Nintendo announces the 2DS

[Icemage]

Yes, that's a 2DS.

Presented here without further comment because I'm at a loss for words.



http://kotaku.com/introducing-the-ni...ypo-1214807721

The system is compatible with all 3DS and DS games. Its two screens are the same size as those of the original 3DS, smaller than those on the Nintendo 3DS XL. The 2DS' upper screen will not render graphics in 3D, though the system's two outward-facing cameras will still take photos and video in 3D, saving those files on a memory card so that they can be transferred to hardware that does display stereoscopic 3D imagery.P

The system launches on October 12 in North America, the same day as the release of the first major next-gen handheld Pokemon games, Pokemon X and Y. Those games will only work on post-DS systems, a line that now includes 3DS, 3DS XL and 2DS.P

The 2DS will sell for $129.99 and will be available in red or blue. That price makes it $40 cheaper than the Nintendo 3DS and $70 cheaper than the Nintendo 3DS XL (and recently price-dropped PlayStation Vita).

"We expect consumers to use it just the way they use a current 3DS," Fils-Aime said. "And, really, from a target standpoint, this is designed for that entry-level gamer. For a family of four with two kids, when you're looking at spending either $169.99 or $199.99 for two this holiday, now you've got a more affordable choice with Nintendo 2DS."

Icemage

[Firewind]

Re: Nintendo announces the 2DS

People play the 3DS with the 3D on?

[Yellow Mage]

Re: Nintendo announces the 2DS

So basically the 3DS lite.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Nintendo announces the 2DS

Not getting it. It looks hideous, leaves the screens open to damage and kids are going to break these more than the DS and 3DS with clamshell design. Those were practically indestructible to anyone over the age of eight, but you'd be surprised how many people still come into a store with a DS or 3DS with broken hinges. Its because they don't teach their kids to take care of their things.

I prefer using the 3D to get rid of all the really bad aliasing that's present in the 2D. The only nice thing I can say about this is it still plays DS games and all the other 3DS features are intact. I'm sure it will sell like hotcakes to the dumb people that complained about 3D being there, even though you never had to use it.

Seriously, though, if this is where the 3DS revisions are going, I'll just get a Midnight Purple 3DS sooner rather than later. The 3DS XL is nice, but it feels cheap, the speakers are terrible and I don't think it gives the 3D as much depth.

[Malacite]

Re: Nintendo announces the 2DS

Looks weird, but if I can play 3DS games just fine then why not?

I don't particularly care about 3D.

- - - Updated - - -

Looks weird, but if I can play 3DS games just fine then why not?

I don't particularly care about 3D.

[Firewind]

Re: Nintendo announces the 2DS

I personally found the 3D completely against the point of a portable gaming device given you have to hold it in a very specific way to use it.

Oh well I was thinking about getting a 3DSXL when they go cheap anyway because the regular 3DS feels too small for me. It gets uncomfortable for my hands if I play for a few hours without regular breaks to rest them.

Dropping the 3D will reduce manufacturing costs though and it will give devs one less obstacle to worry about which are good things at the end of the day.

[cidbahamut]

Re: Nintendo announces the 2DS

Man, I miss Gameboys...

[Yellow Mage]

Re: Nintendo announces the 2DS

Man, I miss Gameboys...

Casual note that this looks more like a Gameboy than any handheld device Nintendo has produced for the past eight years now.

[Armando]

Re: Nintendo announces the 2DS

Dropping the 3D will reduce manufacturing costs though and it will give devs one less obstacle to worry about which are good things at the end of the day.

I don't think the devs will be dropping 3D any time soon, or they'd screw over the people that paid more for a 3DS. Besides, I imagine the 3D effect is automatic.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Nintendo announces the 2DS

I'm amused that Icemage needed to be at a loss for words.

I don't like it, but don't really feel obligated to be offended or confused by it either. I see where they're going with this and like 3DS XL, its another option for people that need one. Plus I knew not two weeks would pass on the Vita pricedrop before Nintendo laughed and continued thier huge lead, as that is what usually happens.

I'm already seeing people that want it, And this thing is landing right alongside Pokemon X/Y at $129.99, so in that respect, well played.

I won't get one, but well played.

[cidbahamut]

Re: Nintendo announces the 2DS

I find it to be quite telling that they're willing to sell a version of the system that drops the eponymous feature entirely. (I think that's the word I'm looking for)

What happens to games that attempt to incorporate 3D as a core part of the gameplay? They might play on this new thing but they certainly won't be properly supported as the announcement claims. The only positive thing I can take away from all of this is Nintendo admitting that there is a market for their systems stripped of their bullshit gimmicks. I take heart in that.

