Is the Nintendo 3DS a bust? The portable gaming machine is only four months old (having arrived to much fanfare for $350 on March 31), but it just got cut to $250 — about the same price as an 8GB iPod Touch, an increasing popular gaming device. Coincidence? The 3DS hasn’t gone guns in Japan, Metal Gear Solid 3D is delayed, and Nintendo is worried. But maybe this new pricing will stir your appetite?
To soothe the wrath of early 3DS buyers, Nintendo has created a new “Ambassador Program” for anyone who buys the handheld before August 12. Fall into this category and you’ll score 10 NES and 10 Game Boy / Game Boy Advanced titles for free. Details below.
It’s worth noting that the big price cut is global. In the US, they’ll be paying just $170 (so yes, Aussies still get bent over a barrel), and in New Zealand, the 3DS will now be $344. Ouch.
Now if only the 3DS got more decent games…
More: Nintendo 3DS Buyer’s Guide
Nintendo announces that effective 12 August, Nintendo 3DS™ will be available for only SRP AU$249.95*. Previously Nintendo 3DS was SRP AU $349.95.
*All prices quoted are Suggested Retail Price (SRP) in Australian dollars.New Zealand price for Nintendo 3DS from 12 August will be SRP NZ $343.99
Nintendo Australia plan to offer an exclusive Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Program to consumers who have purchased the Nintendo 3DS at the original launch price. The program will enable those Nintendo 3DS owners to download 10 NES™ games and 10 Game Boy™ and Game Boy Advance™ games for free from the Nintendo eShop.
These free games are available to anyone who owns a Nintendo 3DS system and uses a wireless broadband Internet signal to connect to the Nintendo eShop at least once before the price drop on 12 August. These users will automatically be registered in the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador program. The program contains two elements:
1. Starting 1 September, Nintendo 3DS Ambassadors will be able to download 10 NES Virtual Console™ games at no charge and before they are available in the Nintendo eShop to the general public. These games, including Super Mario Bros.™, Donkey Kong Jr.™, Balloon Fight™, Ice Climber™ and The Legend of Zelda™, are slated to become paid downloadable games, but Ambassadors get them early for free. Once the paid versions of the games are posted to the Nintendo eShop later in the year, the updated versions will be available to Ambassadors for download at no cost.
2. By the end of 2011, Nintendo will provide Ambassadors with 10 Game Boy Advance Virtual Console games. These include games like Yoshi’s Island™: Super Mario™ Advance 3, Mario Kart™: Super Circuit, Metroid™ Fusion, WarioWare™ Inc.: Minigame Mania and Mario vs. Donkey Kong™. These games will be available exclusively to Ambassadors, and Nintendo currently has no plans to make these 10 games available to the general public on the Nintendo 3DS in the future.
adam
Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 6:37 PMWow colour me interested……. I may buy one wish it wasn’t region locked otherwise I would get one from America.
Jayant
Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 6:44 PMIs it the Aussie Executives that price things high to show B1G EARN1NG$ and earn promotions and Bonu$e$ and a chance to move to the US??
We the consumers end up paying for it, or as the author has put it delicately, bend over a barrel.
Peter
Friday, July 29, 2011 at 2:18 AMI sell the things and I can tell you that it’s not (the majority) of retail stores ripping you off. Handhelds, consoles (often below cost in bundles!!!), ipods (5% of $8? Why bother?), laptops, sometimes even TVs, the margins are so thin that we’re practically earning no commission on the items alone. Think about your primary purchase target item, how you can make it perfect and if the salesperson is nice, throw him a bone and get a game or accessory pack with it to show you appreciate their good work.
ANONOMOOSE
Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 7:10 PMi’ll be honest… it certainly gets me thinking a little bit more about it…
Dave
Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 7:15 PMI had one and then sold one. I still think it’s AU$249 too much for what a piece of crap it is. Also for Nintendo fanboys I do love my Wii and my SNES.
Liam
Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 9:21 PMI played a 3DS once, OoT and it made me motion sick as hell. 3D isn’t the future, it sucks can’t wait till everyone gets over this fad!
Peter
Friday, July 29, 2011 at 2:19 AMIs it a fad because you can’t use it or because it’s actually lame. I like my media in audio/VISUAL form and preferably in colour too.
