Gaming When will the 3DS die?

[Greatforce]

Is the 3DS at its end? I can't really find many titles that are to be released this year. (In NA/EU atleast)

 

[DinohScene]

When it's time for it.

Which isn't any time soon.

 

[2Hack]

2-3 years definitely still in it.

 

[CarefulCrysis]

Is the 3DS at its end? I can't really find many titles that are to be released this year. (In NA/EU atleast)

Ninty have only recently released the "NEW" 3DS so I'd have thought that the 3DS has at least a good few years left.

 

[Adeka]

It sells like hotcakes. Why would it die anytime soon?

 

[migles]

i "love" seeing magic ball questions on gbatemp sometime i must create a thread asking if i will win a free ps4 soon

however, if the thread is to discuss about thoughts about the 3ds lifetime, you could give us your opinion to start a nice thread, instead asking if we are witches?

well. i don't thing the 3ds is a good console IMHO... nintendo made so many verisons of it, even upgraded the old 3ds..
looking back at dsi example and with current nintendo annoucement about the new plataform, i think the 3ds will last 2-3 years..

 

[jonthedit]

It sells like hotcakes.

That is exactly the OP's concern.
No one buys hotcakes

 

[Foxi4]

4 more years at most, then it will become obsolete (not that it wasn't obsolete day 1, but that's besides the point).

 

[Greatforce]

The fact that bothers me, is the lack of games for it. hardly any good titles planned this year

 

[Foxi4]

The fact that bothers me, is the lack of games for it. hardly any good titles planned this year

Handheld consoles are slowly but surely outclassed by smartphones - I've been saying that since DS times. I sincerely doubt that the 3DS will ever achieve the heights of the DS, the market is being cannibalized by smartphone development. People don't feel like carrying a device designed for entertainment when they're already carrying another device that does that and so much more. If Nintendo has two braincells that occasionally meet, their next handheld should in fact be a gaming smartphone. They seem to be heading in that direction judging by their latest plans of involvement in the smartphone gaming market.

 

[fischermasamune]

4 more years at most, then it will become obsolete (not that it wasn't obsolete day 1, but that's besides the point).

Why this bashing on the 3DS? Consoles and handhelds focus in games rather than in processing power. None of the 5 mainstream current-gen machines (PS4/XBO/Wii U/3DS/Vita) was obsolete day 1, even though computers outperform the PS4 by far for example.

 

[Foxi4]

Why this bashing on the 3DS? Consoles and handhelds focus in games rather than in processing power. None of the 5 mainstream current-gen machines (PS4/XBO/Wii U/3DS/Vita) was obsolete day 1, even though computers outperform the PS4 by far for example.

There's a substantial difference between a low-power system and an obsolete one and that difference is adequacy. Neither the 3DS nor the Wii U are adequate in the contemporary technological climate. A console doesn't have to be high-end, that's what PC's are for, but it has to be adequate - provide a reasonable balance between processing power and price point and be sufficient for contemporary dedevelopment. Nither of Nintendo's systems this gen utilizes contemporary hardware or low-level software solutions, both are miles behind the status quo and both were obsolete Day 1, the 3DS just happens to have a following of fans to counterbalance the glaring inadequacy of its specs.

 

[zoogie]

There's a substantial difference between a low-power system and an obsolete one and that difference is adequacy. Neither the 3DS nor the Wii U are adequate in the contemporary technological climate. A console doesn't have to be high-end, that's what PC's are for, but it has to be adequate - provide a reasonable balance between processing power and price point and be sufficient for contemporary dedevelopment. Nither of Nintendo's systems this gen utilizes contemporary hardware or low-level software solutions, both are miles behind the status quo and both were obsolete Day 1, the 3DS just happens to have a following of fans to counterbalance the glaring inadequacy of its specs.

The wii and ds were underpowered for their time and they still excelled. Adequate? What does that mean exactly? The mass market doesn't give a crap about graphics -- it doesn't take a PS4 to play Candy Crush and Minecraft.
Vita is more than adequate and it floundered. I could go on...