[Icemage]

Re: Nintendo announces the 2DS

I'm amused that Icemage needed to be at a loss for words.

Allow me to explain, now that I've had some time to digest.

First, I know where Nintendo is going with this. They want a low priced handheld and they cut features ruthlessly to get one, even at the expense of early adopters. Good idea from a marketing standpoint, and I'm sure the price tag is a good draw (to say the least), particularly with Pokemon on the way.

From a long term perspective though, I don't know what the Nintendo is doing. Their recent console naming conventions defy any sort of sense. Between the Wii U, 3DS and now the 2DS, how the average consumer is supposed to know which ones are compatible with which games, I have no idea.

The form factor is terrible. That thing is even less portable than a PS Vita (which isn't very portable either). It's too wide and long to fit in any pocket unless you're wearing cargo pants or some other form of fashion disaster, and leaving those soft plastic screens with no clamshell protection is just asking for trouble.

Does it make sense from a financial standpoint? Sure, in the short term, speaking strictly from a financial standpoint. With the DS effectively off the market now, there's a void to be filled at the lower end, and this does fill the niche.

Long term? I don't really think Nintendo is doing themselves many favors here. Cutting away 3D and Circle Pad Pro takes options away from developers, and splitting the user base between the haves and the have-nots is almost never a good idea. You'd have thought they'd have learned from the Wii Mini, but apparently not.

I would understand this if Nintendo felt particularly threatened by the PS Vita, but they really shouldn't be (and actually with the current position Sony is taking with the PSV, it's not really going for the same market anyway). If their worry is more along the lines of the iPad mini and other tablets, they're going about this in entirely the wrong way.

While Nintendo was spending time developing this thing they apparently didn't think creating a unified account system was a higher priority.

Nintendo: "We don't want to walk away" from 3D gaming | GamesIndustry International

Q: As someone who's made a pretty significant investment in digital purchases for 3DS, I feel there may be some games that work better on 2DS than on 3DS -- Virtual Console, for instance. But the 3DS games that have 3D functionality, I'd rather keep them on the 3DS. It's not really possible to do that...

Scott Moffitt: It's not tied to an account. Yeah. We haven't solved that yet.

Q: Are you working on solving it? It sounds like, to date, Nintendo has been pretty content to keep things as they are.

Scott Moffitt: If you look at the account system, the network ID system that exists now on Wii U, that's an effort for us to move beyond a device-centric approach to an account-centric approach. But we haven't done it on the handheld side of the business at this point. We hear that feedback. We hear that criticism, or whatever you want to call it, from time to time. We're not blind to it. But it's not something we've solved.

Q: I feel like this device forces the issue.

Scott Moffitt: Yeah. I would just challenge… If you have a 3DS and you enjoy playing it there on a bigger screen… I wouldn't think we would expect you to be part of the buyer base.

So they can take time to make new hardware that will make them money this winter, but not take time to create an actual account system that will pay dividends for years in terms of increased consumer trust? OK.

EDIT: I should note for the record that on a personal level I steadfastly refused to buy anything digital on my Wii after I discovered the content was locked to the hardware, and my ongoing refusal to buy a 3DS revolves primarily around this as well. The 3DS has good games I'd like to play, but a lot of them are digital and I refuse to support Nintendo's distorted vision of digital ownership. Same holds true for the Wii U, incidentally. I'd like to buy one eventually, but not until they get some sort of functional account system so I don't have to play games of Mother May I if I decide to buy new hardware.


Icemage

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Nintendo announces the 2DS

Long term? I don't really think Nintendo is doing themselves many favors here. Cutting away 3D and Circle Pad Pro takes options away from developers,

1. 3D games will still be supported, although its never been a requirement to utilize 3D - Devil Survivor Overclocked, Bomb Monkey and Aeroporter are three games I can think of off the top of my head that were made for 3DS and never use 3D at all. Okay DeSu Overclocked had a 3D intro, thankfully Atlus has utilized the feature really well since then - EOIV and SMT IV actually are some of best 3DS games visually speaking. No tools have been taken from developers here.

2. Accessoires that are released as an afterthought never pan out. Think about the forum we're all on here for a second. What platform was FFXI originally for and how well did the PS2 HDD pan out long term? The Circle Pad Pro has supported MGS Snake Eater 3D, RE; Revelations, Kid Icarus Uprising (kind of), Kingdom Hearts 3D and Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate.

So five game? Up next - probably only Monster Hunter 4.

