At their E3 unveiling of the Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo very specifically did not have a price attached to the system. They were also being coy about the release date, but that is beside the point. According to Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, one major factor in where they set the 3DS’ pricing is the reaction it got at E3. And you may remember, it was overwhelming positive.
Iwata-san said that there were a “number of factors” that went into the 3DS pricing scheme, but one of theme was the media’s reaction post the unveiling at E3 this year. The 3DS was announced out of nowhere earlier this year. It was a major surprise to the Western media, thought in Japan it had been rumored for a while and allegedly Nintendo announced it to cut off a major leak from hitting the Japanese tech blog scene.
Nintendo had been secretive about the handheld until the E3 showing. Journalists seemed pleased with the 3DS, citing the improved graphics performance of the little console as well as the “3D slider” that controls the intensity of the 3D effect on the top screen.
Why is this a story? Well, at the announced Japanese list price of ¥25,000 ($300), it’s also the most expensive Nintendo product at launch in history. The previous three most expensive items were the Gamecube ($200), Virtual Boy ($180) and Nintendo DS (at launch – $150). Even adjusted for inflation, the 3DS is the most expensive Nintendo product of all-time. It’s a bit odd for a company who’s reputation is built on family friendly products.
What do you think about the 3DS’ price? Too high? Just right?
Nintendo had been secretive about the handheld until the E3 showing. Journalists seemed pleased with the 3DS, citing the improved graphics performance of the little console as well as the “3D slider” that controls the intensity of the 3D effect on the top screen.
Why is this a story? Well, at the announced Japanese list price of ¥25,000 ($300), it’s also the most expensive Nintendo product at launch in history. The previous three most expensive items were the Gamecube ($200), Virtual Boy ($180) and Nintendo DS (at launch – $150). Even adjusted for inflation, the 3DS is the most expensive Nintendo product of all-time. It’s a bit odd for a company who’s reputation is built on family friendly products.
What do you think about the 3DS’ price? Too high? Just right?
