Cartridges: Why 3DS might be failing

[Treblaine]

I LOVE both of these games, to spite how different they are, both of these games from 1998 are foundation stones of my childhood gaming experience. I have played through both of them more times than I can remember and including the other re-releases, special editions and also playing all the sequels.

But the comparison between how each of these games are re-released on portable consoles, it couldn't be much of a more unfavourable comparison.

PSP - Metal Gear Solid (original release in 1998)

Available portable: 2009
Game costs: $10
Media: Digital Download (with cross play on PS3)

Platform costs: $99
Buttons: analogue nub, 4x face buttons, 2x shoulder buttons
Screen Resolution: 480 × 272 3.8-inch

3DS, Ocarina of Time (Original Release in 1998)

Available portable: 2011
Game costs: $40
Media: Bulky Cartridge

Platform cost: $170
Buttons: analogue nub, 4x face buttons, 2x shoulder buttons and touchscreen
Resolution: 400x240*
Screen: 3.5-inch

[small](*the lenticular effect means in 2D you only have 400 horizontal pixels and in 3D each eye only sees 400 horizonal)[/small]

_______

3DS does of course have 3D and a generally slightly sharpened models, though these aren't selling points to me. I'm not going to go back to Ocarina of Time or MGS for the graphics. I don't want a "Star Wars Special Edition". Overall they both compare very closely in the aspect of returning-to-older-games-on-the-go in terms of capability except...

$40 cartridge vs a $10 download.

I am a HUGE fan of these games but I am NOT paying $40 and with inconvenience of a cartridge with portable gaming. The 3DS is big enough as it is (6x the volume of the iPod Touch, BTW) and having multiple cartridges for whichever game you should want to play and the necessary holder for them... it's not really pocket gaming any more. It's back-pack portable.

I am really disappointed in this, I was expecting a new console like 3DS to fully embrace full download to SD-card with only super-duper titles getting Cartridge releases.

I have so many classic games loaded on my battered but faithful old PSP:
-Tomb Raider I, II, 3, Last Revelations + Chronicles
-Metal Gear Solid
-Final Fantasy IX
-Resident Evil: Director's Cut

I can fit dozens of games onto my (44ml volume) iPod Touch. And I don't have to worry about losing a $40 cartridge out of a hole in my pocket. To me, this choice in games is absolutely pivotal as having that choice while on the move frees me to play what I really am in the mood for. And don't have to have worry of taking too much, or regret not taking that game.

I got a Nintendo DS because it was cheap... but everywhere I search I see low-detail games selling for such a high price, 360 games that have come out this year are often cheaper. Mario Kart DS came out almost 6 years ago yet still costs 2x as much as Halo Reach that came out less than a year ago.

Basically, I am wondering how much of a foul-up Nintendo has made sticking with Cartridge Media in 2011?

{NOTE: I am British, but I am putting all prices in US Dollars as they seem more universally recognised. The price differences are similar in the home of the socks-and-sandals people}

ITT:
-why 3DS fails
-if this is an over-reaction
-HOW THIS CAN BE REVERSED (please, not all doom and gloom)
-Portable gaming in general (extra points for whoever mentions Rage iOS's awesomeness)

 

[Sparcrypt]

You pretty much have it there.

I'm not going to pay 350 bucks for a handheld console then 60 bucks per game (aussie prices) when I have a phone anyway and can get games that are just as, if not more, fun and always carry them with me.

I don't even mind paying $10-15 per game for the better ones.

Oh and I hate 3D. Not as a concept, just the way it's used at this moment. Personally the only GOOD use I've seen is the two player coop on one screen thing - when that becomes standard I will be buying a capable TV.

 

[Drakmeire]

The system has downloadable titles as well so even if you don't buy physical games you still have plenty of games to buy. I think the reason it isn't selling is just because the holiday season is not close yet and the AAA titles are just being released now. I think the system has a long future ahead of it. I love the one I have.

 

[DeadlyYellow]

I never saw a reason to get the 3DS, and still don't. Same with the upcoming WiiU. I just don't see a point to it.

