Western 3DS Sales Currently Weak | GKick Network

July 4th, 2012 by Nickie Williams

3DS sales are currently down, according to Nintendo.

Saturo Iwata, the President of Nintendo continues to explain that sales are looking a little lackluster for the platform after the big boost at Christmas time. This could possibly account for the recent release of the 3DS XL.

One of the other possibilities for the weak console sales is that in the Eastern Japanese markets, they’ve have a lot more big-budget games released to help fuel the sales of the units. One game is the currently-massive-selling Pokemon Black and White 2, selling two million copies in just two months.

Iwata is mainly concerned because the US and European gaming markets are much bigger than the Japanese market, but the sales of the 3DS units have been at a steady constant in the land of the rising sun. Also in the Japanese market, gamers are much happier to play games on a proper console rather than a smartphone. And thanks to aggressive marketing schemes in the West, smartphones now seem to be choice of casual, portable gaming thanks to smash hit titles like Angry Birds and Plants vs Zombies.

Of course, now there is the chance to purchase popular smartphone games on the 3DS but at a much-inflated price compared to the Android or iOS platform. As a parent, I can see how this would make a much more cost-effective purchase for your child’s entertainment- but I would never give my daughter a smartphone or an iPod Touch. She started off on a Leapster LMax and in the next year I will be more than happy to buy her a Nintendo DS.

Parents should learn to think with their brains and not with their wallets. A Nintendo DS/3DS? Far more sturdy than a smartphone or an iPod Touch. Break either of those and you’re looking at a far higher cost of replacement than a Nintendo system would cost.

Also, wishing all our American readers a very Happy 4th of July!