To those who whined about the 2DS

[Matthew Jabour]

Note: This is essentially an angrier version of jeffers' argument. Read his if you don't like the cold hard truth. Also, if you never complained about the 2DS, then congratulations, this thread is not about you. Therefore, comments like 'Well, I never complained, so you're wrong' hold all the relevance and importance of a toy monkey banging cymbals together.

So, Nintendo announced the 2DS recently, which is a cheaper version of the 3DS that doesn't fold and has no 3D (obviously). Most sensible people would see the benefits of this rather quickly. But, apparently (shock of shocks) sensible people do not exactly abound on the internet. Look up '2DS' on Google, or Yahoo, or 4chan, or probably even Yelp, and all you'll find is short-sighted criticism. 'DOESN'T FIT IN MAH POKKIT!' 'LOOKS STOOPID!' 'WAI WOOD U NEED THIS?'
This is directed to those people, or more specifically, to you. Yes, you, the one with your fingers on the keyboard, about to type something along the lines of 'You're a stupid Nintendo fanboy, the 2DS is just the latest in a long line of failures.' Well, here's a little thing you seem to have overlooked. If you have trouble remembering this, try writing it on a piece of paper and stapling it to your forehead. You ready? Okay, here goes.
It's.
Not.
For.
You.
"But Matt," you say. "I'm a gamer in my late teens or early twenties. Everything revolves around me!" (If you're older than that, then that only makes this sadder.) Well, as astonishing as this might seem, that's not true. There are also these other people, called 'children'. Remember those? You used to be a child. Maybe you still are, on the inside. And this is aimed towards children. I realize you may not believe me at this point, but let me point out a few things:
1. The Wii was aimed towards children.
2. Many recent Nintendo games are aimed towards children.
3. In fact, Nintendo is basically the only company that regularly aims things towards children.
Do you see a pattern here? If not, that's okay. I'll take you through a step by step analysis of reasons why it might be aimed towards children.

-It's more durable.
Nothing is sadder than snapping your new game system in half, and children have a tendency to do just that (at least, more than anyone else). By making it not fold, Nintendo increased the durability of the system so that it will last longer in a child's hands.
-There's no 3D.
In case you hadn't noticed the 3 million times your 3DS tells you to take a break for a while, 3D can be harmful to the eyes. Children are especially susceptible to this, so removing the feature entirely made it a lot safer.
-It's cheaper.
This is so mothers will be more likely to pick it up as a toy for their children - if you're still struggling with this, these are the people this is targeted towards - to play. Of course, a lower price is better for most people, but if you hadn't figured this out already, then you may actually be a child - or at least, possess the intelligence of one - in which case, disregard what I've said. This IS targeted at you.
-It just looks like a toy.
Picture the image of the 2DS in your mind. If you immediately thought, 'That looks stupid, who would want something like that?' then you have missed the point. Like, really missed it. The point is in Africa and you aimed at Venus, that's how much you missed it. Would you look at your cousin's rocking horse and say, 'That's totally stupid. It doesn't even look like a real horse', would you? Of course not! Because IT'S A TOY! And that's what games are! Toys! There are mature toys, and there are thought provoking toys, but toys nonetheless! Like a Scrabble game, or FreeCell, videogames are fun diversions from real life which usually involve minor stimulation of the mind and body for no real material gain - toys. And sometimes toys are aimed towards children. The 2DS, for example.
I hope this has helped you understand. If you wish to reply, all I ask is that you do so just as maturely and calmly as I have.

 

[The_Lost_King]

I understand all the kid stuff, and am not going to argue about it.

However I disagree with you saying all games are just toys. That is like saying all books or movies are toys. Sure, some videogames are just toys to play around with, however not every game is. There are games that try to teach lessons, games that try to tell deep stories, and yes games that are just to make you have fun.

 

[Eve Charm]

Eh the last radical redesign of an handheld that played the same games, was basically just a ton of redesign was the PSPgo, Do I really need to say how big of a flop that turned out to be.


think of it a bit of an election. If you don't have any support from any of the big parties and big states you'll never win because the followers will follow the others.