 

[V8 Ninja]

...How is a cartridge inconvenient? In all honesty, I would view a cartridge as more convenient than a digital download. Now, if you're strictly speaking about price, then this argument makes a lot more sense. But otherwise I don't see how a cartridge can be worse than a digital download.

EDIT: As this being my "1337" post, this is kind-of dull. I demand more explosions!

 

[Stall]

I'm not going to pay even 160 dollars for a handheld and 40 for games when I can get games on my iPod Touch and android tablet for 99 cents. Even better is that these are two devices I almost always have on me as well since I use my tablet for class and iPod Touch as a PMP and personal organizer. So, why should I bother with a 3DS when I already have two devices that can play games on the go? I personally don't think dedicated mobile devices for gaming will last past this generation.

Oh, and if you want a really, REALLY awesome iOS game, check out "Magnetic Billiards". Be warned though... it's pretty damn addictive.

 

[Mr. Omega]

There is a good argument to be had there. I do think that the price of handheld games should not be increasing, as Nintendo has done with the 3DS in this market. I do think that dedicated game catridges for the (as close as they can get to)AAA handheld titles, like Star Fox or the new Paper Mario will always have a place, but charging $40 for them is going to be very off-putting. making them about half the price, or perhaps Nintendo FINALLY letting their big games get cheaper as time marches on could be two things that could stimulate the 3DS.

Now there is the whole "no games" argument, but give it about 2-3 months, and that will be a non-issue. Nintendo just made the regular smart move of putting their big games at the holiday season. However, the made the monumentally stupid move of putting ALL their big games in the holiday season, leaving the 5-7 MONTHS between release and the holidays as one big barren wasteland.

Some minor ideas I would do:
- Take all the big hits of the DS library (Professor Layton, Ace Attorney, all the 1st party games, so on) and make a "Greatest Hits" line, selling them in fancy new boxes and a reduced price, with one or two nice little bonuses added to them for the 3DS. With the entire DS backlog still playable, some of the big hits could stand to be put on display, and making them cheap but noticable could give them a few psuedo-system sellers.

- Advertise the big games in the eShop more. There are some great gems, even beyond the main pages, if you're willing to search for them. Some might be a little more expensive than another version, but they are still worth the quality. Usually the pricing is fair, and there are only the very rare exception (Cave Story and Shantea are the only ones that come to mind right now) that are more than $8. Most are only about $2-6, a little more expensive than the average app game, but actually advertising them would help.

- SALES. This works for Steam, this would help the eShop. Have a weekly or monthly sale or something along those lines. Give a few downloadable games a time in the limelight.

- Advertise the 3DS (and the games) more. I remember the Wii and the DS had a great marketing campaign. So what about the 3DS? Then again, if it had more system-sellers, this would probably help...

 

[Rednog]

I think the biggest hurdle for the 3DS is yet to come, we've seen a second thumb stick roll out, so what now? Will it be embraced by developers and pretty much require everyone to purchase the add on (essentially kicking the price back up again), essentially screwing over current owners?

 

[Kapol]

What would you suggest besides that system? The PSP's UMDs were awful as they were easily damaged, and the PSP Go, which attempted to be completely download based, failed horribly. Some people (myself included) would rather have some sort of physical item. The items you described were both excellent games that held rereleases. The difference is that the 3DS game had a lot more reworked to it (graphics, score, gameplay had a fairly major alteration to adjust to the duel-screens, and so forth). Most full PSP games are $20-40 dollars for a download copy, $40 if brand new and less if older.

 

[Rad Party God]

As a HUGE fan of Nintendo and a HUGE fan of cheap downloads, I can see your point, even if I'm not a big fan of portables since the DS Lite. I can also see your point, Nintendo can bring quality games via download with a lesser price tag, maybe going as far as $20 per game if it's a big release, but that's only if the game in question can fit for a download.

I mean, yeah, how much does Mario Kart actually weighs in an actual DS?, according to a quick Google serach, it's about 32 MB out of a cartdrigde that's capable of holding 512 MB. The 3DS release with updated textures and all that fancy stuff can hardly surpass the 80 or even a 100 mb download and that's not considering all the mumbo jumbo developers use to compress data.

