Two recent surveys conducted in Japan show that the vast majority of Japanese consumers are unaware of the Nintendo 3DS and that the participants who are aware of the device believe the pricing to be too expensive.
Nikkei Shimbun and online research firm Macromill conducted the first survey which shows that out of a sample of 1,000 people the majority of 55.9 percent said that they did not know about the existence of the Nintendo 3DS.
A similar number also said that they are not interested in the handheld console while 36.9% said they had a little information about it with a minority of 7.2 percent saying that they “knew all about it”.
Another survey, from Getnews.jp, has found that close to 80 percent of those questioned considered the announced price for the system “a little expensive”, “expensive” and “exceedingly expensive”.
Only 16.4% of the respondents have said that the 25,000 Yen price, which translates to about 300 dollars, is reasonable.
Nintendo are going to screw themselves with the price.
Isn’t that what commercials are for?
…Tbh if the price for the 3DS was between $200 and $225 I don’t think Nintendo would be getting many pricing complaints. :L
Pingback: Japanese gamers don’t know about THE 3DS?! | Zelda Eternity
How did that happen? And as for the price, although I think I have enough money to get it, I do hope it won’t be that expensive once it hits the shelves… even in Japan itself. How will Nintendo sell such an awesome device, if the final price ends up being discouraging?
They get it BEFORE we do and not that many people know!?!
The price is completely fair. It will probably be 300 £ when it gets to Europe =/
Wasn’t ¥25,000 the asking price for the Wii when it first came out? As awesome as the 3DS is, it shouldn’t cost that much. Still cheaper that the PSP Go though!
How can a serious gamer not know about the 3DS by now? That just blows my mind! I am a serious Nintendo fan and stay on top of new and upcoming releases via Twitter and other sites.
Concerning the price, I think $300 is reasonable for a STARTING PRICE. The starting price of any new console is always fairly high for marketing reasons. They want people to believe that it is the next big thing, then everyone will want one! The 3DS has some impressive new features never before seen in a game console, much less a handheld! I’m sure the price will come down within 6 months of release.
I Think That $300 Is A Damn Good Deal For The Nintendo 3DS
I Mean Think About It, A FULLY 3D HANDHELD Gaming Console WithOUT The Need For 3D Glasses Is A Damn Amazing Thing, I Like The 3DS, I’ve Been Waiting For It Since It Was First Announced, And Once Pre-Orders Begin, I’m Pre-ordering It. And Once Games Are Announced, I’m Pre-ordering The Zelda Game, Mario Kart Game, Paper Mario Game Among A Few Others.
3DS = EPIC WIN!
I think Nintendo just put their foot in their mouth.
I think a lot of people are making some quick assumptions they shouldn’t. First off, the Wii launched at ¥25,000, and the pricing was severely different in other locations (249.99USD, 279.99CAD, £179). MEANING, ¥25,000 /= $300. Furthermore, the currency values are quite different now than they were four years ago, and Nintendo still hasn’t decided on pricing for the 3 other regions. They just might make it cheaper.
Then they need a E3 Goes To Japan.
@Shad: It’s called Tokyo Game Show.
My thoughts on the matter? Nintendo assumed their userbase wrong again. The majority of Wii owners are light/non-gamers and don’t really care all that much about Nintendo’s products.
The price is also ridiculous for a handheld and it’s not inflation.
I’m not sure what you mean that Nintendo assumed their user base wrong again. I don’t think they got it wrong in either case. With the Wii, I think they redefined their user base. As far as I’m concerned, the 3DS caters to a different one. People who want “better” and more hardcore titles will be the ones who are interested in the 3DS. Having casual gamers who play the Wii may mean that the lifespan of the DS will be extended a bit depending how long companies support it with new titles because those gamers would rather have something that’s both affordable and fun. I think it’s a win-win for Nintendo.
The price does seem ridiculous, but I’m not sure it’s completely unreasonable. Having said that, I do hope it gets cheaper by the time it launches because I don’t see how that will fit into my budget anytime soon, which is how a lot of people must feel.
Maybe they’ll want to reconsider the price tag, now. People may have been excited for the 3DS at E3, but that doesn’t mean everyone is willing to pay 300$ for it.