Well, at the tail-end of yesterday's news about the big Nintendo 3DS sale going on in Canada, I promised I would report any American retailers who echoed the move. Turns out they have--and then some. In fact, the Nintendo 3DS will be seeing a massive price cut the world over. Come August 12, you will be able to buy one for $169.99 USD. That's a price cut of $80 USD.
This goes a bit beyond a price cut. This is deep enough to make Edward Scissorshands recoil with a gasp.
What instigated the price cut? Nintendo reported huge losses for April through June, which can be blamed on the aging Wii, DS, and the Nintendo 3DS's slow start.
The price cut, combined with a strong roster of holiday games (including Super Mario 3D--now officially called Super Mario 3D Land--Kid Icarus: Uprising, Star Fox 64 3D and the next Super Mario Kart) should help the 3DS gain some momentum into the new year.
If you're an early adopter of the Nintendo 3DS--go ahead and call yourself a "Nintendo 3DS Ambassador," that's the title Nintendo is using for you--Nintendo plans to compensate your loyalty with a whack of free downloadable games.
On September 1, Ambassadors will be able to download 10 NES Virtual Console classics, including Donkey Kong Jr., Ice Climbers, The Legend of Zelda, and Super Mario Bros.
By the end of 2011, Ambassadors will be able to download 10 Game Boy Advance games for free, including Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Metroid Fusion, WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$, Mario vs. Donkey Kong, and Yoshi's Island.
The list of free downloadable games for ambassadors will be finalized as the year goes on.
Needless to say, you have until August 12 to buy a Nintendo 3DS at full price and become an Ambassador. In fact, Nintendo would probably love that. If you want your free downloadable games, make sure you access the Nintendo eShop at least once between your time of purchase and 11:59 PM on August 11, 2011.
If you lack a Nintendo 3DS, will the price cut do anything do anything to remedy that?
And if you're an "Ambassador," are free downloadable games enough to mend your irritation over Nintendo slashing the price of a four-month-old handheld?
Sound off!
This goes a bit beyond a price cut. This is deep enough to make Edward Scissorshands recoil with a gasp.
What instigated the price cut? Nintendo reported huge losses for April through June, which can be blamed on the aging Wii, DS, and the Nintendo 3DS's slow start.
The price cut, combined with a strong roster of holiday games (including Super Mario 3D--now officially called Super Mario 3D Land--Kid Icarus: Uprising, Star Fox 64 3D and the next Super Mario Kart) should help the 3DS gain some momentum into the new year.
If you're an early adopter of the Nintendo 3DS--go ahead and call yourself a "Nintendo 3DS Ambassador," that's the title Nintendo is using for you--Nintendo plans to compensate your loyalty with a whack of free downloadable games.
On September 1, Ambassadors will be able to download 10 NES Virtual Console classics, including Donkey Kong Jr., Ice Climbers, The Legend of Zelda, and Super Mario Bros.
By the end of 2011, Ambassadors will be able to download 10 Game Boy Advance games for free, including Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Metroid Fusion, WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$, Mario vs. Donkey Kong, and Yoshi's Island.
The list of free downloadable games for ambassadors will be finalized as the year goes on.
Needless to say, you have until August 12 to buy a Nintendo 3DS at full price and become an Ambassador. In fact, Nintendo would probably love that. If you want your free downloadable games, make sure you access the Nintendo eShop at least once between your time of purchase and 11:59 PM on August 11, 2011.
If you lack a Nintendo 3DS, will the price cut do anything do anything to remedy that?
And if you're an "Ambassador," are free downloadable games enough to mend your irritation over Nintendo slashing the price of a four-month-old handheld?
Sound off!
Comments
Such a drastic price cut might push me to pick one up for x-mas. Provided there’s enough compelling software to justify the expense.
Of course I’ll be getting one. If I can’t by Aug 12, then I’ll just end up getting it at X-mas like I planned. This is a great way they handled it. Much better then Sony everyone says.
It’s a deep price cut (one which will make Nintendo take a loss on every unit sold), but it’s not enough to make me bite. First, I’m strapped for cash, like many Americans… groceries and rent have to come first. Secondly, I’m not overly impressed with the system. I do appreciate the near-Wii quality visuals… it’s a big step up from earlier DS systems, which were dated even at launch and seem practically prehistoric by 2011 standards. However, the 3D that was supposed to make the system stand out from the crowd is painful on the eyes, making it a novelty at best and a needless annoyance at worst.
Beyond that, smartphones are making it harder and harder to embrace a handheld designed for just one purpose. Why carry around a device that does just one thing when you can have it all? The versatility of smartphones killed the MP3 player and the pocket camcorder, and it looks like handheld game systems are next on the chopping block.
It comes to be $4 a game if you calculate it out, which is actually a pretty good deal for NES and GBA titles. I read that the second set of games may have exclusives for ambassadors, though I doubt the validity of that unless I see it in print from the Big N.
I bought a 3DS a month ago. I’d be really pissed off with myself for not waiting like I told myself I would, but those free games make it better. I would happily play all 10 games that have been announced and I’m sure the remaining 10 will be just as good.