Hasta La Gadget!

Nintendo’s announcement of the Nintendo 2DS is one of the most surprising developments in the gaming world this year. As an entry-level variant of the Nintendo 3DS, the 2DS can play all 3DS games and thousands more DS games. But unlike the 3DS and the 3DS XL, the 2DS can’t be folded. It’s upper screen also can’t display stereoscopic 3D, hence the lose-lose situation regarding its name. It’s an honest name, but for some people it will be like being told that a Honda Bivic exists. And it’s a Civic.

According to Kotaku, the 2DS’ screens are the same size as the ones on the 3DS. The lower screen is still a touchscreen and the 2DS will also come with a stylus. But as you can see its Circle Pad and face buttons are on the upper half of the device. I think the buttons were shifted up so that the shoulder buttons – which are at the top of the device – will still be within your index finger’s reach while your thumbs are on the Circle Pad and face buttons.

Aside from the “slate” form and the lack of a stereoscopic 3D display, the 2DS has a few other deficiencies compared to its big brothers. For one, it only has a mono speaker, but you can still get stereo audio via its headphone jack. It also has no physical Wi-Fi switch; you’ll have to toggle that from within the menu. So it’s a lesser device, but that means it also has a lower price. It will only cost $130 (USD), $40 cheaper than the 3DS and $70 cheaper than the 3DS XL.

*Update: Kotaku also shared Nintendo Europe’s nifty comparison chart (pdf) between all three 3DS models.* The Nintendo 2DS will be available on 10/12/2013, which is also the day Pokémon X and Y are released. That timing should help push units right from the get go; it will be enough for many people to see that the 2DS can play the latest Pokémon game. But only time will tell if Nintendo’s questionable naming scheme and hilarious yet also depressing decision to ditch their system’s main feature will pay off.

Will customers think that there are 2DS games? Or that the 2DS can’t play 3DS games? Will developers still care about the quality and functionality of stereoscopic 3D in their 3DS games? Will Nintendo finally realize that they have to come up with a practical naming scheme for their devices? Seriously, why didn’t they just name it the 3DS Jr.?

[via Nintendo & Kotaku]

On April 18, Nintendo will release a special Japan-only new “mint x white” color for the 3DS LL. The price will be 18,900 yen (the same price as existing colors).
On the same day, Nintendo will release a special edition 3DS LL, with “Tomodachi Collection Shinseikatsu” software built-in. The price will be 22,800 yen.

It is available for pre-order here.

Nintendo’s Q3 earnings report is out, and it’s sold just over 3 million units of its new Wii U console (at a loss) along with 11.69 million pieces of software. The other big news is that it’s adjusted sales forecasts downward — again, after it announced they were being cut back in October. However, since the flagship console is sold at a loss, while Nintendo is predicting 17 percent lower revenue, its prediction for net income has actually moved up by eight billion yen ($87 million).

It’s not all bad news however, as it’s showing about $160 million in net income for the year, compared with last year’s losses. The 3DS has jumped up to 29.84 million sold, while the original Wii is within shouting distance of the 100 million number. Need more numbers? Hit the source links to check out all the sales data firsthand.

Filed under: Gaming, HD, Nintendo

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Source: Nintendo Q3 earnings (PDF), Financial Forecast adjustment (PDF)

Nintendo’s reported its financial results for the first of half of the year, and things are still a little rocky. Net sales in the last six months have decreased 6.8 percent compared to the same point last year, while net income continues to drop, this time by 27,996 million yen. As of September 2012, Nintendo has now sold over 22 million 3DS units (three million more since last quarter), while the Wii remains just shy of the 100 million milestone, settling at 97.2 million units sold. Nintendo looks to be in a similar position to last year, with customers still waiting for the company’s next big console to appear — and the gamesmaker hoping they will. Laying blame at the strong yen, the company has dramatically cut its forecast for the rest of the year, down from 20 billion ($250 million) to 6 billion yen ($75 million), pinning its hopes on 3DS sales ahead of the Wii U’s global launch later this year.

Filed under: Gaming, Nintendo

Nintendo reports continued first-half losses for 2012, is waiting on the Wii U originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 03:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft must sometimes feel like its lead in the game market is a Pyrrhic victory. The Xbox 360 once again topped the NPD Group’s hardware charts in July, claiming a near-majority 49 percent market share of consoles — but the 203,000 units sold were a steep drop from the 257,000 units that traded hands in June, and a far cry from the glory days that would have given a victory more meaning. Nintendo and Sony haven’t shared their own figures, although the analyst group notes that only Nintendo’s 3DS and DSi had any kind of increase in the month. The industry as a whole was unmistakably feeling the combined effects of the pre-holiday doldrums and a console generation that’s long in the tooth: hardware revenue was down 32 percent in the month to $150.7 million, while the games in question saw revenue dip 23 percent to $260.7 million. If you need a culprit, earlier reports for the second quarter had credited similar shifts to sales of physical game copies declining faster than digital sales could replace them. Hope remains in the usual fall spike; even so, the July figures suggest the big three platforms might be living on borrowed time.

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NPD: Xbox 360 ruled a steadily declining video game empire in July originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Aug 2012 16:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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