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3DS

New 3DS Add-On in the Works? Redesign on the Way?

by Pedro Hernandez - August 22, 2011, 10:38 pm EDT
Total comments: 91 Source: 01net, http://www.01net.com/editorial/537862/nintendo-l-a...

Is Nintendo drastically changing the 3DS?

Nintendo is rumored to be working on an attachment for the 3DS that will add a second Slide Pad, as well as a radical hardware revision for the 3DS, according to a report by 01net.

The report cites an anonymous source within Nintendo, and claims that Nintendo is not only working on an analog control attachment for the 3DS, but that they have third party developers working on titles that make use of it. Their source claims that prevailing thought in Nintendo has concluded that dual analog is far more important for gaming than originally perceived. According to their sources, 01net says the attachment would retail for about $10 and be required for some games. How it would attach to the right side of the 3DS hardware is currently unknown.

In addition, the report states that the disappointing performance of the 3DS may be forcing Nintendo to rethink its strategy. The report states that Nintendo may introduce a new 3DS redesign in 2012. The rumored model will address some of the concerns players had with the original 3DS and the marketing will put less emphasis the 3D element of the system. Nintendo may even give the unit a different name in order to differentiate it from the current 3DS. 01net speculates that 3DS price drop, as well as the Ambassador program, may be a strategy to liquidate the current 3DS inventory in order to make way for the new design.

In the past, 01net has been accurate with their reports. They were the first to let out details about the Wii U, and they claim to have trustworthy sources from within Nintendo. Until the evidence is clear, however, this is a rumor. 

Special thanks to Shaymin for the news tip!

Talkback

CaterkillerMatthew Osborne, Contributing WriterAugust 23, 2011

I hope this is wrong. The DS didn't have a mind blowing start either. It wasnt until Nintendogs and Brain Age that the system started selling like nuts! Once the 3DS gets a new one of those it will pick up. Surprisingly no one cares about 3D though, who knew?

famicomplicatedJames Charlton, Associate Editor (Japan)August 23, 2011

I do find the 3DS a little uncomfortable when using circle-pad heavy games, maybe an attachment which increases the width a little could help things?
It could be a pack in with some future FPS games maybe?
Saying that though, I find this part of the rumour very bizarre!

As for the new edition of the 3DS, I just hope it has better battery life.
Taking out the 3D seems highly unlikely, unless it's a 4th pillar 'hardcore' product!? What would it be called - a HD-S? (ack)

OblivionAugust 23, 2011

Copied from my post in the Rumor Thread:

Nintendo can't be THAT stupid. Adding on a second analog stick as an accessory is impossible, considering there is no way for it to attach to the system or plug into the system on the right. Also, the add-on would be extremely ugly and would probably be awkward and unbalanced to hold. It just doesn't work.

The 3DS revision is a bit more believable, but I doubt they would do anything major to the hardware. It would only confuse the average consumer even more.

No...just no.

This makes perfect sense



...if they're trying to out-botch HP.

Retro DeckadesAugust 23, 2011

The way I perceive the 3DS, which I think differentiates it a bit from the DS in the early going, is that it seems like it should be freakin' awesome. The system itself does a lot of cool stuff, and I can't say I felt that way about the original DS.

BlackNMild2k1August 23, 2011

Just for arguments sake, the analog attachment could be like a slip on piece that operates through some wireless signal.

But it's not gonna happen. It's a bad idea and will hardly be supported beyond whatever game it's being designed for since hardly anyone would own it.

Name change wouldn't be a bad idea for a revision though.
I'm really tired of hearing it being referred to as the 3D DS.

OblivionAugust 23, 2011

Who calls it that?

BlackNMild2k1August 23, 2011

Kids, parents, people in the stores.

OblivionAugust 23, 2011

Weird, I've never heard that before.

UncleBobRichard Cook, Guest ContributorAugust 23, 2011

Quote from: Oblivion

Who calls it that?

Same people who called the Wii the "Double-You-Double-You-Eye-Eye".

Quote from: MegaByte

This makes perfect sense



...if they're trying to out-botch HP.

Hey, it's a matter of pride for them. Nobody screws over a good thing better than Nintendo!

Chozo GhostAugust 23, 2011

I don't see how its that far fetched. Nintendo did offer a rumble pak for the original DS and there was that guitar hero thing which is kinda similar to what's being proposed here. Of course, the 3DS lacks a GBA slot so that makes implementing it trickier. Isn't there a USB jack it could connect to?

If it cost $10-$20 it could be bundled in with the games that make use of it in addition to offered separately. Actually this was already done, quite successfully I might add, with Motion Plus on the Wii. Is there really any reason to doubt this could happen when Nintendo has already done it before with Motion Plus?

OblivionAugust 23, 2011

There is no connector. No USB, no general plug in like Wii Motion+. This is a completely different ballpark than that controller add-on.

