Hardware Nintendo 3DS is here to stay!

[guitarheroknight]

While Sony and Microsoft duke it out in the gaming console wars this holiday season, here's something to think about: Nintendo's handheld device, the 3DS, to date, has still outsold both of them. Combined.

Surprised? You'd be forgiven if you were, especially as mobile games seem to be taking over the handheld market. Sure, the 3DS has quite a few years on the latest consoles, having been introduced in 2011. Nintendo has said the 3DS has sold at least 50.41 million units since its introduction. The PlayStation 4 has sold just over 30 million units to date; Microsoft doesn't report sales figures for the Xbox One, but estimates put it at around 17.1 million units since its launch. And even with an increasingly sophisticated mobile gaming market, the 3DS's sales aren't slowing down. In fact, according to Nintendo's Scott Moffitt, the executive vice president of sales and marketing, they're actually speeding up.

"So far in 2015, sales of the family of Nintendo 3DS hardware in America are actually ahead of last year’s pace," he told The Post.

For this holiday season, the company is focused on three main games for the 3DS. One is Legend of Zelda multiplayer called "Tri Force Heroes," while another is a new addition to its "Animal Crossing" franchise called "Happy Home Designer." It's also betting on sales of "Yo-Kai Watch," a ghost-catching game that's been a hit in Japan.

Moffitt took some time to answer questions about the 3DS and its future in a mobile world. The following answers have been edited for length and clarity.

There’s been a lot of discussion about handhelds and their continued relevance to the market, given the rise in casual gaming on smartphones. What’s the argument that Nintendo makes to consumers to say, "No, you really want a dedicated handheld gaming device"?

Nintendo 3DS is here to stay. Let me throw out a number that might surprise you. So far, on a global basis, Nintendo 3DS has sold more hardware than PS4 and Xbox One—combined. Most people find this shocking. Read more...

 

[endoverend]

How can you compare its sales to consoles that came out 2-3 years after it? In 2-3 years, the PS4 will have way outsold it...

 

[Stang]

Nintendo 3DS is here to stay. Let me throw out a number that might surprise you. So far, on a global basis, Nintendo 3DS has sold more hardware than PS4 and Xbox One—combined. Most people find this shocking. Read more...

Is this supposed to be surprising? The 3ds came out in 2011, has a bit of a head start dont ya think? Add to that the much more consumer friendly price point, its no surprise at all. Love me 3ds, but come on.

 

[flame1234]

Tri Force Heroes is not a very good game.
Tri Force Heroes Metacritic: 73
A Link Between Worlds: 91
Yo Kai Watch: 78

NDS has actual buttons.
For your phone, it has not very many buttons, usually only one or two. And touch control is imprecise; it works best if the game is designed for it, or to supplement traditional controls. You need a phone controller adapter to obtain the advantages of a console. The problem with controller adapters for the phone: Installed base is small, so not many games are designed for them and support them. They work beautifully just like a real portable console - there's just not many games.

 

[Father Crilly]

I don't understand your logic. The 3DS had a head start.

Also, the Wii was released in 2004 and despite being shit compared to everything else, it has sold over 100 million units to date.

Not to mention the fact it's way cheaper than both consoles. It's also more child appropriate than an Xbox One or PS4.

 

[TecXero]

The 3DS also takes a slightly different market. I know of people that exclusively have XBOnes and still have 3DSs. The only competition the 3DS really has is the Vita and smartphones. Honestly, I'd be fine with Nintendo stopping with their crappy consoles and just focusing on handhelds, they do them rather well.

 

[zoogie]

I love the 3ds as much as anybody here, but that total sales stat is very misleading. As stated before, the 3ds has been out 2.5 years longer (more than twice as long) as the bone/ps4, and is a handheld at less than half the cost of either system to boot. Another very important thing to note is that 3ds game sales have almost ground to a halt. See any recent NPD stat (where's 3ds games?) or some of the things that devs are saying. Current hardware sales tell the same tale. The PS4 alone sold about 1.5 mill this november while the 3ds did less than a third of that. Yo-kai watch bombed -- the evidence just keeps piling on.

The 3ds did about as well as it could given the attack from mobile (and crushed the Vita), but it isn't even close to relevant anymore compared to the console market leaders. The only place it shows some life is Japan.

 

[Jayro]

I don't understand your logic. The 3DS had a head start.

Also, the Wii was released in 2004 and despite being shit compared to everything else, it has sold over 100 million units to date.

Not to mention the fact it's way cheaper than both consoles. It's also more child appropriate than an Xbox One or PS4.

*2006

I was there November 19th, 2006, standing 8 hours in the rain. Not exactly a date I'll ever forget.

 

[Seita]

I wouldn't compare home consoles to handhelds. I don't think it's meant to be that way. But the 3ds is a king and will remain so for a long time. Nintendo have always been very successful with handhelds ( virtual boy is an exception) and I hope this tradition will continue for the next Nintendo handhelds to come.

 

[hobbledehoy899]

*2006

I was there November 19th, 2006, standing 8 hours in the rain. Not exactly a date I'll ever forget.

I actually feel kind of bad for you.

 

[Father Crilly]

*2006

Right you are, I misread it on Wikipedia. It was announced in 2004. Sorry about that.

I was there November 19th, 2006, standing 8 hours in the rain. Not exactly a date I'll ever forget.

Honestly, that's just sad.

 

[Jayro]

Not sad, I still love my Wii.

 

[RichHomieSupreme]

Tri Force Heroes is not a very good game.
Tri Force Heroes Metacritic: 73
A Link Between Worlds: 91
Yo Kai Watch: 78

NDS has actual buttons.
For your phone, it has not very many buttons, usually only one or two. And touch control is imprecise; it works best if the game is designed for it, or to supplement traditional controls. You need a phone controller adapter to obtain the advantages of a console. The problem with controller adapters for the phone: Installed base is small, so not many games are designed for them and support them. They work beautifully just like a real portable console - there's just not many games.

Review scores mean literally nothing. Why do people think that they actually matter?

 

[flame1234]

Review scores mean literally nothing. Why do people think that they actually matter?

Probably, everyone is not wrong. Probably, everyone is not lying. That's why review scores matter.

 

[Rioluwott]

I love my 3DS is my the best console i have owned and i use it since 2013 when i bought it to play pokemon now i have not one but 2 3DS one XL for legit games and a regular 3DS for pirate games also i have 3 cartidges Pokemon Y,Cubic Ninja and a R4

 

[Hazzer]

That's why the next generation will blur the lines between portable and console gaming. One game two systems brilliant