Nintendo Chatter

[Thoth]

Netflix is out on 3DS.

 

[Thoth]

Fuck Everything Goddammit Fuck.

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Nintendo of America today announced plans to drop the suggested retail price of its portable Nintendo 3DS™system to $169.99 in the United States, as new games based on some of the world’s most beloved video game franchises head to the system. The new price, down from the suggested launch price of $249.99 and effective Aug. 12, makes an outstanding value even better and sets up a strong holiday season for the system.

“For anyone who was on the fence about buying a Nintendo 3DS, this is a huge motivation to buy now,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “We are giving shoppers every incentive to pick up a Nintendo 3DS, from an amazing new price to a rapid-fire succession of great games.”

Nintendo 3DS has the strongest software lineup of any video game system this holiday season and the new price now opens up the glasses-free 3D experience to many more consumers. Building on the popularity of The Legend of Zelda™: Ocarina of Time™ 3D, which launched June 19, the upcoming game calendar is a Who’s Who of iconic video game franchises. Star Fox 64™ 3D arrives on Sept. 9, followed by Super Mario™ 3D Land in November, Mario Kart™ 7 in December and Kid Icarus™: Uprising during the holiday season. In addition to great games, Nintendo 3DS has a host of attractive features* that make it the must-have video game system this season:

The new Nintendo Video™ service automatically delivers short 3D videos from the worlds of music, comedy, animation and Hollywood.A free application allows Netflix members with unlimited streaming plans to instantly watch TV episodes and movies streaming from Netflix.

The Nintendo eShop is a digital store for Nintendo 3DS owners that provides access to a wide variety of downloadable content, such as original 3D software, classic games that have been re-mastered in 3D called 3D Classics, Game Boy™ and Game Boy Color “Virtual Console” games in their original 2D glory, and more than 350 Nintendo DSiWare™ games. Visitors can also view video game trailers, screen shots and product information for games, including those available at retail locations.

Since Nintendo 3DS launched in the United States on March 27, more than 830,000 people in the U.S. alone have purchased one to enjoy 3D visuals without the need for special glasses. These Nintendo 3DS owners represent some of Nintendo’s most loyal customers, and Nintendo is rewarding them for getting in on the action early with 20 free downloadable games from the Nintendo eShop.

These free games are available to anyone who owns a Nintendo 3DS system and uses a wireless broadband Internet signal to connect to the Nintendo eShop at least once before 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Aug. 11. These users will automatically be registered in the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador program. The program contains two elements:

Starting Sept. 1, Nintendo 3DS Ambassadors will be able to download 10 NES™ Virtual Console™ games at no charge and before they are available in the Nintendo eShop to the general public. These games, including Super Mario Bros.™, Donkey Kong Jr.™, Balloon Fight™, Ice Climber™ and The Legend of Zelda™, are slated to become paid downloadable games, but Ambassadors get them early for free. Once the paid versions of the games are posted to the Nintendo eShop later in the year, the updated versions will be available to Ambassadors for download at no cost. By the end of 2011, Nintendo will provide Ambassadors with 10 Game Boy Advance Virtual Console games. These include games like Yoshi’s Island™: Super Mario™ Advance 3, Mario Kart™: Super Circuit, Metroid™ Fusion, WarioWare™, Inc.: Mega Microgame$ and Mario vs. Donkey Kong™. These games will be available exclusively to Ambassadors, and Nintendo currently has no plans to make these 10 games available to the general public on the Nintendo 3DS in the future.

Tl Dr: 3DS is dropping by $80, early adopters get 20 free VC games, but still $80!!!!!!!!! NINTENDO I THOUGHT YOU DIDN'T DROP PRICES

 

[DrVenkman PhD]

I'll take the 20 games.

 

[Thoth]

I'll take the 20 games.

Yeah, I'm starting to realize it is 20 goddamn games, and the 10 they've announced so far are damn nice. I'm glad to see the GBA Virtual Console is a real thing, and the NES VC is a surprise I should have seen coming.

I just don't like the speed of this price drop.

 

[Smues]

I saw the price increase but not the 20 game thing earlier. I raged, but eventually just said fuck it at least I've enjoyed the system since I bought it. And I really have played the shit out of it so I guess the extra money was worth my time. It's annoying that Nintendo doesn't drop prices like that (they just release an updated machine!), but playing the waiting game for a price drop on anything is always a risk.

I figured they might do something for us that paid $250, but I expected it to be 'choose one of these two games you either already own or no one in the world would actually like to play.' What we got is actually damn awesome and I'd have likely spent close to the $80 buying those games when they came out anyway.

Though I do find it funny that so far all the NES games listed are in the original Animal Crossing. IS TENNIS NEXT?

 

[fazzle]

$80 price drop is nice, but call me when they get a better battery life in that bitch.

and games.

 

[Star Ocean 2]

My general rule is never to buy a Nintendo system until a Mario Kart is released for it. I don't see the appeal of VC games since they can all be acquired easily.

 

[AnonymousBroccoli]

Mario Kart 3DS was shown off at E3. Along with the price drop announcement is a new title--Mario Kart 7

--and a release set for December.

 

[BUTT]

I don't think there's been a minute where I've been glad that I bought this thing at launch, but the 20 free VC games deal is cool. An $80 price drop, though? I expected $199, but not $169. What a fucking bomb. I expect the same for Wii U as well.

