The Nintendo DS and 3DS have many different iterations, and they come in all the colors of the rainbow. But if you're a North American, you may have noticed that one (non-)color is noticeably absent for the DS and 3DS library: White. Japan, for instance, got a white Nintendo 3DS XL, but where's ours?
IGN's Richard George asked Nintendo of American president Reggie Fils-Aime the very same question. Reggie admitted that Nintendo's white-colored handhelds just don't sell very well in North America--but he also assured George that doesn't mean white is off-limits.
"We have launched silver- and white-colored GBAs, DSes, DSis, and in our [North American] market they don't sell very well," Reggie said. "So instead of approaching this lighter-colored product as a mass [product], we're going to look at the opportunity on a much more limited basis. You might see a limited-time offer with a white or silver 3DS XL, or we might colorize it slightly differently. But in terms of an ongoing SKU, the consumer has responded in our marketplace and said that, for a handheld gaming device from Nintendo, that kind of white or silver doesn't sell nearly as well as blue or red or even pink."
So keep an eye out for the coming of the white. In the meantime, if you're dexterous, you might consider swapping out your 3DS XL shell for a preferred color--though be aware that doing so voids your warranty!
Image © Nintendo
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