It'd have to be wireless, which adds more fuel to my argument that even if it were coming, there's no way they would only charge $10 for it.

OblivionAugust 23, 2011

How would it hook on to the system without being awkward or uneven?

KDR_11kAugust 23, 2011

What about one of those iDevice-style things you stick onto the touchscreen?

Quote from: Caterkiller

I hope this is wrong. The DS didn't have a mind blowing start either. It wasnt until Nintendogs and Brain Age that the system started selling like nuts! Once the 3DS gets a new one of those it will pick up. Surprisingly no one cares about 3D though, who knew?

Yeah but the 3Ds already has Nintendogs and I don't see any killer apps on the upcoming games schedule. MK7 isn't going to make DS owners believe that their copy of MKDS needs to be replaced and 3D Mario hasn't been that big of a seller, especially if 3D Land is as weak as previews suggest.

AdrockAugust 23, 2011

Nintendo could VERY easily release a Right Slide Pad kit that includes the tools, minus the soldering iron, to replace the front plate on the 3DS and have users manually install the second pad slide onto the 3DS themselves. Sure, not everyone has the technical know-how to do this correctly without bricking the system but those are extremely minor concerns. Traditional gaming controls on 3DS are just a couple dozen easy steps and firmware update away.

Does that really sound like something Nintendo would even remotely consider?

Chozo GhostAugust 23, 2011

It could snap onto the system somehow. I'm sure Nintendo could figure out a way to make it attach to it somehow. Maybe it would make use of that IR port the 3DS has?

There's also the port were the charging cable connects to. Couldn't that be used?

AdrockAugust 23, 2011

/facetious

oohhboyHong Hang Ho, Staff AlumnusAugust 23, 2011

That is one hell of a rumour. I reckon more than likely this is some kind of intentional leak designed to test the acceptability of such a redesign. They probably know it will be poorly received, but have no idea how badly. So they have to decide to either stay the course or double down on the crazy.

It's technically possible via IR wireless port and power feed back from the AC port is not out of the question. Or it's something that slides over the touch screen which is far more likely.

Dual Analogue would have been nice from the start, but the countless hours on Goldeneye and Perfect Dark say it's not mandatory.

If I was a betting man, I call is rumour as full of shit.

ejamerAugust 23, 2011

Well, dual-analogs on Nintendo's next handheld would be great. The circle pad is pretty sweet already - why not add a second one? And I still believe that 3D is nothing more than a gimmick, so dropping that emphasis makes sense too.

The downside: this would only further alienate me (and presumably many other 3DS owners) as a customer. It would take more than a few downloadable games to make up for the debacle of releasing a system without games and then getting rid of it so quickly. There is also no chance I'd be buying a replacement handheld from Nintendo that quickly.

But let's wait and see. So far the only "proof" is one anonymous source spreading around online. Hardly something to believe without validation from other sources.


"Since when did Ambassador start to mean Chump anyway?"

KikoriMinoru Yamaizumi, Japan CorrespondentAugust 23, 2011

Quote from: famicomplicated

I do find the 3DS a little uncomfortable when using circle-pad heavy games, maybe an attachment which increases the width a little could help things?

You can make it much more comfortable with an attachment grip. My favorite one is "Grip Stand 3DS" (Answer Co., Ltd.). You can buy one in Japan like I. It's effective when you use the D-pad too.

BTW, this rumor is pretty unbelievable. I heard Miyamoto thought carefully before he decided not to include a right circle pad.

Chozo GhostAugust 23, 2011

Quote from: Adrock

Nintendo could VERY easily release a Right Slide Pad kit that includes the tools, minus the soldering iron, to replace the front plate on the 3DS and have users manually install the second pad slide onto the 3DS themselves. Sure, not everyone has the technical know-how to do this correctly without bricking the system but those are extremely minor concerns. Traditional gaming controls on 3DS are just a couple dozen easy steps and firmware update away.

I agree with Insanolord that this just isn't going to happen. But it could be possible Nintendo could have a program where people can send their 3DS units in to Nintendo and they will make the upgrade and then ship it back. Or just have a product recall and then send 3DS owners the new dual slider 3DS model free of charge.

I'm more playing devil's advocate at this point, as I think the whole thing is ridiculous, except maybe a redesign of the 3DS next year. This second slide pad thing is nonsense.

AdrockAugust 23, 2011

I was joking. Nintendo couldn't trust people to wave the Wii remote lightly without breaking their televisions and children's jaws. Of course, they aren't releasing a do-it-yourself 3DS slide pad install kit. Jesus...... /facepalm

Yeah, I got that, I was just making sure no one thought I actually believed it was going to happen at all, as opposed to arguing for the sake of arguing as I am.

