Originally announced in March 2010, the Nintendo 3DS was officially unveiled at E3 2010 and boasted backward compatibility with its predecessor, the Nintendo DS. Over the years since it first debuted in 2011, Nintendo has released updated versions of the 3DS Family, tweaking its varying models to allow for better battery life, better 3D utilization, and even lowering the barrier of entry with a more affordable 2DS model. Nintendo has shipped more than 75 million 3DS consoles worldwide, which, although an impressive number, comes in at fewer than half of the worldwide sales of the Nintendo DS.
After nearly a decade of providing portable 3D fun for gamers worldwide, Nintendo has discontinued production on its Nintendo 3DS lineup. Japanese Nintendo fans first noticed that the lineup had been discontinued via the gaming company’s official website, sharing their observations on Twitter. Although pages for the New 3DS LL, New 2DS LL, and 2DS were still live, the product was highlighted as being “out of production.” Additionally, an announcement message on the site noted how the entire series had ended production.
At the time of writing, Nintendo’s US site no longer showcases any hardware information for the portable device, with the main page only offering a Nintendo 3DS Support option tucked away at the bottom of the page. Searching for the Nintendo 3DS, in turn, only brings up video game information and options to purchase different titles, including a few that may take gamers a while to complete. However, Nintendo’s European site still has a page dedicated to the Nintendo 3DS family, with the site specifying that “manufacturing of the Nintendo 3DS family of systems has ended,” verifying what Japanese fans first noticed. It’s worth noting that the European site still has separate pages with device information for the New Nintendo 3DS XL, New Nintendo 2DS XL, and the Nintendo 2DS alongside the options to buy Nintendo 3DS games for its systems.
Overall, the Nintendo 3DS hardware was well received at launch, with each future iteration providing a better experience that was generally positively reviewed by critics and gamers. Prior to its launch in 2011, Amazon UK revealed how the Nintendo 3DS was its most pre-ordered video game system ever at the time. Nintendo of America also shared that the number of pre-orders on the device doubled the number of pre-orders for its mega-popular Wii console.
Despite positive reviews and pre-order numbers, sales soon didn’t meet Nintendo’s expectations, leading it to cut the price only a few months after release. As an apology to those gamers who spent more to support the console upon release, Nintendo made 20 NES and Game Boy Advance games available for free. With the Nintendo 3DS family of consoles now discontinued, the gaming company’s focus will most likely shift entirely to its popular Nintendo Switch console/portable hybrid, which has recently broken a record by selling more consoles in August than any console in US history, including its own Nintendo Wii.
Source: The Verge
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