Well, 20 free games isn't too bad, I guess.

    Reynolds on
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  • mntorankusumntorankusu I'm not sure how to use this thing.... Registered User regular
    edited July 2011
    Maybe with the whole 3DS using population getting WarioWare at the same time I'll be able to resurrect my plans for some kind of forum high score battle!

    It went so well last time...

    I actually originally joined these forums to play in the high score thread for WarioWare Twisted.

    I will participate, Jam Warrior!!

    mntorankusu on
  • The WolfmanThe Wolfman Registered User regular
    Well apparently Futureshop/Best Buy here in Canada have the thing for $199.99. I really have to wonder if it's because of this news, or just one hell of a coincidence. For that price, and the fact that I would technically get those 20 games as well, I might seriously consider getting one now. On the other hand though, I'd really want to see the entire list first. The NES will obviously be all those shitty first gen sport games and the like, and I'll bet dollars to doughnuts I'll already own 75% of their GBA list.

    $250 never did strike me as N's version of "$599", but it was just slightly out of my comfort zone, where I was more than content to either wait for a price drop, or for the inevitable 3DSi Lite SP. I'm sure this will end up stirring a shitstorm on how this sends a clear message of no confidence and the like. But it's also kind of nice that Nintendo is realizing the thing might be priced a tad high and is willing to tweak it so soon.

    "The sausage of Green Earth explodes with flavor like the cannon of culinary delight."
  • TheSonicRetardTheSonicRetard Registered User regular
    presumably because nintendo rarely launches strong but they always build up a solid library, at least of their own titles

    how long did it take before the original DS got a solid foothold?

    most people I knew had the psp pegged as the nail in the ds coffin

    I got my DS when the electric blue fat DS was released, right alongside kirby canvas curse. I'm not sure how long that was after launch but I had absolutely no trouble finding stuff to buy.

    I've gone to the store 2 or 3 times before already with the intent on buying ANYTHING for my 3DS just so I can play with it - like, money in hand - and I've walked away without making a purchase every time.

    I bought SSFIV... I don't know why, I would never play a fighting game on a handheld, especially the 3DS. I bought Ghost Recon 3D, and immediately went back to FFT on my PSP. I bought DoA and never play it. I have Zelda, and that DOES see some play, but I've already played that game to death so it's not really this mind blowing experience for me. I have RE:M, but that's hardly an engrossing experience, I should have waited for the full Resident Evil game.

    And that's it. That's pretty much the extent of the 3DS library. Everything else is pretty much shovelware. I've actually considered buying Splinter Cell 3D a few times, knowing full well that it's just a port of some other Splinter Cell game, simply so I'll have something to pop into my 3DS.

    To say I regret my purchase is putting it mildly. This price drop makes me regret it even more.

  • DeusfauxDeusfaux Registered User regular
    edited July 2011
    how long did it take before the original DS got a solid foothold?

    not until at least canvas curse. or at least that's when it had enough good games to even register

    edit: so, 7 months or more

    Deusfaux on
  • TheSonicRetardTheSonicRetard Registered User regular
    edited July 2011
    Deusfaux wrote:
    how long did it take before the original DS got a solid foothold?

    not until at least canvas curse. or at least that's when it had enough good games to even register

    Just looked it up, Canvas Curse was released 4 months into the DS' life.

    ...yeah.

    EDIT: Oh wait, wiki is listing the release dates out of order, it was 4 months in japan, 7 months in the US.

    TheSonicRetard on
  • The WolfmanThe Wolfman Registered User regular
    Canvas Curse was when I jumped aboard too.

    Only 7 months though? Huh, felt like it came out a lot longer than that.

    "The sausage of Green Earth explodes with flavor like the cannon of culinary delight."
  • DeusfauxDeusfaux Registered User regular
    edited July 2011
    yeah well, how many of us jumped on the day it came out? maybe another couple of months even after that?

    it was the first(?) compelling exclusive DS title

    Deusfaux on
  • Kuribo's ShoeKuribo's Shoe Kuribo's Stocking North PoleRegistered User regular
    so yeah, by holiday nintendo will have some heavy hitters, and off the backs of that more 3rd parties should join up

    at least that's the theory

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  • Rex DartRex Dart Registered User regular
    I got my 3DS for $225, but this news is still frustrating. Alas, it's an early adapter's job to get screwed.

