Here comes the slasher: Nintendo cuts 3DS price by AU$100, as slashes income projections a shocking 80%.
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| Pictured: Nintendo 3DS price crash. |
This self proclaimed “amazing” incentive to pick up a 3DS marks a major sales push by the gamer amid suspected sluggish sales of the 3D console, launched here on March 31.
Nintendo 3DS sold 31,000 units in the first four days of release here and more than 830,000 in the U.S to date, it said today, but doubt still hovers over safety of the 3D glasses free device, with some gamers reporting dizziness and headaches.
The savings will come into effect August 12 next. RRP of 3DS is currently $349 here in Australia, although Dick Smith was already selling it for knock down price of $298.
However, it is now only $169 in US, raising questions about why the device costs so much more Down Under.
Nintendo America announced plans to drop the suggested retail price today, “as new games based on some of the world’s most beloved video game franchises head to the system,” it said today. Nintendo Australia also confirmed a similar price cut here.
The games giant is said to be 39 million units short of projected sales for the fiscal year, and has cut income projections by a whopping 82 percent, according to CNN.
“For anyone who was on the fence about buying a Nintendo 3DS, this is a huge motivation to buy now,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime.
“We are giving shoppers every incentive to pick up a Nintendo 3DS, from an amazing new price to a rapid-fire succession of great games.”
And to make up for any sour gapes among gamers who already bought the 3DS at the higher price, Nintendo said it plans “to offer an exclusive Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Program to consumers who purchased the 3DS at the original launch price.”
The program will enable players download 10 NES games and 10 Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games for free from the Nintendo eShop before they are available to the general public.
NES games include Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong Jr., Balloon Fight, Ice Climber and The Legend of Zelda, and Game Boy games: Advance Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Metroid Fusion, WarioWare Inc: Minigame Mania and Mario vs. Donkey Kong
However, gamers need to connect to the Nintendo eShop at least once before the price drop on 12 August, which will allow auto registration to the program.
Other new releases include Star Fox 64 3D due out here September 15, Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7 and Kid Icarus: Uprising ll due for release before Christmas.
In addition services like Nintendo Video, Netflix service, 3D video channel and eShop have all been unleashed to gamers in a bid to whip up interest in its wares.
“Nintendo is getting desperate,” said Koichi Ogawa, portfolio manager at Daiwa SB Investments in Tokyo. “The video-game industry is in a tough period with consumers shifting to playing on their smartphones.”