Basically if this releases without the gamer approval it's just gonna be a Dead on arrival flop. An uninformed or someone on the fence or someone buying it for the first time will always ask the question " should I get a 3ds or a 2ds " And even with it being 40 dollars cheaper when the clerks, their friends, their family, or that kid they knows that play games say " no get the 3ds" they'll buy the 3ds.

 

[Strain42]

I fully understand that the console is aimed at kids rather than adults. After all, Nintendo themselves have made that quite clear.

But I am gonna bring up the pocket thing, because guess what? That's an issue. I understand that they eliminated the clam shell design of this thing because hinges and children tend not to get along. Hell I'm a grown man and I still get my fingers caught in stuff every now and then. But really, the fact that it's for kids makes it even WORSE that this thing isn't very compact.

Kids tend to have smaller pockets than adults, so unless the kid wears a backpack everywhere, chances are good that this thing isn't gonna be easy to carry on the go, which is kinda the whole point of handheld gaming. Most kids are probably gonna have one of their parents carrying it everywhere for them, which is a bit of an inconvenience of both sides there.

A handheld console that isn't easily carried around when not in use (and keeping both your hands free) is a problem whether you're a kid or an adult. That is not an age specific problem.

For the record, I don't have any personal problems with the 2DS. Quite the contrary, I love the concept of it. I even like that they are making a version of the console specifically aimed to younger kids. In fact, part of me is really hoping they eventually make one more in mind for the adult audience. I already own a 3DS but I would pick up a 2DS that has more of the classic features and layouts. It's cheaper, and since it's already physically impossible for me to use the 3D anyways there would be no downside on my end. Presumably it would also have better battery life.

But just because I don't have any personal complaints about the console doesn't mean I can't acknowledge and point out that it has a few flaws. Flaws that they might have done their very best to work around, but flaws none-the-less.

There are more sides to this than "I have absolutely 0 complaints. I think the 2DS is super perfect!" and "I think this thing is the dumbest thing since dumb flunked out of dumb school...it is also quite dumb looking and I hate it."

 

[Miss G.]

I fully understand that the console is aimed at kids rather than adults. After all, Nintendo themselves have made that quite clear.

But I am gonna bring up the pocket thing, because guess what? That's an issue. I understand that they eliminated the clam shell design of this thing because hinges and children tend not to get along. Hell I'm a grown man and I still get my fingers caught in stuff every now and then. But really, the fact that it's for kids makes it even WORSE that this thing isn't very compact.

Kids tend to have smaller pockets than adults, so unless the kid wears a backpack everywhere, chances are good that this thing isn't gonna be easy to carry on the go, which is kinda the whole point of handheld gaming. Most kids are probably gonna have one of their parents carrying it everywhere for them, which is a bit of an inconvenience of both sides there.

A handheld console that isn't easily carried around when not in use (and keeping both your hands free) is a problem whether you're a kid or an adult. That is not an age specific problem.

The pocket thing isn't much of an issue. I've told someone much less articulate than yourself in another thread that this thing is a little smaller than the current LeapFrog Explorer series and other children's tablets, so that just shows that portability isn't a really a priority for kid electronics.

 

[omegaweopon]

Personally, I might actually buy one. For myself. Seriously, cuts out $40 off the price, and I've broken the hinge on no less than 7 DS's. (I take mine with me EVERYWHERE. And no one at a huge party cares about the $200 toy in your pocket) It'll fit cleanly in my cargo pants (All I wear) and it should actually grip a bit easier (I had to buy a nerf case just to give the joystick that extra 1/4" because the stick hurts my thumb) Seriously, putting more options out for your hardware cannot be a bad thing. It's when you stop manufacturing the original design (PSPGo) and forcing people to change over that issues arise. So yeah, actually this finally puts the 3DS in my range, and there's been TONS of games that I want to play, but the price was out of my hands.

Good on ya Nintendo. Don't be afraid to try something new.