Hardware What is going on with prices???

[C Dale]

Prices on 3ds/2ds are outrageous right now. When I was looking at systems back in January, Pretty much every store had the new 3ds at $189.99 and the 2DS at $99. Walmart had the 2ds priced at $99, and for a few weeks it went on sale for $79. Right now all the 2ds's on walmart are out of stock, same thing with gamestop (did nintendo stop making these?), and while Amazon has come in stock, they are $125.00.

3DS is even worse. On walmart New 3ds black edition is $243, white is $238, New Nintendo 3ds xl red is $297 (wtf?), and new 3ds super mario 3d land bundle is $279. Best buy is more reasonable and has all their 3ds models at $199.99, as well as the 2DS models at $79.99 (Not available within 250 miles of me in Kentucky, however apparently they are available online). Even still Amazon has some ridiculous prices with New 3ds xl lime green edition at $449.99, regular black XL at $264.97. and the new Super mario black addition at $167.87. Game stop apperently doesn't have any new consoles in stock and is selling all their New XL models preowned at $179.99 and the 2ds models refurb'd at $74.99.

Is this because the switch is coming out in the next 4 months? I cannot fathom why a 5 year old handheld is selling at the prices of current gen consoles. Maybe if this was a system abandoned several years ago and we're bidding on stored inventory, but right now this is nintendo's flagship portable and development hasn't slowed down a bit.

Are they just not producing enough of these things? I really don't understand why prices haven't dropped especially with a new system right around the corner.

 

[zoogie]

Pokemon fever (amplified by GO) led to a rush on 3ds's, especially the more reasonably priced ones like 2ds and Black Friday n3ds.

It's hard to find anything other than the full priced n3dsXLs at $200 in stores right now. You'll just have to wait, buy used, or search around a little harder to get a good deal.

 

[foob]

Wasn't there a sale recently in the USA with 3DS units going for 99 USD? That was the time to buy, I guess.

 

[zoogie]

Wasn't there a sale recently in the USA with 3DS units going for 99 USD? That was the time to buy, I guess.

Try a permanent price cut to $80, lol.

They're just all sold out now because it's the cheapest way to play pokemon.

 

[Crosvek]

also i dont think switch is replacing 3ds

 

[zoogie]

also i dont think switch is replacing 3ds

Correct, mobile is.

 

[foob]

I guess it doesn't help that the Vita is basically dead either.

 

[nero99]

I guess it doesn't help that the Vita is basically dead either.

the vita has nothing to do with 3ds sales or prices.

 

[CreAtor135]

the vita has nothing to do with 3ds sales or prices.

No handheld competition = no fight to make your consoles more available

 

[foob]

the vita has nothing to do with 3ds sales or prices.

I disagree.

The Vita was once sold in the same stores as the 3DS/2DS worldwide. It was competing for the entertainment dollar. It had shelf space beside its main competitor. I think it's fair to say this had a tangible effect on Nintendo. With no Vita there's less competition. Less direct competition = more sales of Nintendo's product & less need for incentives to get people to buy & less confusion about which system to buy.

Mobile gaming is a competitor they both shared, but with no Vita visible in stores, Nintendo can hit its sales targets that much more easily - without trying so hard. Which probably means less discounting. And in general less urgency for incentives to get people to buy their system instead of the other one.

 

[cvskid]

I am in the same situation. near impossible to find a used new nintendo 3ds xl on a low firmware. Pawn shops never have them and the ones gamestop get they update them to the latest firmware.

 

[shadowfocus603]

They're just all sold out now because it's the cheapest way to play pokemon.

No the black friday deal 3ds is sold out because scalpers snapped up a ton of them and are now trying to flip them for the price of non black friday units.

 

[zoogie]

No the black friday deal 3ds is sold out because scalpers snapped up a ton of them and are now trying to flip them for the price of non black friday units.

I was talking about the $80 2ds.

 

[SaffronXL]

No handheld competition = no fight to make your consoles more available

No, that implies a captive market, which with the popularization of mobile games is no longer true for handheld game consoles.

 

[GilgameshArcher]

https://store.nintendo.com/ng3/browse/productDetailColorSizePicker.jsp?productId=prod590225

 

[OuHiroshi]

Try a permanent price cut to $80, lol.

They're just all sold out now because it's the cheapest way to play pokemon.

It's back on preorder in Walmart for $149. So the $99 price is most likely for Black Friday only.

 

[Marmotta]

I buy loads of consoles to hardmod and install capture cards and UK prices on eBay are ridiculous right now - used auctions for old 3DS XL consoles are almost hitting current retail prices, but it's only happened recently, so I'm going to put it down to it just being that time of year.

 

[Jayro]

I'm gonna wait it out before I buy a small sized n3DS for myself. I really want the Super Mario 3D Land Bundle, and some Splatoon faceplates.

 

[Kioku]

Eh. Holiday sales pretty much obliterated what official stock there was. Supply/demand.

 

[astrangeone]

Holiday sales, I guess. I sold 3 new 3DS XLes in the last week. I'm planning on hacking a bunch more (fieldrunners transfer). I have a red n3DS XL with all the fixings anyhow.