You're right about smartphones succeeding because of their ubiquity. I mean everybody needs a phone and if it's there why not use it? Why lug an extra nintendo system that plays more expensive games (you missed that important point). That was the 3ds's shortcoming (and vita's). The WiiU's shortcoming was the name confusing everyone as just an expensive upgrade. They completely lost the casual market that embraced it's predecessor by releasing a system that nobody but Nintendo fanboys could distinguish on a shelf and had a gimmick (ugly tablet controller) that didn't inspire the remaining casuals that did notice.

 

[dekuleon]

Maybe on E3 2017 they will say something about its successor

 

[xile6]

The 3ds has some years left in it.
The new 3ds has it full life ahead of it.
Nintendo will start phasing out the old 3ds.
And replacing it with the N3ds.
Same thing happen with the fat ds, to dsi, to 3ds.

 

[Vipera]

Handheld consoles are slowly but surely outclassed by smartphones - I've been saying that since DS times. I sincerely doubt that the 3DS will ever achieve the heights of the DS, the market is being cannibalized by smartphone development. People don't feel like carrying a device designed for entertainment when they're already carrying another device that does that and so much more. If Nintendo has two braincells that occasionally meet, their next handheld should in fact be a gaming smartphone. They seem to be heading in that direction judging by their latest plans of involvement in the smartphone gaming market.

We shouldn't really underestimate the controls though.
I am playing the last Asphalt game and while I haven't finished it yet I can say that's one of the best F2P games ever: really good graphics aside, it's a deep racing game with tons of features and stuff to do. I never play it for more than 10-20 minutes each session.
Why? Because touch screen controls on a driving game suck. Even the controls on my iPod were better because the clickwheel gave some kind of feedback without the finger slipping out. It's frustrating and I will never get used to it. Period.
You can't even use an external controller because what's the point? Where am I holding my phone while using that? We need something with integrated controls. The Xperia Play was the best idea but Sony let it die.
Puzzle games can be touch-only without problems, but other genres can be casual as well, and you can't really make it work with a racing game, or a platform, or anything that requires more than one finger.
If Nintendo is going to make a phone, I really want it to be just like the Xperia Play.

The 3ds has some years left in it.
The new 3ds has it full life ahead of it.
Nintendo will start phasing out the old 3ds.
And replacing it with the N3ds.
Same thing happen with the fat ds, to dsi, to 3ds.

The DSi never caught on, as there are only two DSi-only games and both are about using the camera on since stupid way.

 

[zoogie]

OP: If GBAtemp is any indication, it will be quite a while till the 3ds dies. XD

 

[Foxi4]

The wii and ds were underpowered for their time and they still excelled. Adequate? What does that mean exactly? The mass market doesn't give a crap about graphics -- it doesn't take a PS4 to play Candy Crush and Minecraft.
Vita is more than adequate and it floundered. I could go on...

You're right about smartphones succeeding because of their ubiquity. I mean everybody needs a phone and if it's there why not use it? Why lug an extra nintendo system that plays more expensive games (you missed that important point). That was the 3ds's shortcoming (and vita's). The WiiU's shortcoming was the name confusing everyone as just an expensive upgrade. They completely lost the casual market that embraced it's predecessor by releasing a system that nobody but Nintendo fanboys could distinguish on a shelf and had a gimmick (ugly tablet controller) that didn't inspire the remaining casuals that did notice.

Stop blaming the name, the Wii U flopped because it's poor hardware that doesn't run contemporary games. The success of the Vita in Japan proves that the west failed to adopt it due to terrible marketing. The Wii was successful comercially due to a gimmick that quickly got old and a low price point - if the Wii U was sold for $150-200 it would flourish among soccer moms too. Look at the library of the Wii if you need evidence - 100 million selling dust collector. And just so we're clear, I own all of the consoles I mentioned so far. The Wii U is not a PS2 situation - the PS2 was *the* status quo, the Wii U doesn't come close.

 

[powersaver]

If the Japanese N(3)DS release dates form a basis there is ~2 more years left for the 3DS.

NDS
December 2, 2004
NDSLite
March 2, 2006
NDSi
November 1, 2008
NDSiLL
November 21, 2009
3DS
February 26, 2011
---
~6 years and 3 months

 

[andremario81]

And u my friend sound like a flicking soft fanboy. So soft like Microsoft. You're obviously a bro gamer or somewhat missing the point entirely. Games are about fun and precision who gives a flying duck Abt graphics? U need to stop bein so serious and just enjoy what you have. Sheesh