i understand in turth it was too late to really change 3ds since it's is already big
More 3DS models would 'confuse' gamers, says Nintendo
By
Eddie Makuch, News Editor
President Satoru Iwata cites concerns for consumer confusion and mass production efficiency as reasons it has "no plans" to pursue more portable models in addition to 3DS XL; Circle Pad Pro for 3DS XL confirmed.
The possibility of Nintendo manufacturing a new 3DS model outside of the 3DS XL is slim. During a recent shareholder meeting (attended and translated by Andriasang), Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said the Mario factory currently has "no plans" in the near future for new models of the portable. This decision, he said, was based in part on an estimation that consumers would be "confused" if there were too many choices.
Iwata also cited mass production efficiency concerns as a reason Nintendo is not likely to release a new 3DS iteration. Speaking about the Tokyo game giant's recently announced supersized 3DS XL, Iwata said this system was the result of a "great need" for a large screen. The 3DS XL is due out in North America on August 19 for $200 and in Europe three weeks earlier on July 28.
The original DS was iterated on three times with the DS Lite, DSi, and DSi XL. Earlier this month (and prior to the announcement of the 3DS XL), Nintendo designer Shigeru Miyamoto said a new 3DS model was "unlikely". He explained that more can be done with current 3DS hardware, as well as the 3D gaming sector in general.
Elsewhere, the latest issue of Japanese game magazine Famitsu (translated by Kotaku), confirms that the 3DS XL will receive its own Circle Pad Pro accessory. This peripheral will be called the Circle Pad Pro XL and will go on sale this year in Japan. Information regarding a Western release was not mentioned.
By
Eddie Makuch, News Editor
Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.
296 comments
1 Like So instead of integrating the Circle Pad Pro into the new 3DSXL they are going to have it be another add-on.... again.
This makes me a confused gamer Mr. Satoru.
1 Like "More 3DS models would 'confuse' gamers, says Nintendo"
Which is why they should have released one perfect 3DS instead of two that still don't have a 2nd Circle Pad. Circle Pad Pro for XL? Seriously, Nintendo???
@sortajan B-b-b-but ... I AM a chimpanzee...
:O
The trainer's got cash, you say? Never thought of checking!
The Circle Pad Pro XL - Does that effectively make it a Wii-U controller, then? I can see the press release now -
"... Comes with it's own guitar strap and add-on wheelboard, so you can actually contemplate CARRYING the device somewhere..."
nintendo DS was the end of nintendo portable era for me, i will miss those golden nintendo portable games of the past .
1 Like I guess if u want to pay the extra 30 dollars for a bigger screen then I guess that is fine. I'm surprised Nintendo didn't introduce an system that included dual circle pads, but I guess they just want to stick with the orginal's design and not divide the player base.
@Rifqi_Hb It depends how you define "portable". Portable for me is being able to put it in my bag and take it on the train. Both 3DS models would fit this category.
No it doesn't. It's literally as portable as the regular 3DS. Just because it won't fit in your pocket doesn't mean it's not portable.
@Rifqi_Hb Same reason I'm not getting the WiiU. Too big and bulky. They should just make a new home console or something.
6 Like Say what you want about PSP but regardless of success it sure had a lot of awesome games. I bought my DSi XL for Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy III.... except now FFIII is coming to PSP. What does 3DS have? 2 decent looking Resident Evil games, a Booby Fighter (DOA), and a ton of Nintendo brand games.
@Harker409 That's barely a fair comparison considering psp has had 6 years while 3ds has just gone over 1 year.
3 Like So wait there's an ADD-ON coming? Second analog stick? Looks bulky as hell.
AND they release 3DS XL WITHOUT integrating the second nub!?!?!?!? AND the'yre gonna release ANOTHER version that integrates it, down the line...
WHAT...THE.. FUCK nintendo?! You're screwing over your most loyal fanbase by having them buy stuff multiple times.
I'm glad i didnt buy 3DS release day.
You're all confused. The Circle Pad Pro has already been released. The XL is going to be the last iteration of the 3DS. The XL will have its own Circle Pad Pro add-on, since the current one doesn't fit on the larger version.
Also, it adds 2 extra buttons in addition to the circle pad. If you don't want it, then don't buy it.
1 Like Welcome to Nintendo where all they care about is making their shareholders happy by selling multiple versions od the same hardware thus macking the max cash by milking their fans over and over again.
.
@jark888 So you're saying power's what makes the system? If so you should trash your wii, ps3 and 360 because that's all their worth compared to pc... if graphics is a selling point.
@jark888 Sony can only dream of having the same success with their portables that Nintendo is having with the 3DS and had with the DS.
2 Like How about the "great need" for >5 hours of battery life? The great need for 3D that doesn't give some people headaches? The great need for a portable system that can actually fit in your pocket? The great need for a second circle pad? Oh, right, gotta pay for that.
1 Like I've heard this line before... I think it was a week before the 3DS XL was announced.
I'll wait for the iteration of the handheld I actually want to buy.
The Nintendo Direct Conference had Mr. Caffeine taken control.
Mr. Caffeine : Here at Nintendo.... size matters! Wanna come play with our new joystick? 2's better than 1!
xD I'm sorry... someone had to say it.