If this was ever a concern, they should have gone with the reconfigurable snap-in control modules that they used to prototype the 3DS.

oohhboyHong Hang Ho, Staff AlumnusAugust 23, 2011

If it was a recall program I could see this working, but this would cost Nintendo some very serious money. But the implications of them dropping the 3D feature into obscurity is outright insane and ranks this rumour as Grade A bull.

TJ SpykeAugust 23, 2011

As I mentioned in the rumor threat, I think this is all BS and there is 0% chance of it being real.

FlipsterAugust 23, 2011

Honestly aside from the occasionally far too squeaky d-pad on systems such as mine, I don't mind the current design of the 3DS at all and feel Nintendo did a good job with it (though I do think that their branding may confuse some people and I wouldn't mind them coming out with a new and improved model). However, I'm really hoping these new ideas Nintendo has will be applied to the Wii U before its release so that it may get some major overhauling and revisions, but that's me.

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterAugust 23, 2011

Personally, I don't believe it either. At first, I read this as Nintendo completely dropping the 3DS in favor of a new handheld, turning it into the Virtual Boy 2.0. But as I read more into it, they seem to be suggesting a re-design of the 3DS with a different focus in the marketing department. Nintendo is currently selling the glasses free 3D as being THE selling point of the system. However, not only have they tried to warn about its dangers on children, it is hard to show it off through marketing.

When the 3DS was revealed in 2010, I had a HARD time accepting it. Everyone kept saying how amazing it was, and yet it was hard for me to believe in it, because I heard were WORDS. The screens didn't do it justice. The main reason I got interested was because the game looked GOOD. Sure, I still wanted to see how the 3D worked, but it was the software behind it that sold the system to me.

I think this is what the new marketing strategy might be: the games. It has been proven time and time again that a system might have all the best features in the world, but it is all worthless if it doesn't have the software to back it up. I think Nintendo learned this the hard way with the 3DS. They spent so much time selling the 3D and the non game features they had very little games to show the system off.

Dare I say it, this seems to be the same rehash of the DS incident back in 2004.

Let me detail it...

- The DS was revealed in 2004 at E3. Players were impressed by it. The tech demos looked great and showed a lot of promise

- DS is released in the Fall of the same year. The launch line up is extremely weak, mostly consisting of tech demo based games and ports of older games.

- The DS suffers a terrible first half, which few noteworthy releases here and there. It wasn't until the Fall of 2005 that the system finally started to receive interesting games, games that gamers wanted to play.

- The success of Nintendogs with non-players kind of forced Nintendo to change strategy. Up until its release, the DS was mainly sold as a system for Nintendo fans, which its first selection of games being aimed at the Nintendo loyal.

- A DS Lite is announced in 2006. The system is slimmer, has a better battery life and, most importantly, a much brighter screen. The price is reduced, and it is released with games that interest a lot of fans, such as Brain Age and New Super Mario Bros.

- By the end of 2006, the system received a lot of great third party releases alongside noteworthy Nintendo titles. The presence is expanded, and the DS is finally the success Nintendo hoped it would be.

The 3DS seems to be going through a similar process. The best games will be released either in the Fall or next year and the system has seen a price reduction. I think that before the end of 2012 we will see a new 3DS model. It certainly won't be a brand new handheld ad this report is suggestion, but it will address all of the concerns of the old model, it will be more attractive to the consumer and the price will be reduced even further.

Remember that the DS saw four hardware models before its life cycle ended, so I think the 3DS might also see several revisions during its time in the market.

KDR_11kAugust 23, 2011

Quote from: NWR_pap64

Nintendo is currently selling the glasses free 3D as being THE selling point of the system. However, not only have they tried to warn about its dangers on children, it is hard to show it off through marketing.

And even when you've fixed those problems it's still just a silly gimmick that people don't care about.


The 3DS needs killer apps and I don't see those on the horizon. Nintendogs clearly didn't work at all.

NWR_pap64Pedro Hernandez, Contributing WriterAugust 23, 2011

Not to mention a gimmick that not everyone can enjoy due to either the 3D not working for them (as it was the case with insanolord) or making them sick. The DS had the touch screen. That was something everyone could easily understand and actually made the system appealing. The 3D, however, is EVERYWHERE, and like I mentioned, not everyone can enjoy it.


Although, I am more optimistic about future games. I am actually very excited for upcoming games, even stuff like  Star Fox 64 3D.

They have recently started a new ad campaign that almost ignores the 3D elements of the system.


I love this rumor, it's so insane it makes me smile.

leahsdadAugust 23, 2011

Quote:

And even when you've fixed those problems it's still just a silly gimmick that people don't care about.

Well, I guess I ain't people, cuz I love the 3D, love my 3DS.  Stuff that's collecting dust in my home because of my 3DS:  My Wii, my DS lite, my DSi XL, Starcraft II, BLOPS.  Seriously.  You know who's got 2 thumbs,  bought $100 worth of downloadables and 8 retail 3DS games so far?  This guy.