    Still the 20 free games are a nice gesture. Is this the first time a gaming company has tried to make it up to early adapters?

  • AbsalonAbsalon Lands of Always WinterRegistered User regular
    edited July 2011
    Kid Icarus, Mario ("Look guys it's the Tanooki suit! Without flight! We must buy this glorious game!") and Mario Kart will make the thing take off, and first-party games selling well is always comforting for third-party developers. And the masses are just clamoring for a portable Zelda that has lots of clever hardware utilization elements...

    Right now it feels like the 64 vs. the PS all over again.

    Absalon on
  • Kuribo's ShoeKuribo's Shoe Kuribo's Stocking North PoleRegistered User regular
    I think it's the first time one's had to, dropping the price not even 6 months out.

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  • Kuribo's ShoeKuribo's Shoe Kuribo's Stocking North PoleRegistered User regular
    edited July 2011
    Absalon wrote:
    Kid Icarus, Mario ("Look guys it's the Tanooki suit! Without flight! We must buy this glorious game!") and Mario Kart will make the thing take off. And the masses are just clamoring for a portable Zelda that has lots of clever hardware utilization elements...

    Right now it feels like the 64 vs. the PS all over again.

    like I said, it's really more like the DS vs. the PSP. Only I hope the Vita does better than the PSP did in that matchup.

    and nobody comes to mario for the tanooki suit anyway

    we all know the real star of the mario 3 powerup show

    Kuribo's Shoe on
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  • TheSonicRetardTheSonicRetard Registered User regular
    Absalon wrote:
    Kid Icarus, Mario ("Look guys it's the Tanooki suit! Without flight! We must buy this glorious game!") and Mario Kart will make the thing take off, and first-party games selling well is always comforting for third-party developers. And the masses are just clamoring for a portable Zelda that has lots of clever hardware utilization elements...

    Right now it feels like the 64 vs. the PS all over again.

    Er, but the PSX outsold the N64 by 70 million units...

  • TheSonicRetardTheSonicRetard Registered User regular
    Absalon wrote:
    Kid Icarus, Mario ("Look guys it's the Tanooki suit! Without flight! We must buy this glorious game!") and Mario Kart will make the thing take off. And the masses are just clamoring for a portable Zelda that has lots of clever hardware utilization elements...

    Right now it feels like the 64 vs. the PS all over again.

    like I said, it's really more like the DS vs. the PSP. Only I hope the Vita does better than the PSP did in that matchup.

    and nobody comes to mario for the tanooki suit anyway

    we all know the real star of the mario 3 powerup show

    Dat Hammer Bros suit

  • DeusfauxDeusfaux Registered User regular
    even with a dearth of good games I'd bite at that price, but I wouldn't bite at this model.

    They have convinced me via history they'll be a better model out in a short enough time I can wait through. Hopefully by which time the games will exist as well.

  • TheSonicRetardTheSonicRetard Registered User regular
    edited July 2011
    I think it's the first time one's had to, dropping the price not even 6 months out.

    No, the 3DS joins the elite company of the Atari Jaguar and the Turbo Grafx 16 in the "less than 6 months price-drop" group

    not exactly company you'd like to be in, despite my undying love for the TG16.

    EDIT: oh, durr, misunderstood your post

    TheSonicRetard on
  • TheSonicRetardTheSonicRetard Registered User regular
    Deusfaux wrote:
    even with a dearth of good games I'd bite at that price, but I wouldn't bite at this model.

    They have convinced me via history they'll be a better model out in a short enough time I can wait through. Hopefully by which time the games will exist as well.

    The current 3DS has hardware issues anyways, so you know a remodel is coming. The 3DS will scratch it's screen to shit, without fail. It WILL happen unless you get a screen protector. The clam shell design in the 3DS is, for whatever reason, fucked. Which makes no sense because Nintendo has been doing clam shell for over half a decade now.

  • SirToastySirToasty Registered User regular
    I could definitely swing $170 and some games around Christmas time. I really just want more Smash Bros. 3DS info. Lord knows it will be awhile for that though.

  • ChenChen Registered User regular
    Shit, if one of the games is Advance Wars, I'll seriously buy one right this minute.

    Downer that the GBA games are apparently exclusive to early adopters.

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This discussion has been closed.