With its recently launched Nintendo 2DS handheld, consumers can now enjoy more current handheld games on the go without needing to view them in 3D. But does this mean Nintendo is shifting away from the original audience that purchased the earlier 3DS model for its visual superiority Hardly.
CEO Satoru Iwata stated that while the 2DS will get the company’s full support, it’s not ready to abandon 3D by any means. “Generally speaking, it takes approximately one and a half years before we can bring a new hardware system onto the market, and we already realized beforehand that it would be difficult to maximize the sales potential of Nintendo 3DS without an entry-level product ready in time for the release of a new Pokémon title,” he explained to his investors. “Because we already knew that the range of price options for Nintendo 3DS was not sufficient in light of the highly appreciated yen at the time, we had been preparing for this launch.”
Even with the shift to a 2D-related handheld – and one all ages can use – 3D remains on the table. “We are offering such an option in order to further propel the popularity of the Nintendo 3DS platform in the overseas markets. Nintendo 2DS is, however, simply one of the options for consumers and we will continue to offer the existing Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL platforms in the overseas markets, and we are not saying that we will abandon 3D or cease to make new propositions in 3D.”
Keep in mind that Nintendo is releasing a new model of the 3DS XL, based upon its upcoming game The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. Both the system and handheld arrive in the U.S. market on November 22.
Source: Shacknews
