Developers weigh in on the 3DS’ first year
The 3DS had a wild first year. Hype for the system was sky high before launch, but quickly subsided following a dearth of quality launch software. Sales fell, it took a few months to get the eShop off the ground, and it wasn’t until June – with Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D – that a must-have title arrived.
And then Nintendo announced a price drop. It was at this point that things started to turn around. Once the price drop was actually in effect, more consumers became interested in the 3DS. It didn’t help that the likes of Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 made it out for the holidays.
So that’s where we stand now. How do the 3DS’ developers feel about the handheld’s first year? What about the future?
You can find comments from 5th Cell, Renegade Kid, and more after the break.
5th Cell’s creative director Jeremiah Slaczka on the lack of initial success for the 3DS…
“There are a lot of factors that go into the success of a system, but the biggest factor is software. I am a firm believer that great, compelling games sell systems — and that’s something that the 3DS lacked at launch.”
Jens Andersson on the system’s few months on the market…
“The first few months after launch weren’t very encouraging. The 3DS hadn’t done as well as we had hoped for, and it felt like it took forever to get the crucial feature that we needed: the eShop.”
Andersson looking back on the 3DS’ overall first year..
“12 months later, it feels like things have fallen into place. Just like on the original DS, it seems to be building up momentum after a slow start. The 3DS did better than expected over the holidays, and I’m hearing good things from other developers that have shipped titles.”
Slaczka on Nintendo titles and the company’s sales expectations…
“Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 are the types of games that get systems off the shelves and into consumers’ hands. Not only is the 3DS outperforming Nintendo’s own projections, but it’s sold 5 million units faster than any of their other systems have before.”
Renegade Kid’s Jools Watsham on the eShop…
“The eShop has also been an exciting thing to witness and be a part of. Pushmo really kicked things off with a superb title, and with other games like Mighty Switch Force, VVVVVV, and our very own Mutant Mudds following suit, the eShop has proven itself to be a worthy place to go for quality games at an affordable price.”
Mel Kirk, marketing VP at Zen Studios on the eShop…
“At this point, we really view the eShop as a little gold mine. It seems that a lot of studios have ignored the opportunity and this has provided a very open window for quality content.”
Andersson on the eShop…
“To me, the eShop is the single most interesting thing… for the 3DS. Not necessarily because we’ll see the best games there, but this is where we will see what the platform is made of.
“[It] will show us how Nintendo is different from Apple. The iPhone’s eco-system promotes games that can be played in chunks of 5 minutes or less, abandoned without frustration when the phone rings. And that is great, but that also drowns out games that invite deeper engagement. This will not be the case on the 3DS.”
n-Space’s creative director Ted Newman on the 3DS hitting its stride…
“Lately the 3DS is really hitting its stride which is exciting to see. It seems like every month there’s some new must-have game on the shelf with smaller eShop titles filling in the spaces along the way.
“We hope to see this trend continue, with a regular schedule of larger boxed titles that show off the unique capabilities of the system supplemented by an increasing library of smaller downloadable games. If the 3DS can keep up this pace and expand the horizon even further with features like downloadable content and software updates, then the future seems very bright.”
Andersson on how Nintendo still has work to do to establish the 3DS as a console leader…
“It will take stubborn developers and a Nintendo that puts its innovation talents toward all forms of connected experiences to truly push the 3DS to center stage, but I think it can happen.”
Watsham on the 3DS’ future…
“It may not be possible to trump Holiday 2011, but I see a very bright future for the 3DS. I think the biggest challenge is going to be convincing more publishers to support the handheld. Nevertheless, Renegade Kid will continue to support the 3DS because we believe in it.”
