The Nintendo 3DS

Not sure how I feel about that. Releasing it any earlier would mean it comes out in 2016. If it's coming that soon they'd probably have to announce it in 2015 at the latest which would undercut all the games they have lined up for that year. There's also the problem that a lot of their franchises like Mario Party, Smash Bros, Yoshi, Kirby, Star Fox, Zelda, and Xenoblade would have just gotten new releases which means the first year or two of the console would probably have another drought. Putting it two years from the release of some of their major franchises would give them a buffer period to start work on some new games for it.

edited 30th Jul '14 7:47:44 PM by Kostya

On the other hand, November 2017 is already almost seven years for the 3DS (launched February 2011), and it's already had most of Nintendo's franchises on it. Unless they're going to do a lot of franchises twice on it, it doesn't have anything left that can sustain it past 2016.

Not to mention that a buffer just means a drought at the end of the previous console, and that's not good for them either (look at the jump from Wii to Wii U; there was almost nothing on Wii after Skyward Sword, unless you were lucky enough to get Xenoblade).

The best game on PS 3 came out only a few months before the PS 4. There's no need for a buffer.

edited 30th Jul '14 7:54:43 PM by BadWolf21

Personally I think a drought at the end is better than one at the beginning since you need hardware sales to be strong in the first few years. If they don't have games ready to release within the first year or two they should probably delay it. Releasing it in 2016 means all those franchises I mentioned wouldn't get entries on the system until halfway through its life. That's the same situation the Wii U is in and look what happened there.

There are still a lot of games they can have for the 3DS. I think it can manage another year or two of life.

PS 3/4 is a different scenario. Sony will always have third party support. Given the way third parties have been behaving I think Nintendo needs to operate under the assumption they need to carry the new console on their own. They tried giving third parties a chance to be in the spotlight when it launched and it backfired.

edited 30th Jul '14 8:03:56 PM by Kostya

What's left for 3DS? They've done Zelda, and a Zelda remake, they've done 2D and 3D Mario, they've done a Luigi's Mansion, a Kid Icarus, a Donkey Kong Country (albeit, that one's a port), a Fire Emblem, Pokemon (granted, that one still has another game at some point, but B2/W2 came out after the 3DS was well established), Animal Crossing, Mario Kart. It'll have Smash Bros. by the end of the year

Star Fox is coming to Wii U, so that's out for the next two years. Which basically leaves F-Zero and Metroid, And that's assuming Nintendo has any interest in doing either, which they've given no indication that they do.

Off the top of my head they can do at least two more Zeldas(MM 3D and an ALBW sequel), Golden Sun 4, Advance Wars, Metroid, Pokemon Z, and another new IP like Codename Steam. It's not a lot but I think they can have enough to hold people off for a few years as they wind things down.

Majora's Mask will probably happen. Another Zelda is possible, but questionable. Golden Sun won't happen. IS is busy with STEAM and doesn't seem interested on working on Advance Wars, though we might get another Fire Emblem. Metroid is a wildcard, as we don't know if Nintendo has any solid plans.

What third party games are we going to get? Level 5 and Capcom will continue to support it, as will Square and Namco in all likelihood. Who else is there?

We're already getting Monster Hunter 4 over here next year, so Capcom's good for a while.

Can I just say I find it kind of strange that you guys are counting off 3DS titles like "These are the titles the 3DS needs, then the 3DS will be done forever", like some sort of...I don't know, grim checklist or something.

edited 30th Jul '14 8:55:14 PM by Dezmo

Well, the 3DS has been out for a bit over 3 years now. It probably has a good 2-3 years left before it's cycled out so we're just tracking the major release to guess at the system's remaining lifespan.

The DS family (that is the DS up through the DSi XL) lasted around seven years from 2004 to 2011. The 3DS probably has quite awhile left.

It lasted a little more than six, actually (November 2004 to February 2011).

And systems typically hang on for a little while after the new one is out.

Time is passing a lot faster between new technologies now, you know. Moore's Law is starting to reach its upper limits and momentum's beginning to slow down. I thing the eighth gen will be around a little while longer.

I don't mean, of course, that innovation has stopped. I mean it's slowing down or should slow down because all the attempts to move forward seem more garish and intrusive than anything. The Oculus Rift is a step backward in my eyes, for example.

edited 31st Jul '14 5:52:36 AM by BaffleBlend

x9

Actually, Nintendo said that they were currently planning a future for both the 3D and 2D style Metroid games back at E3. A new 2D Samus adventure could be on the 3DS, ala Link Between Worlds.

There's also the fact that amiibo will be coming to the 3DS after the Wii U version launches, and the possibility of another original Zelda or Kirby game, the system not having a new Wario Ware yet, and Diddy Kong Racing 2 if the rumours are true. A new revision could happen, too.

Yeah, 3DS has a long way to go.

edited 31st Jul '14 5:55:36 AM by MrYoshbert

If no one knew before, the 3DS got a stability update yesterday.

And probably something to deter hackers again. Some updates are just that sometimes.

Stability update as in stability to what? The motion sensor?

I'm guessing, not having a 3DS of my own, system stability, as in less crashy when a certain set of conditions exists.

OS stability.

I thought it was to prevent people from using pirated software

That's every update though.

Yeah, they just say "stability update" so they don't make parents nervous.

Anyway, I just got Mysterious Murasame Castle yesterday. It's hard.

Smash Bros. Themed 3DS to be released in October(for the UK at least)

And they're having a gigantic eShop sale in the UK, too.

I hope NA gets it.

I hope Nintendo means "the rest of europe" and not just the UK.

And the game is installed in the SD card... Great. Wished it was on a cartridge for me and her to share it. Assuming the game even has Download Play as an option. (too few games do)

It's for all of Europe, not just the UK apparently. No word on release anywhere else.