Quote:

The 3DS needs killer apps and I don't see those on the horizon. Nintendogs clearly didn't work at all.

 

From a purely business standpoint, you know what the 3DS seems to obviously need, no brainer, but Nintendo seems to have no plans of bringing out?  A new Super Mario Bros for the 3DS.  I mean, what's the game that you see every DS owner from age 8 to 18 playing at Chili's or whatever family restaurant you have in your neck of the woods?  Chances are high that it's New Super Mario Bros.  I would say I see this even more often than a kid playing Black, White, Soulsilver, whatever.  My niece has a lite and I swear, every time she busts that thing out, it's got that game, as if she doesn't own a single other game cart. 

Of course, whether you could design a new side scroller Mario that would be good or would take good advantage of 3D or 3DS hardware, that's a different conversation.  But from a purely business standpoint, it would put DS's in the hands of kids.

martyAugust 23, 2011

I don't doubt that Nintendo is "working" on an analog stick attachment--I Just don't see releasing it as a viable option.

3d is not selling the system, evidently.

ejamerAugust 23, 2011

Hmm... which is more efficient. Creating software that people want to boost demand for a product that has seen limited support, or ditching said product for another revision and burning what install base you do have in the process?

CericAugust 23, 2011

Quote from: Chozo

...
Actually this was already done, quite successfully I might add, with Motion Plus on the Wii. Is there really any reason to doubt this could happen when Nintendo has already done it before with Motion Plus?

We need to sit down and talk about your definition of Success.  Motion Plus is a flop, Period.  I still don't own one and I'm  a regular on these forums.  For goodness sakes I have Wii Speak and I don't have Motion Plus.  I don't even own Animal Crossing.  My Wii has a Keyboard...  It is literally the only accessory I don't have that isn't a glorified plastic shell.

This sound a lot like an F1 Race Car maker deciding its F1 Racers have a problem because they're not Street Legal and don't have a Passenger seat.  Which are unneeded for an F1 Racer. 

I like my 3DS it is bar none my favorite incarnation of DS-Game playing devices.  At this point my little 3DS has probably traveled with my more than my DS in its whole lifetime and I had one since Midnight launch.

I like the Device.  Its Nintendo handling of the device and in particular NoA handling of the device which is killing it.

That all being said such a radical redesign would warrant a free replacement unit for every 3DS owner if they want it to be used.  That would be a way to seed the market to Smartphones and the Vita.  I mean what could they add to the Vita?

AdrockAugust 23, 2011

Nintendo made the mistake of marketing 3D as the reason to buy 3DS. Sure, it's a gimmick, but gimmicks aren't inherently bad. The problem with 3D is that it's not even close to the best thing about 3DS. 3D is a bonus and the fact that 3DS is a great system is what Nintendo should be shilling in their marketing campaigns. I'm playing through Ocarina of Time and the touchscreen improves the game so immensely that I don't know how I played this game any other way. The slide pad also shits all over the N64's stick.

A revision with a second slider could work so long as no game requires it. It may not be the best way and Nintendo would probably be better off tossing the idea, but it's the only way this could conceivably work. Every 3DS game would need to work on both versions of the hardware even if one has an additional perk.

MaryJaneAugust 23, 2011

Yeah, not everyone is sold on 3D so I can see them changing market strategy, and if they're serious about dual analog, a redesign makes sense, what they should do however, is give the new nub free to people who bought early.

CericAugust 23, 2011

Quote from: Adrock

Nintendo made the mistake of marketing 3D as the reason to buy 3DS. Sure, it's a gimmick, but gimmicks aren't inherently bad. The problem with 3D is that it's not even close to the best thing about 3DS. 3D is a bonus and the fact that 3DS is a great system is what Nintendo should be shilling in their marketing campaigns. I'm playing through Ocarina of Time and the touchscreen improves the game so immensely that I don't know how I played this game any other way. The slide pad also shits all over the N64's stick.

A revision with a second slider could work so long as no game requires it. It may not be the best way and Nintendo would probably be better off tossing the idea, but it's the only way this could conceivably work. Every 3DS game would need to work on both versions of the hardware even if one has an additional perk.

I agree.  The 3D is a perk of the 3DS but by no means is it the key feature for me.  I like it don't get me wrong but:

The Pedometer.  I actually use that a lot and it keeps it with me.
eShop.  DK94 alone Justifies its existence to me.
Circle Pad.  Yes,  I would have plopped down $200 if this was just a DSXL revision with a Slide Pad.  I like it that much.
UI.  In General it's improved.
Netflix Support.  Not super important but I do use it.
Streetpass.  I don't get many but I have gotten a 3 Street fighter ones and 16 Miis.  Not having to have a game in to do those is brilliant.
Find Mii.  Even if you don't get Streetpasses you can use coins to play it and it fun for some reason or another.
Actually useable Volume Slider.  Yes that was a pet peeve of mine on the other 2 DSes I've owned.  Not to mention the speakers are better to me and I can hear surround type Audio better.

