About Nintendo's decisions on the New 3DS for America
- Thread starter Peterthumpa
- Start date
nckillthegrimace
Member
Zen_Arcade
Banned
That is odd then. The only reasonable explanation for not releasing it here is that the smaller 3DS didn't sell as well, but if it's essentially the same everywhere and other places are getting both models, then it just seems like a bad decision on Nintendo's part.
SomedayTheFire
Member
Terrible decision making, but it's not really a shock at this point is it?
somesayyea
Member
lack of an ac adapter is just plain ridiculous and they should be called out on that
GitarooMan
Member
It's likely based on regular/XL sales split in the US, and the fact that the new 3DS may not be a huge seller out of the gate. It might be a tough sell to convince retailers to take on tons of SKUs and a lot of shelf space for a product that may not be sell huge, especially until the holiday. The AC adapter thing, I have no idea.
SuperSonic1305
Member
Badlucktroll
Member
How the fuck much is the 3ds xl? And does the C stick take the place of the circle pad pro?
Selling eletronics with no means to charge them should never be aceptable in any place in the world.The fucking thing has a proprietary port, there is no way to charge without it.
This has no actual reasoning beyond being something you want.
deltatheta
Member
If they wanted to save money, they could have just included a USB power cable.
Orbis Tabula
Member
I think not having an adapter is monumentally stupid. I really hate it.
However, I don't think the decision will harm Nintendo that much. For the people that already own a 3DS, they have the adapter. For the children who are getting the n3DS as a gift from parents, parents are pretty used to the phenomenon of "Oh, I have to buy extra shit for this toy to work? Typical." When it comes to video games. All that really leaves is the adult fans who don't already have a 3DS. Some of them will suck it up, some of them will boycott. Overall, I don't think it will hit Nintendo's bottom line, and those that boycott won't hate Nintendo so much that they boycott all products. They'll line right back up for the next Nintendo product, provided it has an adapter.
So yeah, I absolutely hate the decision to not have an adapter in the box, but I do doubt it will hit Nintendo very hard. It's a very anti-consumer move that probably won't cause much of a backlash at all.
However, I don't think the decision will harm Nintendo that much. For the people that already own a 3DS, they have the adapter. For the children who are getting the n3DS as a gift from parents, parents are pretty used to the phenomenon of "Oh, I have to buy extra shit for this toy to work? Typical." When it comes to video games. All that really leaves is the adult fans who don't already have a 3DS. Some of them will suck it up, some of them will boycott. Overall, I don't think it will hit Nintendo's bottom line, and those that boycott won't hate Nintendo so much that they boycott all products. They'll line right back up for the next Nintendo product, provided it has an adapter.
So yeah, I absolutely hate the decision to not have an adapter in the box, but I do doubt it will hit Nintendo very hard. It's a very anti-consumer move that probably won't cause much of a backlash at all.
theechrisfox
Member
You can buy a $500 Yamaha keyboard and still have to pay $25 for a seperate SKU that contains the A/C adapter. Companies can just get away with it, so why wouldn't they?
SerTapTap
Member
Very few electronics are sold in a completely unusable condition
No charger, XL only, and region locking (still)?
3 strikes, you're out, NoA.
Was looking forward to getting back into the 3DS (sold my OG after I finished A Link Between Worlds) but this is awful.
I don't want to have import from EU/JP, do homebrew hacks to get past region locking, with every new cart/e-shop version having a FW update that makes it hard/impossible to play. I just want to have the regular-sized n3DS and that be it.
3 strikes, you're out, NoA.
Was looking forward to getting back into the 3DS (sold my OG after I finished A Link Between Worlds) but this is awful.
I don't want to have import from EU/JP, do homebrew hacks to get past region locking, with every new cart/e-shop version having a FW update that makes it hard/impossible to play. I just want to have the regular-sized n3DS and that be it.
I imagine it also came down to stores not being willing to stock faceplates or give Nintendo any more shelf space for handhelds that aren't selling well to begin with. The amount of space dedicated to 3DS at all my local Target stores is so incredibly tiny. But there's an easy answer to stores not wanting to carry your stuff - sell it directly. If the faceplates and regular sized 3DS are indeed niche, just sell it direct. At least give people the option to buy one. Who knows, maybe you'll find that there was demand for it after all.
Obviously this could have all be avoided by not region locking the hardware. But Nintendo is gonna Nintendo.
Pretty much how I feel about this.
The scary thing is how accepting people are about it. Like they enjoy spending money on things that should be included. "But other regions did it first!~" - yeesh.
From the very beginning not having face plates for the XL version is the original crime. It's like they really don't want to make any extra money with this new step now. :/
It's unfortunate but nothing new, corporate apologists that actively campaign against their own interests happens at an unfortunate level here
It's unfortunate but nothing new, corporate apologists that actively campaign against their own interests happens at an unfortunate level here
None of us know...
But if we want to take stabs at it:
(Systems Sold * Money Saved by not including Charger) + (Chargers sold * Profit margin of chargers) > Lost Sales*Profit Margin
Plug in a few values to have some fun. I guess they save $2.50 per charger and can make $7.50 on each charger sold. Sell 10 million systems to make $25 million and assuming half those people have to buy chargers another 37.5 million. Make an extra 62.5 million and they'd have to miss out on literally over 625k in unit sales of pissed people if the profit margin was say $100 per console.
Who knows maybe it'll bite em, they are betting it won't and they have much better numbers than me obviously.
Why no regular? Market research and it's much cheaper to have a supply chain with only one SKU. See ditching the 8GB Wii U immediately after launch for a good example.
edit: not condoning this, just the decision making process is interesting when you apply small cost savings to large scale sales
But then they couldn't sell the charger where the real money is. Look at apple and those ridiculous lightning cables the profit margin is outrageous.