Matthew
Friday, July 29, 2011 at 5:49 AMJust because you feel ‘sick’ (poor baby)… Doesn’t mean everyone else does. The 3DS does very well IMO. OoT is great using the 3D. Can’t wait for more games. I think you should just HTFU.
Glenn
Friday, July 29, 2011 at 10:51 AMSo play with the 3D effect turned off, then not only do you not have the 3D motion sickness, you also get a crisper image!
It’s not rocket surgery!
George
Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 11:13 PM@Liam
Couldn’t agree more! I’m sick of getting 3D shoved in our faces because someone thought it’s what consumers wanted. BS! And I have no idea why nintendo followed…
Personally I’m more interested in it now. Sure Zelda OOT is my main reason for getting 1, but I’m hoping nintendo will bring out some AAA titles soon…
xRevin
Friday, July 29, 2011 at 12:54 AMI bought a 3DS specifically for OoT mainly, and wanted other games that were coming down the track too such as Dream Drop Distance and Kid Icarus. my irl friend and I both made a pact that we would both get ours on launch and for a while we saw the console had potential but didn’t feel like nintendo weren’t too organised with the game releases (They were quite shocking at first and there were only a few select titles worth playing.)
Now I have OoT and it is exactly how I invisioned it. I love it. Because I’m only a student and do part time work, money never seems to be a big issue for me when I buy nintendo/xbox accessories, games or consoles, as I don’t need the money for anything but entertainment right now, so to me this is just a major bonus.
I am quite happy with ninty at the moment, lets hope it stays that way.
Cody
Friday, July 29, 2011 at 9:41 AMIm a launch day 3DS-er and am excited by this. Virtual games are around $6 from the online store, so thats $120 worth of free games, and the value of 20 (classic) games to play willy nilly. Good time to be like us, methinks.
Jackie Hoang
Friday, July 29, 2011 at 6:52 PMHaven’t bought the 3DS, but I planned to (after a price drop).I guess Nintendo did some decent marketing although it must’ve ticked off a bunch of people. Australia’s 3DS price now being $250 is still relatively high compared to the U.S. though…
This still won’t make me rush out and buy it, I’ll bide my time for Christmas and then get a sale then. Hopefully some original, fun games come out by then. Super Mario 3DS, although far from original, will be a consistently decent, ‘NEW’ game that might be worth a look.
Hilary
Sunday, July 31, 2011 at 11:45 AMI purchased the 3ds at full price, how will they not which buyers bought the 3ds at full price and go about letting them get the free games?
Jess
Monday, August 1, 2011 at 9:48 PM“These free games are available to anyone who owns a Nintendo 3DS system and uses a wireless broadband Internet signal to connect to the Nintendo eShop at least once before the price drop on 12 August. These users will automatically be registered in the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador program.”
:)
For real bro
Wednesday, August 3, 2011 at 5:24 AMOk. When are we going to see these so called phantom games?
Starry
Monday, August 8, 2011 at 8:06 AMGot the 3DS at launch for about ten bucks more than the new discounted price so I’m certainly feeling like I got value for money here. People that paid $349 for their 3DS though… I’d be feeling a bit ripped off if I were you, considering these are games that have been available on emulator for who-knows how long and, well, you CAN have too much Mario.
Tony
Thursday, August 18, 2011 at 3:26 PMGot my 3DS on launch but just herd about the free games, my 3DS has been switched off for the last month so i missed the free games by a week…yes…feeling ripped off.
Shelly
Friday, August 26, 2011 at 12:09 AMFeel ripped off, Bought 3ds for sons birthday got burgled same night had to replace so £209 x 2. Now they have price dropped so soon after launch. I would prefer a cash refund thanks all the same Nintendo. Are the free games new ones from the eshop? if not my son already paid and downloaded so triply ripped off. Won’t buy a console at launch again.
richard
Sunday, November 20, 2011 at 8:51 AMi like my nintendo 3ds last month i put $50.00 on my shoping on eshop. I wish it would of been nice to try a demo of games before purchase ing a game like dubble dragon it was much easyer on clasic nintendo then on nintendo3ds. I like the 3d i wish i would be able to play all my games that i download in 3d but it only workd for nintendo3ds : games only not the ones i download from eshop. i like most about this nintendo 3ds is that i’m able to take pictures in 3d and 2d.