The 3DS or I'm having a bad feeling about this.

[ANImaniac89]

As some might know today is the day the Nintendo that is reviling the release date and price for the upcoming 3DS system. so as far as I have seen the 3DS will come out in early 2011 and will cost around $299 USD
and this is what bothers me the price, correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't the Wii's release day price only $250?
Paying over 300 with taxes and games for a handheld makes me a little uncomfortable.
and with a system that costs over $300 whats to stop them from charging upwards of $50 per game since but the looks of it all the games are now in a 3D/ almost HD graphics.
Part of what sold me on the DS for the PSP was the fact that ALL of the games cost under $40 and are rather cheap for my unemployed ass.

what do other think on the matter?

 

[Z of the Na'vi]

Well, I can't say that I'm happy about the $300 price tag either, but consider the fact that this is one of the first handheld consoles sporting the power for HD graphics. Maybe it's the fact that the economy is moving forward, or maybe it's Nintendo jacking up their prices.

Either way, the claim you make about the Wii being only $250 at launch is an excellent one. There really is no reason for a handheld system to cost more than a standard console. A $200 price tag would be much more reasonable.

 

[tjs09]

With Apple and the iPod Touch 4 recently stepping their game up and giving us great games at reasonable prices, the 3DS is looking less attractive day after day...and they cost about the same

 

[Unrulyhandbag]

PSP GO $250
Ipad $499
iphone $599
Dell streak $549.99
ipaq $329

Sorry, but small reasonably powerful computers just cost that much these days. Minitirization has a cost unfortunately weather it be high end batteries or the latest chip design.
Maybe the games will be cheap though, eh?

. There really is no reason for a handheld system to cost more than a standard console.

Teh perception is a smaller thing is worth less. However a mobile machine need to either by made of obsolete tech that has long since been miniturised or it needs play tricks to balance required power and low power consumption while using the smallest low temperature chip design it can. They need specialised screens especially if they are 3d or touch sensitive, they need to pack in the current battery tech which these days has good life but a high expense. Those things are not cheap.

A wii just took a long in production chip design an old graphics chip and stuck them in a small box with a motion sensing kit. It was cheap and cheerful in every-way the biggest cost would have been software and testing the motion controller.

 

[Vladamir69]

PSP GO $250
Ipad $499
iphone $599
Dell streak $549.99
ipaq $329

you forgot to mention the ipod touch, which cost considerably less than the iphone, with the cheapest being more than 50 dollars less then the 3ds. also the fact that games cost less then a dollar and sometimes free pulls me away from the 3ds. ill probably get it if they give me a trade in deal for my dsi.

 

[Brotherofwill]

I think it's reasonable to expect 300 dollar for these specs and that new technology. As far as I've heard evryone 'gets' the experience as soon as they try it out, so I'm sure Nintendo can convince fans to shell that money out.

As for the game prices: Who still buys games at full, retail price? Geez, use the internet and BAM! save atleast 50%, or just wait a couple of weeks after the launch. Game prices fall so rapidly these days that games from 1 year ago are less than 10$ and they started at 60$.

 

[Riku'sTwilight]

A lot of you are forgetting that this is a launch price.

Launch prices are always a ridiculous amount of money.

Yet people (most likely yourselves in fact) will pay these prices because that is the economy of business.

Nintendo knows that they have a product in demand, and so the price reflects that.

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

Man, I'd love to agree with you on the price point (because it is high), but they're offering me Super Street Fighter IV on the go. My soul belongs to them now, weep for me.

 

[neoontime]

Darn it, I'll have to wait a while longer before buying it. Yes, I'm still probably buting it.

 

[Ignatz_Zwakh]

Wowwwwwww the 3DS managed to become more unappealing.

 

[Riku'sTwilight]

PSP GO $250
Ipad $499
iphone $599
Dell streak $549.99
ipaq $329

you forgot to mention the ipod touch, which cost considerably less than the iphone, with the cheapest being more than 50 dollars less then the 3ds. also the fact that games cost less then a dollar and sometimes free pulls me away from the 3ds. ill probably get it if they give me a trade in deal for my dsi.

You forget that although the ipod/iphone/ipad combo can play games, they are not a dedicated gaming system.

Gaming systems have better games (see the recent videos as one prime example) than the i(insert apple product here) because they aren't flooded with clones of the same game and are not made by indie studios, better battery life and a lot of consumers would rather play a game on a game console (handheld or home) than those on their phone (recent poll shows this) due to those features.

Apple needs to have a lot of cloned apps/games to draw in a casual market, whereas the 3DS is far from casual (for now)

 

[AyreonMaiden]

$300 sounds reasonable for all it can do. It goes far beyond anything the Wii is capable of, graphically and functionally. All in a portable package.

 

[Funkiest Monkey]

Possibly my favourite game line-up ever? The ability to download Gameboy and Gameboy Colour games from a "3DS Virtual Console"? An added analogue stick, and 3D without glasses?

The price tag is a minor obstacle.

EDIT: And when I mention about the line-up, I'm talking Ocarina Of Time, Lylat Wars and Snake Eater remakes. I'm talking Mega Man Legends 3, and Mario Kart 3DS. Paper Mario, Super Street Fighter 4, Resident Evil Revelations...

 

[GuerrillaClock]

The price tag is steep, but then, this thing has the potential to be the best portable game system ever. Time will tell if it lives up to the massive price tag, but damn the games line up is impressive, and even the most hard-hearted cynic has had nothing but glowing praise for the 3D technology.

It'll still sell faster than shit off a shovel, despite the price, mind. Say what you like about Nintendo, they know the games business and they always seem to be ahead of the curve of late.

 

[crimsonshrouds]

The only thing that will get me to purchase the 3DS is going to be the creation of the next advanced wars and final fantasy tactics... only then will i purchase it.

 

[Rakkana]

It's a rich peoples world isn't it... sigh.

I'll stick with my snes thank you very much.

 

[Underground Man]

I'll just wait ten years until it depreciates in value. And then buy it used.

Of course by then we'll have holodecks.

Just can't win these days....

 

[Nolanp01]

Oh, and here I thought this was a reference to 3DS Max. Right then, off I go.

 

[JaysonM]

I have to agree that the price is a tad outrageous for a hand held console.

3D in my opinion, is an incredibly desperate disruptive innovation which has been sort out by media companies just for extra bucks. First the movie theater are trying to get extra profit margins, then the television companies, and next it shall be the gaming companies.

Perhaps it being the "first true" device in which you don't need 3D glasses makes it justifiable in what it costs. To be honest though, I don't believe the technology is that overly complex..