 

[Smues]

Re:battery life. Get the nyko battery. It's got double the life, and while it makes the 3rd thicker, I've found that I actually like that as it makes it easier to grip.

 

[fazzle]

So that's, what, 3 hours? 4?

 

[Smues]

I always put it on the charger when I'm not using it so I don't think I've ever drained it in one sitting, but I think you're supposed to get 4+ hours out of it with 3d, more if you're playing with the 3d off. I've played for several hours at a time though and never had it die on me yet.

 

[Smues]

By the end of 2011, Nintendo will provide Ambassadors with 10 Game Boy Advance Virtual Console games. These include games like Yoshi’s Island™: Super Mario™ Advance 3, Mario Kart™: Super Circuit, Metroid™ Fusion, WarioWare™, Inc.: Mega Microgame$ and Mario vs. Donkey Kong™. These games will be available exclusively to Ambassadors, and Nintendo currently has no plans to make these 10 games available to the general public on the Nintendo 3DS in the future.

I didn't notice that bolded part when I first read this. While I highly doubt they'll never make those GBA games available for purchase, it's cool that in theory not only do early buyers get free games, but 'exclusive' ones not available at all to those who get the system on the cheap.

 

[ChrisMWaters]

I have a reason to wait then.

I still have the GBA versions of them, and both a GBA and the Game Cube with the Game Boy Player.

 

[ChrisMWaters]

Mario Kart 3DS was shown off at E3. Along with the price drop announcement is a new title--Mario Kart 7

--and a release set for December.

-Super Mario Kart
-Mario Kart 64
-Mario Kart Super Circuit
-Mario Kart Double Dash
-Mario Kart DS
-Mario Kart Wii

They don't count the arcade ones, so yes...Mario Kart 7 works.

 

[treble]

Went to turn on my Wii for the first time in a few months and it tells me my system files are corrupted. Is there anyway to fix this that doesn't mean sending it back to Nintendo?

 

[treble]

Since its out of warranty, Nintendo's website is telling me it'll cost me $85 plus shipping and taxes to get it fixed. I'd almost rather buy a new one for a little bit more money, but don't want to lose all my VC games (and game saves, to a lesser extent).

 

[DrVenkman PhD]

It's funny (well, I guess not for you) that a friend and I were just asking how the "one system only" VC games would work if you had to replace your system. He figured you could just call them and they'd somehow figure it out.

 

[treble]

I'm going to call them tomorrow and whine a bit and hope they feel bad for me.

 

[DrVenkman PhD]

They sent me a free SNES controller back in 1993 when I called to say my friend got a static shock cleaning dust off a TV while holding the controller, apparently causing it to not work anymore. I think they thought I was calling to sue them...

 

[treble]

$100 so that I can get my piece of shit Wii that I have to keep unplugged because it overheats fixed just so I don't lose all the VC games I bought.

I probably wouldn't even bother if Skyward Sword weren't coming out.

 

[Master Thrasher]

Can't you transfer the downloaded games off the Wii onto a SD card?

 

[Just Burny]

Buy a 1st gen wii for piss & hack it. I think you can at least transfer save files

 

[treble]

I care more about my VC games than I do game saves and I can't even get into the Wii menu in order to copy the save files to an SD card.

 

[Just Burny]

Well it was more you could then download & install the vc games with a cracked console.
Check craigslist to see if there's someone local who does wii repairs for cheap?

 

[Smues]

Walmart went ahead and dropped the 3ds price early, so if you get one right now you would in theory be able to get the 20 games. Way to fuck the early adopters Walmart!!!

...I just went and got one for my wife for a Christmas present. Gonna log it onto the e-shop right now and hope that makes it eligible for the 20 games.

 

[DrVenkman PhD]

A friend pointed out to me that by some Best Buy policy I've never heard of, you could have bought one 2 weeks ago and then called "price match" when they dropped the price. I told him that was insane and clearly something that would be an exception (since it was announced in advance), but he just said, "I don't know, the internet loves screwing them over on their policy".

 

[AnonymousBroccoli]

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/help/article/hc1001.aspx

Either prior to purchase or within 30 days of purchase (14 days for computers, monitors, printers, notebook computers, camcorders, digital cameras, radar detectors, cellular and wireless devices, portable DVD players, and air conditioners) should you find a lower advertised price, including those on the Internet from an authorized Canadian dealer, we will match that price and beat it by giving you an additional 10% of the difference.

Simply present us with your original Best Buy or BestBuy.ca sales receipt, along with proof that the item you bought is being advertised at a lower price. Once our staff verifies that the item is in stock and available for immediate sale and delivery at the advertised price, you will receive your refund.

Future Shop has something similar. Though they are essentially the same company. I think it's generally called a price match if you go in when you purchase it and show a lower price. If you go back after purchasing with a lower price and your receipt, I think it's usually called "price protection".

And here's Future Shop's policy. It references changes to its own prices, and omits the part about 10% of the difference, saying they'll just refund the straight-up difference.
http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/help/our-lowest-price-guarantee/hc80.aspx

 

[AnonymousBroccoli]

What's really strange is Future Shop doing pre-orders for 3DS consoles at the $170 price point. I'm really not sure why Nintendo didn't just drop the price right then and there when they announced it. I imagine major retailers would have been aware of it beforehand anyhow.

 

[DrVenkman PhD]

I think around the time my friend pointed that loophole out, I saw a Best Buy flyer with the $170 price, just like you said for Future Shop. This led me to believe they just stopped selling them to avoid the problem.