Nintendo just shat on 3DS owners with New 3DS

So, a new 3DS model will be coming out that has a C-pad to replace need for second add-on analog. Okay, fine, people have been wanting that. Hell, it even has Amiibo support. Cool. And it has 3D that's viewable from any angle... all right. big improvements. BUT, apparently it also comes with an enhanced CPU, and games are already in development that can't be played on the previous 3DS models. Let me repeat, games designed for the new 3DS will ONLY work with the New 3DS, an example.

http://gematsu.com/2014/08/xenoblade-chronicles-announced-new-3ds

They're making Xenoblade Chronicles for 3DS and it can only be played on the "New 3DS" because of the new enhanced CPU that will be in it, and not on any of the 3DS models that have been around since launch. Right now, that's one game, but don't be fooled, there will be more. Someone's comment I saw said that several games were announced already but I'm not sure what those are.

**** YOU NINTENDO!!

I mean why bother making a 3DS with so slight an upgrade to CPU, but an upgrade that allows for those games to only run on new hardware and not old hardware. Why not just make an entirely new handheld?

Pretty much.

Glad I waited.

This will infuriate a lot of their customers and leave a bad taste in their mouth's like Sega did with the Saturn or Sega CD.

I honestly can only see a handful of games being exclusive whereas many will have enhanced features for N3DS owners, like how Gamefreak managed Pokemon Black/White(2) for both DS and DSi.

Aside from massive post-Gamecube console ports, like Xenoblade, there really isn't a game that can run on the normal 3DS and desperately require that extra boost in CPU for it to be an exclusive to New. They have too much to lose if they completely abandon the current 3DS userbase, and I'm sure Nintendo is not that foolish and insane.

@lamprey263: I mean why bother making a 3DS with so slight an upgrade to CPU, but an upgrade that allows for those games to only run on new hardware and not old hardware. Why not just make an entirely new handheld?

If they did that, I'm sure people would STILL be upset because it's coming out so soon.

The only logical explanation I have for this is...Nintendo realized that bringing out a new handheld so soon would lead to disaster. So, in order to cater to the "core" crowd, as Miyamoto said, they came out with a *NEW*3DS redesign that can play more demanding games...Games like Xenoblade and maybe others games like a 3D Zelda or Mario. ("Core" games that the old 3DS couldn't play) Not being able to play the "new" games on the old consoles was just an price we all, unfortunately, have to pay.

Other than that, it's just a quick cash grab by Nintendo. (Perhaps both)

I agree with @ANIMEguy10034. Nintendo can't be that crazy...Right?

Yeah, they kinda did. I still want one though... I'll sell off my original 3DS model and just get the newer one as well.

Well you better hurry up before the word gets out because once it does, nobody will want the old one anymore.

Correct me if I'm wrong but, isn't this basically the same thing that happened with the DS and the DSi?

I have an XL. I refuse to buy another, and no games yet announced have me in any way interested. Now, if a new 2d Metroid were announced as an exclusive, I'd be pissed beyond belief.

With each move Nintendo pisses me off more. I don't know what they're smoking over there.

should've seen it coming. Hardware revisions are inevitable. Nintendo can't afford to just tread water, they've gotta keep things moving forward. I've had my 3ds a few years now, the range of games has really grown, there's more than enough titles to get your money's worth out of the hardware, but I'm ready to move on.

I feel kinda bad for anyone who just bought a 3DS yesterday, or in the past week or month without knowing. But you just hafta accept that the products you buy today won't be supported indefinitely, and will be replaced by better ones down the line.

^ This was excited when I read it, then saw it the tiny knob, then I heard about improved cpu & how Xenoblade is exclusive to it. Silly move. Bought 3DS at launch, was thinking of getting XL ..guess I'll just wait now ..for the NEW 2DS XL. :P

Thing is, I wonder....why do this now? Even releasing this new revision and upgrade, their next handheld cannot be more than a few years off, if that. It seems like more than a half-measure, but also more than a half-step. Doesn't make sense.

Disappointed.

I agree. Thanks for typing this and saving me time to articulate.

Nintendo isn't going to just drop support for the millions of people who own the old hardware. If anything, they're taking the Apple approach of incremental hardware revisions where the old hardware can still support the vast majority of new software. Eventually, you'll have to upgrade, but you'll be okay for a couple of years if you don't.

They're not going to sacrifice millions of software sales for a Mario or Zelda game by making it exclusive to the New 3DS. If they were going to do that, they would've announced the new hardware with one of those games, not with Xenoblade.

That's planned obsolescence for you.

But that's one reason i've been waiting, ill buy the new 2ds when it comes out.

So the Game Boy Color and DSi upset you too? You get upset at every annual flagship iOS and Android device?