2 Like I believe we are focusing too much on "specs" than actual "gameplay". That's what the 3DS and other handheld is about. Specs are nice, but when a debate over a minor issue becomes a big issue, then it is a distraction from the fun. The 3DS, as it is now, is a great system to have and still has a lot of potential. After using it for over a year, I can safely say this.
@Flint247 It's actually funny.... people continue to debate and complain over graphics and power... boasting _____ console/handheld is more powerful which thus makes it better.... when really , every console and every handheld that has ever and will ever come out will NEVER be as powerful as the pc... and even IF (highly unlikely but if) they decide to charge an arm and a leg and become as powerful as pc... a quick nod of the head and the pc will automatically be better again. My point here isn't that pc is the best system ever... it isn't. But if you're (not you but gamers in general) in a graphics/power spitting contest and ____ that you're boasting is a console... you've lost before the game even starts. If graphics and power are the things that make a system.. we should end console gaming all-together.
I agree completely. My only gripe about the 3DS is that it feels too cramped for me to enjoy for extended sessions. The XL solves this, so I'm ready to buy one when they are available.
Actually, I lied. The software support is still a bit disappointing. I'd like to see more quality titles. But the hardware itself is fine.
Another good reason why the 3DS XL was made. I can understand that the current 3DS can be small for some people and I am glad there is a bigger option.
Fortunately, more good titles are coming later this year, like Paper Mario and New Super Mario Bros. 2. The current software line up is decent. There are good downloadable games, though.
2 Like I do not get the hate over the XL. Most people have a hard time viewing small screens or holding small systems in the first place. So that's why the 3DS XL was made. It was not made for a "quick cash" but as an "option". If you do not want it, then do not buy it. Nintendo did not rob you of your money just because they announced this later. They were probably waiting to see how the original 3DS went before considering this. I am staying with the original 3DS, but I do not find the XL bad, because it is "option". It's not like the DS Lite to DSi reiteration.
@Flint247 I don't get the hate in general... Every one knew Nintendo would eventually do this just like they did with the DS and Gamboy Advance and Sony did with the PSP...
If a person bought it early not expecting Nintendo to at some point release a new version then that's their problem...
I probably should have (or could have) put my above response under this comment. I do like the current 3DS, but I'm really looking forward to the larger version.
The people complaining about a lack of increased resolution obviously don't understand how hardware works. Nintendo could put a billion-pixel display in the XL, and it wouldn't matter because the hardware is still rendering a fixed resolution (it wouldn't look any better because the hardware can't magically increase the software's resolution). I'm starting to hate the arrogant attitude of today's gamers (at least the vocal ones here on Gamespot). They seem to expect everything for nothing, and are too impatient to allow technology to progress at its natural pace.
Anyway, like I said above, I'm really looking forward to the 3DS XL.
1 Like I find it surprising that Nintendo would release the circle pad add-on rather than incorporate it into the XL, considering that if they were serious about making use of it, they'd add it onto the hardware. I wish they'd either add it or just let it go. Making people buy an add-on will pretty much guarantee that developers don't support it, so then there is no real point in releasing another add-on for the XL. I can't imagine too many people bought it for the 3DS.
This was their chance to either sh*t or get off the pot, but they chose neither.
Really now, "great need" for a larger screen? Oh, for crying out loud it's supposed to be handheld not a tablet or laptop. Seems Nintendo's throwing the concept of 'pocket size' out the window now. Sees nothing new besides the size and battery life.
They said they won't make the same mistake with the 3DS for Wii U. But they're still making new mistakes on the same 3DS system. Don't want to be in their shoes come their fiscal ending again.
@rey2 What's the big deal? Some people will want the bigger screen others won't... It is not like they are making the original obsolete.
Tablets are handheld. Besides, does anyone actually carry portables in their pockets anymore? My biggest problem with both the 3DS and Vita are how cramped they are. A larger handheld would probably be more comfortable to hold, in addition to offering a screen that is significantly larger than the one I already have on my phone.
Nintendo needs to compete with casual entertainment devices (including tablets), which is why portables need to get bigger. Otherwise people won't see the need to buy them.
@rarson Tablets are handheld, but they sure as hell aren't portable in the way a DS, PSP, or your smartphone is.
@rarson A laptop is not a portable gaming console. I have no issues fitting an original Game Boy, PSP, or DS in my pockets.
And one of the primary reasons the Gamegear failed was its size!
But the point is that they ARE portable. They just don't fit in your pocket. Why does a game machine necessarily need to fit in one's pocket? Especially when the tablet market is sure to encroach on the sales of gaming hardware.
For years, people have considered portables to be things that one shoves into their pockets (even though that's never really been true... I mean, you need pretty big pockets if you're trying to fit an original Gameboy, Game Gear, DS, or even a PSP or Vita in your pocket). I think that needs to change if portable game consoles are going to have a chance competing with powerful phone and tablet hardware.
@rarson lol , well streetpass/playcoins require it to be in your pocket. The size is an issue for me...I do take mine in my pocket.. and with my wallet and near 3ds-sized phone in my pocket I'm not sure that would fit.