I think the consumer and the developer have spoken in terms of how necessary this is. (Hint: its not and it never was.)

3. Your "principal" seems to be based on the idea that its a bigger hassle to talk with a customer service rep once to fix something that might happen but probably won't and instead enjoy constantly asking Sony permission to do everything on your Vita.

I mean, I could just point to the numerous games that still aren't downloadable directly to Vita and require a PS3 to even access. Or I could point to the absurdly-priced proprietary memory cards. Or the cumbersome Content Manager which transfers games more slowly than Sony's lumbering behemoth of a network lets you download them (well, 66% of the time anyway, the other 33% your Vita locks up and you have to reboot it to try again. You'd think it'd kill someone to patch that issue).

So it seems it behooves you to ask Nintendo for help once, but don't mind asking Sony permission constantly.

I'm sure the unified account system will come to Nintendo fairly soon. I don't expect Sony to not get in the way of their own products anytime soon, they seem to have a talent for it.

[Icemage]

Re: Nintendo announces the 2DS

1. 3D games will still be supported, although its never been a requirement to utilize 3D

Sure, but see my comment below regarding accessories.

2. Accessoires that are released as an afterthought never pan out. Think about the forum we're all on here for a second. What platform was FFXI originally for and how well did the PS2 HDD pan out long term? The Circle Pad Pro has supported MGS Snake Eater 3D, RE; Revelations, Kid Icarus Uprising (kind of), Kingdom Hearts 3D and Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate.

So five game? Up next - probably only Monster Hunter 4.

This is apologism at its finest. Without a second analog, the 3DS misses out on number of potential gameplay options, and this revision effectively guarantees that virtually all developers will ignore the Circle Pad Pro. While the CPP isn't the most optimal thing, it was the only way to get a second analog on the 3DS, and now that option is basically locked out for a large number of players.

I think the consumer and the developer have spoken in terms of how necessary this is. (Hint: its not and it never was.)

The developer never got a choice in the matter because it was released as an accessory - a particularly ugly and clunky accessory, at that. Releasing a non-3D version now turns 3D effectively into another accessory, so it's even less relevant.

I agree consumers haven't particularly cared - hence why I point out that from a short-term marketing standpoint, it makes perfect sense. I just think Nintendo's being rather myopic about the situation. This is a good move for them in terms of sales, but it does cause more consumer confusion ("I need a game for a 2DS, and I don't see any on the shelf. Wait, why do these 3DS games work for it?"- and it'll be amusing to see what they end up calling their next handheld device, whenever that arrives.

3. Your "principal" seems to be based on the idea that its a bigger hassle to talk with a customer service rep once to fix something that might happen but probably won't and instead enjoy constantly asking Sony permission to do everything on your Vita.

My old school principal has nothing to do with this. My principle is more along the lines of "I won't support Nintendo's crappy attitude towards online purchases until they come into at least the current decade and understand that digital goods are not the same as physical goods."

I mean, I could just point to the numerous games that still aren't downloadable directly to Vita and require a PS3 to even access. Or I could point to the absurdly-priced proprietary memory cards. Or the cumbersome Content Manager which transfers games more slowly than Sony's lumbering behemoth of a network lets you download them (well, 66% of the time anyway, the other 33% your Vita locks up and you have to reboot it to try again. You'd think it'd kill someone to patch that issue).

So it seems it behooves you to ask Nintendo for help once, but don't mind asking Sony permission constantly.

I'm sure the unified account system will come to Nintendo fairly soon. I don't expect Sony to not get in the way of their own products anytime soon, they seem to have a talent for it.

"Numerous"? Just how many PS1 classics are even available overall, and how many can't be accessed by a PSV now? I can't remember the last time I used my PS3 OR my PC with my Vita, to be quite honest. Probably sometime in the middle of last year when I had to transfer one of the un-documented PS1 titles to it.

As I said, though, it's a personal choice on my part. I think Nintendo's stance towards online integration sucks lemons, and I refuse to buy more of their hardware until they sort themselves out and get to the same place Apple, Valve, Sony, Microsoft, EA, and everyone else has gotten to. Creating an account system is not rocket science, no matter how hard Nintendo may protest. Every digital storefront on the web can do it. The only real reason I can see that they haven't done so is because they are terrified of being responsible for that data, instead of shoving that responsibility on the customer, convenience be damned.

EDIT: If I haven't made it abundantly clear (to even penetrate your fanboy glasses BBQ), this last bit is specific only to me. I don't claim to speak for others on this. There are plenty of people who don't care, and plenty more who aren't aware of what they sign up for when they make those purchases.


Icemage