Its a stopgap. New handheld in 2017 with this keeping 3DS afloat for a few years. Its really not out of the ordinary for them.

And if the price translates directly from yen, it'll be $150 for a regular New 3DS. That's the most reasonable price I could possibly expect out of something like this. Save up for a couple of months, sell what you have, and if you REALLY think you need this upgrade, you can easily get it.

I disagree, Nintendo has made a fool decision for themselves and really no one else. There is no way Nintendo will have the next Pokemon exclusive to this new system or Zelda or something. They would only serve to sabotage their only business with the very successful 3DS. I can see a few games thrown on it, namely ports from the Wii. But as far as big first party titles, I don't see it happening. So I would definitely wait to see a lot announced for it, before I even thought about making the jump. Because right now, I could see the ones being "shat on" being the early adopters of this.

@JordanElek: to be fair the 3ds and xl are already those prices in Japan but $169/$199 in US. I think these new models will be the same old prices. Yen hurts them after all and us the biggest source of losses

So basically, this is like how Nintendo from back in the day forced people to buy expansion packs for N64 in order to play certain game only instead of making an add-on for the 3DS, they are forcing 3DS owners to just buy another god damn system. Well....I'm glad I waited to buy another 3DS since my current has problems with the shoulder buttons. I'll just be getting that one instead...

I wonder if they plan on doing the same thing to Wii U. If so, I'll definitely wait to purchase one instead of getting one when Smash Bros. come out...

im buying 2 of these babies and replacing my 3dsxl hows that sound

Why can't the c-nub just be a regular circle pad? They did it with the Wii U, why can't it be on the 3DS? I'm just going to avoid it and stop hoping for another circle pad. This has become an unrealistic fantasy from Nintendo and that is probably all it will ever be.

@Tonindo: no, the problem between the the ds/dsi and 3ds/n3ds isd the athis is a cpu upgrade that is not separating the crowd. the dsi is just a camera and some other features.

All this whining from gamers sure is getting old.

Some other features... like DSiWare, which had hundreds of games exclusive to it. The New 3DS will have nowhere near the level of disparity that the DSi had.

no it won't. they will offer some trade in program and sell tens of millions of the new models.

Has this happened before with Nintendo? I can't remember if they did a trade in program before. I already see people infuriated about this news.

I see a couple of scenarios in terms of 'exclusive' content, or rather, how Nintendo will handle software between the older models and new 3DS.

1. 3DS software on both original and new - this is going to be like 95% of upcoming software. It's going to work on both versions of the 3DS. Standard 3DS games will probably have the benefit of looking better in 3D on the new 3DS than the original.
2. 3DS software that's enhanced on the new 3DS - It'll have some extra tweaks on the new hardware, possibly better performance and some extra features.
3. 3DS software that's made specifically for the new 3DS - See Xenoblade Chronicles 3DS.

I came up with these scenarios by looking at past Nintendo hardware and the Wario Land games. Wario Land II being on the GameBoy but also working on the GameBoy Colour. Wario Land II had two versions of the game, GameBoy and GameBoy Colour. Wario Land III was a GameBoy Colour only game because of the fact that it took advantage of that hardware.

A... new... 3ds...!?

But.. I just bought my first one about 5 days ago!!!!

@crimsonbrute: I know it sucks but Nintendo did reveal new models out of nowhere the past two years. You had a pretty good heads up to expect anything and everything. They announced the 3DS XL weeks after E3 saying they "weren't working on a new model, were working on successor" as Miyamoto said.

Then the 2DS came out of nowhere, announced like 40 days before release. So generally since 2009 with the DSi its better to expect some new handheld SKU from Nintendo every year. 2009: DSi 2010: DSi XL, followed by 3DS announcement 2011: 3DS, 2012: 3DS XL, 2013: 2DS, 2014: New 3DS.

@JordanElek is on point. This is a move Apple has standardized and has been using it for years. New hardware is a good thing, complain about things that are actually a problem with Nintendo. There's a giant list of problems to choose from.

Xenoblade Chronicles is a game that will be much better on Wii U anyways. Its on New 3Ds to highlight the better hardware, but realistically is a niche game that would not be on the 3DS without this new 3DS revision. The new hardware will take advantage of a better OS and better eShop primarily. I am sure we will see downloadable games and a few retail that are exclusive to the new hardware, but hopefully most games will optionally improve the performance of new games.

Isn't this similar to when they pulled the DSi?
If I remember correctly, there were DSi exclusive games.

yes.

but since the ds had sold 140million...no one said anything because there was no point.

but now with the 3ds...nintendo are starting to struggle and complaining is what we have been doing all gen. so why stop.