There is a lot going for the system.  Plus its beefier than the DS.  I've got the Nyko Extended battery the makes it not so slim and fit better on my hands.  They need to market all that and 3D is just implied.  Though I mean where else are you going to take things?

If they do totally toss the farm with a new revision they might as well take it fully to the standard controller of the day for better or worse.  The device could be thicker so you could have your R2 and L2 as well.

Zeldaguy64August 23, 2011

I think this rumour is a load of walrus excretion. Even if it's true, Nintendo know what they're doing and no amount of arguing is going to stop them.

NintendoFanboyAugust 23, 2011

OK. i would quite happily buy a DS4 ( for lack of a better name)
but here is what i want. More beef, faster GPU, Faster CPU, ram, ok,More is always better.
Higher res screen, like 468 x 360  3 inch bottom screen and 520 x 360  top screen.
dual slide pads,bigger battery, and closer to but not equal to the XL size.
i know if there is truth to this rumor, we may get a second slide pad, and more of a
DSlite like case.
  Battery, we dont need no stinkin batteries. lol
OH, and my More beef bigger screens and batteries machine, i'll plunk down $250
for again. thank you.

AdrockAugust 23, 2011

I still wouldn't pay more than $170 for all of that. Nintendo would be borderline retarded... actually, I don't want to insult mentally challenged people with this comparison... Nintendo would be a special brand of stupid to ever launch another handheld for $250, even if it somehow also managed to cure cancer and unhook girls' bras by merely being in its presence. An MSRP of $169.99 is a sweet spot. It's still a bit pricey but it's low enough that many people would still bite.

Bman87301August 23, 2011

If (and that's a big if) they do go the renaming route, we can most likely expect the triumphant return of the still untarnished 'Game Boy' brand. And just as with the DS to the GBA, it'll be presented as their 'third pillar' until it quietly replaces the 3DS altogether.

Though I do think doing that would be a major overraction. Nintendo needs to stay the course with the '3DS' branding. The 3D aspect may not be  selling systems, but I don't think it's hurting sales either, so the removal of '3D' from the name isn't necessary, they just need to start marketing the other features more.

While I certainly can't speak for the entire general public, I do know the reasons why I didn't initially get a 3DS-- the price was too high and it was released right at a time when both gas and food prices were on the rise. That, combined with the fact that there weren't any must-have games and Nintendo's increasingly frequent pattern of releasing hardware revisions, it only made sense to wait.

It certainly wasn't from a lack of interest of the 3D.

What I think this really is is just Nintendo running by some new ideas to developers and coming up with alternative ideas in case of the event that the price drop doesn't work. They were caught off guard by 3DS's low numbers and simply looking at how to react to it.

I don't think the price drop was effort to get rid of current units for a revision. For one thing, why would they now be releasing a new red version of the current model?

From what I can tell, the price drop is working, so while I'm sure these add-ons are under development and name change concepts are currently being looked at, I don't see any of it actually seeing the day of light... Then again, I thought the same thing when rumors about the DSi XL first started.

TJ SpykeAugust 23, 2011

The DS brand is too successful to dump, and I would say that the Game Boy Micro hurt the brand at least a little.

AdrockAugust 23, 2011

We don't need to go back to a single screened handheld. That's a step backwards.

Bman87301August 23, 2011

Quote from: TJ

The DS brand is too successful to dump, and I would say that the Game Boy Micro hurt the brand at least a little.

You could have said the same thing about the 'Game Boy' brand seven years ago. Besides, they wouldn't necessarily be 'dumping' it-- just putting it on hiatus like the 'Game Boy' until they need it again.

And you're kidding yourself if you think the Game Boy Micro hurt the brand at all-- the Game Boy Light certainly didn't affect the Game Boy Color, nor did the short lived top-loading NES affect the Super NES. A lackluster model of otherwise successful hardware won't hurt the brand's reputation for the very reason it failed to catch on in the first place-- the general public can't recall it ever existing.

Quote from: Adrock

We don't need to go back to a single screened handheld. That's a step backwards.

Indeed. Call it GameBoyz to denote the multiple screens.

ShyGuyAugust 23, 2011

What if a third party is bundling a game with the second analog snap on? Like Halo 3DS?

AdrockAugust 23, 2011

I know! If anything, there should be even more screens. 2 screens? Too mainstream, I say! I'm thinking 3 to 5 screens, maybe even a clock display next to the front facing camera.