So, considering the low download with the option of using huge SD cards that also are very cheap, I think that Nintendo are seriously losing a big opportunity. They don't need to spend a single cent for manufacturing the box, the cartdridge itself, the manuals and all of that. And for the end user, it could be awesomely cheap.

Now, the way I see things, Nintendo aren't considering it for the very same reason they decided to use cartdridges for the N64 and the same reason why software sales were so low for the DS, piracy.

I really don't know how it works for the PSP regarding downloadable content, but anyone could easily copy the game to another SD card or even upload it to the net and ilegal copies would run rampant. BUT, you can also copy downloaded Wii games to an SD card, but it has it's own data readable only to the Wii and not the PC or other devices.

I think that the Vita will embrace this business of cheap downloads for budget games and big releases for game cards (a fancy name for cartdriges and yes, they will use them).

I don't like the iDevices for gaming and I'm still quite old school regarding portables, so, my last hope of having a real system dedicated to games on the go will be the Vita. No matter how many Marios, Zeldas, Metroids and Metal Gears Nintendo uses, I don't see myself buying a 3DS for the time being.

 

[Something Amyss]

ITT:
-why 3DS fails
-if this is an over-reaction
-HOW THIS CAN BE REVERSED (please, not all doom and gloom)
-Portable gaming in general (extra points for whoever mentions Rage iOS's awesomeness)

Why 3DS fails: overpriced, gimmicky, backwards thinking company. It doesn't automatically mean cartidges fail, but they have a lot of 80's thinking going on. Maybe not literally 80s, but pretty dated. A limited online policy, rehashed titles as your MAIN selling point (and not releasing them at launch), and 3D as a selling point, on top of major pricing issues for the handheld itself.

Overreaction? Hell yes.

How this can be reversed: Better digital support wouldn't hurt them, but updating their mindset in general would be bigger.

Portable Gaming in general: I still like my DSi, so I might not be the best person to talk to.

The cost is fine, if the content justifies it.

Besides, the Nintendo pricing policy would gouge you even on DD.

 

[krazykidd]

I'm not going to pay even 160 dollars for a handheld and 40 for games when I can get games on my iPod Touch and android tablet for 99 cents. Even better is that these are two devices I almost always have on me as well since I use my tablet for class and iPod Touch as a PMP and personal organizer. So, why should I bother with a 3DS when I already have two devices that can play games on the go? I personally don't think dedicated mobile devices for gaming will last past this generation.

Oh, and if you want a really, REALLY awesome iOS game, check out "Magnetic Billiards". Be warned though... it's pretty damn addictive.

Why don't you just say you don't like portable consoles? Your argument is as valid for anything handheld , like a psp or a ds or a gameboy ... Thats not a problem with the actual 3ds but the fact you don't want a handheld console :/

OT : i will buy a 3ds if and only if proper jrpgs come out on it . My main issue is there are no decent games on it , maybe i'll wait for the 3ds slim Or whatever , we all know nintendo is gonna release a new one by spring of 2012 . Oh and devil survivoe overclock is practically the same as devil survivor on ds and i have that already.

 

[Stall]

Why don't you just say you don't like portable consoles? Your argument is as valid for anything handheld , like a psp or a ds or a gameboy ... Thats not a problem with the actual 3ds but the fact you don't want a handheld console :/

The thing is I've owned handhelds for all my life. I still have my GBP, GBC, GBA, GBASP, PSP and DS. It's not that I don't like handhelds: it's that handhelds, for the first time, have REAL, credible competition. Competition that not only has cheap and fun games, but comes right short of being a kitchen sink. I'd love to get a PSV or a 3DS, I really would, but I really don't know how I can justify it to myself if I already have two devices that not only play games, but play games cheaper AND fulfill real, valuable functions BESIDES entertainment.

I don't see handhelds being "relevant" anymore unless they start offering people something BEYOND a dedicated gaming device. One step the 3DS does need to take is a stronger focus on digital distribution, but giving it more "bang for your buck" is right well essential too.