For casual gaming sessions, most people won't really care enough to spend a couple hundred dollars on a device that only does games, especially when it's screen is the same size as the one on their phone (the Galaxy S III has a 4.8-inch screen which is almost as large as the Vita's 5-inch screen). Yeah, gaming devices offer better control with physical buttons, but so does the Xperia Play. And buttons are great, but if the handheld is cramped because it's too small, then it's practically moot. Larger handhelds permit more comfortable designs, better situated controls, larger internal batteries, bigger screens, etc.
Phone technology is advancing much more rapidly than the slower cycles consoles typically follow. Phones have a huge advantage in the fact that their cost is subsidized by mobile service providers. Samsung's Galaxy S III has a quad-core Cortex-A9 processor with ARM Mali-400 GPU (at least internationally). That's a bit less power than the Vita, but pretty competitive for a phone, and it'll surely be surpassed by another phone within the next 18 months. Oh, and it's screen has a higher resolution than Vita. Hardware-wise, phones are a huge threat.
Granted, the number of truly quality titles available is pretty small, but the market is much bigger and has the advantage of scale. This is sure to attract more serious developers (Epic seems to be in love with tablet gaming) and more serious games.
Portable games also have to compete with tablets. People are willing to spend more money on tablets because they do more than just play games and have large, high-quality screens. Granted, 3DS and Vita both have some functionality beyond gaming, but lacking a serious operating system, it's probably pretty likely that few people will ever use them to watch movies and surf the web as often as they would a tablet. It's not so much the games are great on tablets, but the fact that they exist means that someone who already owns a tablet can probably get a decent gaming experience relatively cheaply compared to a dedicated console (whose games are significantly more expensive). Infinity Blade, for example, is only 99 cents.
Phone and tablet hardware is beginning to encroach on the portable game market. The 3DS has dual screens and autostereoscopic display; that's great. To remain compelling, it's going to have to offer more than that. Larger handhelds can provide a better gaming experience and make a more compelling argument for dedicated gaming devices, the only caveat being that you can't fit it in your pocket anymore (which is not a complaint that anyone ever mentions about tablets).
Notice how much larger this XL is over the last one. It practically dwarfs the current 3DS. The screen is much larger, the battery life is better. My only concern is that the controls seem to be situated exactly the same as the regular 3DS... but perhaps the larger screen will help the console feel less cramped. Capitalizing on the advantages that dedicated gaming devices can offer can help keep them relevant in a time where phones have rapidly caught up in processing power and have tons more features and software than they've ever had before. The 3DS XL is definitely a big step in the right direction. Sony should take note and release their own XL version of Vita. Heck, if I could get a super-sized version of Vita for about $300, maybe around the size of the Wii U gamepad, then I'd jump all over that, too.
1 Like @rarson I own a smart phone or ''gaming device'' phone. And I disagree that it's ever even come close to the quality of games on even 3ds already. It's not close to 1/5 of ''the gaming experience''. Overall there are only 2 or 3 ( ios) games that I would say have the same quality/enjoyment of common place 3ds games. Even the new ''flashy'' games like Dead Trigger are worthless compared to Resident Evil Revelations. Overall ios is for those that only want ''enough''.
No they don't. They require it to be on your person. Plenty of people carry tablets or laptops with them. My point is that the pocket size is no longer a requirement or even necessarily a desirable trait. For a portable gaming machine, the experience is more important than the ability to fit it in your pocket, especially when a phone can already do that and give you 2/3 of the gaming experience.
1 Like Well let's see first we have the Gameboy revised to: GBPocket, GB Color (probably the most reasonable revisions); then GBA revised to: GBSP, GB Micro; and lastly the DS revised to: the DSLite, the DSi, DSiXL. From Nintendo's track record we should expect at least one more revision.
Eh good thing I'm not a portable gamer anyway
2 Like @Chaos_Dante_456 GB micro was probably one of the biggest facepalms in portable gaming.... tying with psp-go.
In our day of age in gaming any handeld or controller requires a joystick, No exuse anymore. Maby 6 years ago yeah D pad was the only movement button u needed. But now we've got 3d gaming on our handhelds u need a joystick or atleast two for a handheld.
Doesn't matter. The 3DS has the shittiest screen ever ha ha. I can never see anything even on the highest brightness unless it's a) night time or b) I'm inside. So really they should outfit it with a better and brighter screen as opposed to larger still bad screen. I mean at least I can use my super old rumor 2 phone outside and play Pacman on it, but I can't even play my handheld in the shade. It's just sad ha ha.
@sknight175216 Please show me a screen (that displays games other than pac-man and tetris) that doesn't have glare.... I thought so.
@sknight175216 Sounds like my smart phone and damn near every portable handheld device made these days...
That has to be one of the stupidest rants I have ever read.
@ArabrockermanXExaggeration much ha ha? All I said was they need to make the screens brighter. I have a hard time playing inside with the windows open. I basically have to block all light so I can see. Excuse me for being an idiot though.
Yeah, the 3DS screen is so shitty. I mean, none of the other autostereoscopic game systems are as shitty as this one.
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