Quote from: Adrock

I know! If anything, there should be even more screens. 2 screens? Too mainstream, I say! I'm thinking 3 to 5 screens, maybe even a clock display next to the front facing camera.

We call it Game Crew, yo. We got six screens.

Bman87301August 23, 2011

Quote from: Adrock

We don't need to go back to a single screened handheld. That's a step backwards.

Well obviously, a redesign of 3DS hardware  couldn't be single screened.

Keep in mind why 'Game Boy' brand wasn't used for the DS-- because its premise was so unusual, the chance of it being a failure was too high to risk presenting it as the GBA's successor.  It certainly wasn't because the 'Game Boy' name couldn't still apply to a dual screened system.

They just called it a 'third pillar' platform, so if it did fail they could still just release a true successor to the GBA. If the 3DS does turn out to be a failure, they can't get away with releasing another DS without it being associated with the 3DS.

But since they always officially kept the DS line separate from Game Boy...

EnnerAugust 23, 2011

Quote from: Ceric

Quote from: Chozo

...
Actually this was already done, quite successfully I might add, with Motion Plus on the Wii. Is there really any reason to doubt this could happen when Nintendo has already done it before with Motion Plus?

We need to sit down and talk about your definition of Success.  Motion Plus is a flop, Period.

Considering how many units of Wii Sports Resort sold, other publishers and developers wish they had more of such flops.


It is a shame that there aren't many games that take advantage of the accessory.

CericAugust 23, 2011

Quote from: Enner

Quote from: Ceric

Quote from: Chozo

...
Actually this was already done, quite successfully I might add, with Motion Plus on the Wii. Is there really any reason to doubt this could happen when Nintendo has already done it before with Motion Plus?

We need to sit down and talk about your definition of Success.  Motion Plus is a flop, Period.

Considering how many units of Wii Sports Resort sold, other publishers and developers wish they had more of such flops.

It is a shame that there aren't many games that take advantage of the accessory.

No, Wii Sports Resort is a success.  Motion Plus is a flop.  An accessory needs to be useful beyond one game when its meant to be a general Accessory.

Skyward sword might make it not so much but an accessory is all about how much penetration it has.  If say 50% of Wii users own a Motion Plus then I say it is a success I doubt that number is hit.

TJ SpykeAugust 23, 2011

Wii MotionPlus may not be the huge success Nintendo hoped for, but by no means can it be considered a flop.

OblivionAugust 23, 2011

Ceric, I own five games that use WiiMotion Plus. If there are people like me, then I wouldn't consider it a flop.

StogiAugust 23, 2011

I love this rumor. Only because it shits on every 3DS owner again.

CericAugust 23, 2011

Quote from: Oblivion

Ceric, I own five games that use WiiMotion Plus. If there are people like me, then I wouldn't consider it a flop.

UncleBob owns every E-Reader card so is that not a flop either?

ejamerAugust 23, 2011

Wii Motion Plus was a moderate success despite receiving limited support.

There are at least a half dozen good games that either require Motion Plus, or are enhanced in meaningful ways by having the accessory. It's also sold in decent numbers and is now included by default in every new Wii controller. Not sure how you can really qualify the Motion Plus accessory as a failure unless you mean that you just didn't like it.




*Edit: But seriously, how many motion games do you want anyway? Outside of golf and tennis games, I have very little use for motion controls personally. Pointer controls I still like though.

Chozo GhostAugust 23, 2011

Quote from: TJ

Wii MotionPlus may not be the huge success Nintendo hoped for, but by no means can it be considered a flop.

Agreed. Multiple games make use of it so its not a one hit wonder. Plus the upcoming Zelda game will require it and that alone prevents it from being a flop because Zelda is a big deal.

There aren't as many games that make use of it as there could be, but then again that's a problem for the Wii as a whole and not just for Motion Plus.

martyAugust 23, 2011

is the Wii Motion+ a flop?  It didn't come close to being the standard and it sure as hell didn't expand the market or extend the life of the system.  It's not a game changer like the balance board, that's for sure.

OblivionAugust 23, 2011

Quote from: Ceric

Quote from: Oblivion

Ceric, I own five games that use WiiMotion Plus. If there are people like me, then I wouldn't consider it a flop.

UncleBob owns every E-Reader card so is that not a flop either?

Read my post again. I said "IF there are people like me...blah blah blah..." so I was saying that if there are people like me who own that many wii motion plus than it isn't a flop.

Chozo GhostAugust 23, 2011

Quote from: marty

It didn't come close to being the standard

It went beyond close. It is the standard. You can't buy a new Wii system or Wiimote without it integrated into it. The problem is mainly there just isn't a lot of new Wii games coming out period. Whether they make use of it or not...

Bman87301August 23, 2011

Calling WiiMotion Plus a flop is like calling Dual Shock for PS1 a flop--  most games didn't use it, only one game actually required it, but plenty of games still supported it and it ultimately became the standard.