 

[FalloutJack]

Remove the bricking or no deal.

 

[Treblaine]

...How is a cartridge inconvenient? In all honesty, I would view a cartridge as more convenient than a digital download. Now, if you're strictly speaking about price, then this argument makes a lot more sense. But otherwise I don't see how a cartridge can be worse than a digital download.

Well, with downloadable games you can basically use you games like songs on an ipod. Just select a "playlist" and load it up for on the go. I can't imagine going back to the days of cassettes or CDs for my portable music, I am much the same with my games on portable gaming devices now. In fact with Steam and XBLA I am almost there with my home games.

Also there is the economics factor that means going with Cartridges pretty much guarantees games will be expensive and STAY expensive.

It is inherently costly and time consuming to manufacture game cartridges (as used in 3DS), and it gets exponentially worse with larger game-sizes. So with near Wii-quality games that the 3DS CAN handle that's 4-5GB of RAM. Making a games-cartridge is a risky venture as you could very well make a million copies of a game that no body wants to buy. This is the same reason N64 games were 50% to 2x more expensive than PS1 games.

But the alternate route, manufacturing re-writeable Flash memory like SD Cards, Pro-Duo memory-sticks or integrated flash memory is companies can pile it high and sell it cheap as the hardware has inherent value as storage. It is almost guarantee to sell it to balance the books.

Then the risky part - whether each game will sell - is low risk as in digital format for download it can instantly respond to demand. There is no investment, just put the game on the store front with a price-tag and if more people want it then more people download it.

So say you have a 4GB game. It is actually cheaper to sell it as a digital download and buy a 4GB flash SD card separately. With the added benefit is you can RECYCLE the memory, by first copying the game to your hard drive (or deleting it and re-downloading it when you want it) and installing a new game. I did that working my way through the Tomb Raider series, finish one game, and replace it with the next one in the series. And I always had an alternate game on the side if I wasn't in the mood for raiding of tombs.

It's the dynamic and adaptable nature of it that is so critical. It's how like-for-like Sony is able to undercut Nintendo by 75% re-releasing the same games from the same time.

"Darwin never said the strongest would survive... but rather the most adaptable"

I get it that some people like the idea of physically owning a hard copy of their game, but you have to consider you pockets, how much more money you will have and how much less bulk and liability. If I lose a game, with digital download I can just download it again. You have to consider the peace of mind that comes from that.

 

[Treblaine]

A
I don't like the iDevices for gaming and I'm still quite old school regarding portables, so, my last hope of having a real system dedicated to games on the go will be the Vita. No matter how many Marios, Zeldas, Metroids and Metal Gears Nintendo uses, I don't see myself buying a 3DS for the time being.

I had this opinion till I tried 'Rage' on iPod Touch (4th gen) with the "Virtual Window" for aiming and looking around.

Blew my mind. Not just the best iOS game, one of the best portable games and honestly one of the most inspiring gaming experiences I've played this generation.

The virtual windows exploits the ludicrously accurate gyroscope built into 4th generation iPhone/iPod touch devices and the iPad 2 onwards. It is super accurate, it effectively makes your whole device a very accurate pointing device but what is so impressive is HOW this is applied.

And it works literally like a Virtual window. If you want to look 10-degrees to your right you turn the screen AND yourself 10 degrees to the right and to turn around YOU turn around! Holding it up to your face it is like a window into a virtual world, it is extraordinary and unlike anything I have experienced before. The thing is this way I was able to aim fast, fluid and naturally, the closest thing to mouse aim.

For me, it redefines what gaming can be. It's no longer just aiming with the fingers or wrist, but my WHOLE BODY. The Wii didn't do that for me. I'm standing in my kitchen in kind of boxing stance with my iPod Touch raised whipping around to headshot mutants. I'll pass up on playing 360 to play this game!

This is what excites me about iOS, not how it can recreate home-console experiences in handheld format. But how it can have such unique gaming experiences you'd never have considered before.

And Rage on iOS... is a free game.