But if we want to take stabs at it:
(Systems Sold * Money Saved by not including Charger) + (Chargers sold * Profit margin of chargers) > Lost Sales*Profit Margin
Plug in a few values to have some fun. I guess they save $2.50 per charger and can make $7.50 on each charger sold. Sell 10 million systems to make $25 million and assuming half those people have to buy chargers another 37.5 million. Make an extra 62.5 million and they'd have to miss out on literally over 625k in unit sales of pissed people if the profit margin was say $100 per console.
Who knows maybe it'll bite em, they are betting it won't and they have much better numbers than me obviously.
Why no regular? Market research and it's much cheaper to have a supply chain with only one SKU. See ditching the 8GB Wii U immediately after launch for a good example.
edit: not condoning this, just the decision making process is interesting when you apply small cost savings to large scale sales
But then they couldn't sell the charger where the real money is. Look at apple and those ridiculous lightning cables the profit margin is outrageous.
Oh my god, you are a lost case if you think this acceptable.
Leaving out the AC adapter is a terrible decision. I agree.
I can understand XL only, though. Nintendo wants to focus on the new model of the bestselling version of the 3DS. What makes sense for other markets, doesn't necessarily make sense for America. They've made a financial decision to avoid SKU confusion by focusing on one new model instead of two. Which is for the best, given Nintendo's marketing struggle in America.
Furthermore, shelf space is limited. Nintendo already had a hard enough time convincing retailers to make space for amiibo. They'd be pushing their luck to try and bring a second SKU and a line of face-plates, as well.
Also, to the average consumer who doesn't even know about the regular N3DS in other parts of the world, this makes no difference. It's just a superior version of the XL that is already the best-selling version of the 3DS family.
I can understand XL only, though. Nintendo wants to focus on the new model of the bestselling version of the 3DS. What makes sense for other markets, doesn't necessarily make sense for America. They've made a financial decision to avoid SKU confusion by focusing on one new model instead of two. Which is for the best, given Nintendo's marketing struggle in America.
Furthermore, shelf space is limited. Nintendo already had a hard enough time convincing retailers to make space for amiibo. They'd be pushing their luck to try and bring a second SKU and a line of face-plates, as well.
Also, to the average consumer who doesn't even know about the regular N3DS in other parts of the world, this makes no difference. It's just a superior version of the XL that is already the best-selling version of the 3DS family.
ArcaneFreeze
Member
I don't remember seeing people be up in arms about the PS3/360 not coming with HDMI cables which are basically required and they're muchore expensive than the 3ds adapter. How is this any different? They've sold 3ds's w/o the adapter in EU and JP for a long time now and that hasn't damaged their image or sales.
Except we are discussing a power cable, not memory cards...
Leafhopper
Banned
U wot.
Iorv3th
Member
Or that they don't trade their old 3ds in because they would then lose the adapter?
shacklesmcgee
Member
Well of course Nintendo had to fuck something up, they always seem to trip in the last 100 metres after doing so damn well the whole race
Diprosalic
Banned
they never sold XLs with chargers in europe. i wonder if this is a tax thing? like a loophole or something like that.
i didn't mind because i had tons of them already but it's weird, i wish they would just go micro usb to charge it.
i didn't mind because i had tons of them already but it's weird, i wish they would just go micro usb to charge it.
Horrible analogy. The 360 and PS3 all came with the means to play the console. The 3DS comes with NO means to charge it. None.
And nice selective memory you have there. People were pissed about no HDMI cables.
What? I do. I remember it being a pretty big deal and no one even had HDTVs yet. And how is including component cables as opposed tobhdmi cable different than not including the charger required to turn in the device? Are you seriously asking or what because that's a dumb question
ArcaneFreeze
Member
Micro transactions and DLC should already prove that point. People will buy it if they want/need it.
Omegasquash
Member
They weren't required when the system was released, and they came with component cables.
Also, they didn't sell you the system without a power cord.
It's easy to say this when you don't have the data they do and you don't have to balance a company's bottom line.
EDIT: People who didn't read the post before this post -- I'M REFERRING TO THE N3DS, NOT THE ADAPTER.
SomedayTheFire
Member
Yep just like when the PS1 came with no power cord. Those were the days right?
Lack of AC adapter is not something from NOA, as that has been going for years across every region. So it was more of them just following...orders.
XL only was kinda expected, since they've talked about the XLs selling better. Same as the lack of more colors. Sucks but not surprising.
XL only was kinda expected, since they've talked about the XLs selling better. Same as the lack of more colors. Sucks but not surprising.
Spyder_Monkey
Banned
There's so much salt here to make a mine out of. Personally as someone who A. Has an AC adapter and B. Was going to get the XL anyways (bigger size, more comfortable). I don't really care. Still funny to see the breakdown Gaf is having right now.
Petrae
Member
"But my old 3DS came with an adapter! And my DSi. And my GBA SP."
Memory cards never came with consoles. AC adapters always came with new DS purchases. This is a distinct change.
WrenchNinja
Member
Generally people expect their products to work beyond 6 hours.
OK. That doesn't mean it should be something that the government should mandate, which is what I am saying.
If customers have an issue with it, they won't buy the product.
If they still buy the product, then they have spoken and said this is acceptable for them.
Believing it should be illegal to do so is absurd.
There is a world of difference between thinking a company shouldn't do something, and believing we need to tell them they can't.
This is the NA SKU, not the EU or JP SKU. I've come to expect a charger to be included because that's what every single SKU that's been released in NA has done, as long as I've owned (and since beginning to purchase) Nintendo systems in NA.
psychotron
Member
These decisions make me think Nintendo doesn't give a shit because the next handheld is already on the horizon.
If a simple USB cable is going to break your company, your company is already broken.