Motion Plus is the exact same thing. Besides, just because a feature isn't overly used doesn't mean it's a flop-- if it were then that would make the DS microphone and the SELECT button both flops too.

alegoicoeAugust 23, 2011

It makes sense since nintendo needs to start making money on 3DS again, and a redisign with dual analog might give nintendo a reason to price the 3ds system at 199.99 and start making money on the system again, and with good games on the shelves by the time the new system comes out, it should sell much better than the current 3ds.

TJ SpykeAugust 23, 2011

It would be a huge blunder. Either you make it so that so few games use the right analog stick that you might as well not bother as a developer (like how the DSi has almost no exclusive game), or you segment the market by making it impossible for millions of people to play your game (and the only real solution would be for Nintendo to let you send your 3DS in to them and be replaced).

martyAugust 23, 2011

Quote from: Chozo

Quote from: marty

It didn't come close to being the standard

It went beyond close. It is the standard. You can't buy a new Wii system or Wiimote without it integrated into it. The problem is mainly there just isn't a lot of new Wii games coming out period. Whether they make use of it or not...

You're reaching.  There's what... 1 WM+ title that's used the remote and sold in any respectable sense?  There are only a handful more titles that even utilize the WM+ at all.  You can't call something that no one uses a standard.

AdrockAugust 23, 2011

It's doable as long as the second slide pad is not required to play any games, required being the operative word. And if developers didn't use it (though I see no reason why they wouldn't), I wouldn't classify that as a blunder, just a waste.

A second slide pad should have been present from the beginning so we shouldn't even be having this conversation. I'm not sure what Nintendo was thinking. I believe Miyamoto said something about using motion controls for the camera but that doesn't explain why anyone wouldn't want the right slide pad anyway. Ultimately, I think a revision with an additional slide pad and other upgrades could work with minimal damage for reasons already stated. However, while the second slide pad will make some games better, it will NEVER make a bad game good. You can't save a shit lineup by throwing an extra slide pad at it.

Chozo GhostAugust 23, 2011

Quote from: marty

You can't call something that no one uses a standard.

Yeah you can because that's not how a standard is defined. There's very few things which make use of USB 3.0 at the moment, but USB 3.0 is a standard. It may not be used much, but it is a standard. And so is Motion Plus.

martyAugust 23, 2011

Quote from: Chozo

Quote from: marty

You can't call something that no one uses a standard.

Yeah you can because that's not how a standard is defined. There's very few things which make use of USB 3.0 at the moment, but USB 3.0 is a standard. It may not be used much, but it is a standard. And so is Motion Plus.

Well, if you feel that something that goes unused by 99.99% of games is a standard, well... good luck with that.

WM+ isn't used widely now and never will be.

Motion+ came along too late in the system's life to have any chance of being treated as the standard. It has, however, significantly improved a good number of games, and something like Skyward Sword wouldn't be possible without it, so don't dismiss it.

Quote from: Ceric

Quote from: Oblivion

Ceric, I own five games that use WiiMotion Plus. If there are people like me, then I wouldn't consider it a flop.

UncleBob owns every E-Reader card so is that not a flop either?

-1 for insulting the eReader.

Mop it upAugust 23, 2011

If this isn't bogus then it would be an extremely bad idea. I can't think of very many twin-stick games besides first-person shooters anyway, and ones that would use it for a camera can use the D-pad or touch screen just as well. Nintendo is overreacting if they go this route, they at least need to wait until the 3DS's two biggest games are out, Super Mario 3D and Mario Kart 3DS, and see how it does then.

Chozo GhostAugust 23, 2011

Quote from: Mop

ones that would use it for a camera can use the D-pad

How? Both the D-pad and left analog require a user's left thumb. How could both be used at the same time unless the system were held in a really awkward way which would make the buttons on the right side unusable? The touchscreen is not an option either because it takes full use of a person's hand to operate a stylus which means the buttons are unsuable (although, yes you could tap the screen I guess as a form of input, but still....).

CericAugust 23, 2011

It be even worse then The Claw on PSP... People actually do that.

Mop it upAugust 23, 2011

If the game requires camera use while performing other functions, that game has a bad camera.

CericAugust 23, 2011

Quote from: NWR_insanolord

Motion+ came along too late in the system's life to have any chance of being treated as the standard. It has, however, significantly improved a good number of games, and something like Skyward Sword wouldn't be possible without it, so don't dismiss it.

Quote from: Ceric

Quote from: Oblivion

Ceric, I own five games that use WiiMotion Plus. If there are people like me, then I wouldn't consider it a flop.

UncleBob owns every E-Reader card so is that not a flop either?

-1 for insulting the eReader.

I'm just bitter I never got to use my Super Mario Bros 3 cards.

NintendoFanboyAugust 23, 2011

Adrock, do u also think the Veta(the PSP2) is over priced, or is that ok, cause its sony.
as for slide pad #2 required, most people don't get how to use the stylus like a
mouse, i do, and it could be the other anolog stick for those who dont have a DS4
Note this is my youtube video , it makes some angry, but shows what i mean.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTkivixb-II
Hoping i did that correct. but as i found out recently, this technique requires
more practice, cause the 3DS stylus is slippery and slides do to being metal.
humm, gotta work on it.
FYI i coppied this technique from a developer at NST when they were
showing off Metroid first hunt before the DS launch.

I'm not Adrock, but I'll field that first point. The Vita is at the very least less overpriced at $250 than the 3DS was, as I'm sure the cost of the components is a lot higher given its superior tech. Whether people will pay that much is a different story, but it's a less inflated price than Nintendo started with.

OblivionAugust 23, 2011

I'm one of those people willing to shell out 250 bucks to buy a Vita. Granted, I was one of those people willing to shell out 250 bucks for the 3DS, too...

Chocobo_RiderAugust 24, 2011

Add-on stick?
Hope it's not true.  That sounds ridiculous.

Drop the 3DS name?
Hope it's not true.  That's brand suicide.

New 3DS model?
Well, in this day and age it is inevitable... every platform ever has a "slim" or "lite" or "go" version...
Still, one year on the market would be premature... even for the DS family - right?

So, I guess I hope none of this is true.  Especially since I plan to get a 3DS for Christmas and was (until this rumor) damn excited about it!!

CericAugust 24, 2011

Quote from: NinSage

...
So, I guess I hope none of this is true.  Especially since I plan to get a 3DS for Christmas and was (until this rumor) damn excited about it!!

Smear Marketing Gold.
I would not be to surprised that this is a competition smear tactic.

NintendoFanboyAugust 24, 2011

I would still be excited, as i love 3D gaming.
very few games make use of the power yet, but playing OoT in 3D makes it feel so
alive,(I.M.O.) it really feels great, and i wanna play all my games in 3D.

as for the price, and power difference, i was kinda refering to my upgraded DS4 going
to $250 not the current 3ds. but well, to me the veta(?) feels like an excess of ideas.
i think , kill the back bad, and u got a better product.

Chocobo_RiderAugust 24, 2011

Quote from: Ceric

Quote from: NinSage

...
So, I guess I hope none of this is true.  Especially since I plan to get a 3DS for Christmas and was (until this rumor) damn excited about it!!

Smear Marketing Gold.
I would not be to surprised that this is a competition smear tactic.

Is that possible? Do things like that really happen?

CericAugust 24, 2011

Quote from: NinSage

Quote from: Ceric

Quote from: NinSage

...
So, I guess I hope none of this is true.  Especially since I plan to get a 3DS for Christmas and was (until this rumor) damn excited about it!!

Smear Marketing Gold.
I would not be to surprised that this is a competition smear tactic.

Is that possible? Do things like that really happen?

They do in Politics.  I don't see why not about games.  It be easy enough.  I'm sure Sony or MS know a developer that is close to Nintendo on the other side of the line.  Just one bit of right information to secure your credibility.  Educated guesses knowing the business coupled with informed exaggerations of problems.  Yeah I say that is totally doable.

Shoot, if I could do it with virtually no chance of getting caught I would.  Why fight a tank in the city when you can disable it 100 Miles away on the road?

ThePermAugust 25, 2011

maybe Nintendo got some serious money hats out and is going to have more games on 3ds.

The biggest selling point should be its a great little system. I hate it when people complain a system has a feature like 3d, when it has way more going for it than just that. Its a capable little beast, it just needs good games.

smoreyjinzaAugust 28, 2011

It's hard to disprove this rumor, but I think its just that. It would make sense for Nintendo to include an add on to the 3ds because it would split the market. I'm sure the Nintendo 3ds will experience a redesign but not this quick.

blackfootstepsAugust 29, 2011

Sony waited for PS Vita to add a second analogue stick. I can't see Nintendo adding a second slide pad mid-generation.

However, as someone who has played, or make that attempted to play, Monster Hunter on PSP it is nigh impossible without a second analogue stick. I think it was Ceric who mentioned earlier the PSP claw control technique, it's horrible and shouldn't be forced on anyone. I think Nintendo were short sighted by not including a second slide pad from the get go. Monster Hunter = Japanese sales, why not make the system as MH-friendly as possible?

CericAugust 30, 2011

Here's a weird idea I had from someone suggestion of maybe doing something with the back plate.  Here we go.

What about a slightly recessed slider on the back towards the center that you used your middle finger to manipulate.  For Camera controls and like I don't think it would take to much getting use to use.

I think that it would be interesting.  One of those ideas where on paper its WTF but in practice it actually works.

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