Is the 3DS the next Nintendo Virtual Boy?

As many of you know, Nintendo release a pseudo-handheld system in the mid 90s called the Virtual Boy which tanked miserably doe to poor design, lack of third party support, and gimmicky 3D graphics. I can't help but draw parallels between the failed virtual boy and Nintendo's 3DS. They seem to be suffering from very similar problems (maybe not as much with the poor design issue) and the sales show this. So what are your thoughts on this? Do you feel like the 3DS is doomed to fail as the Virtual Boy did, or will the 3DS bounce back and get more support and increased sales?

If the ps3 can bounce back,I'm sure this can too.

Worst possible comparison, ever.

We already had a thread like this.

And no.

No. You're jumping to conclusions. If you can remember back, the DS had a noticeably worse launch than the 3DS and look where it went.

As many of you know, Nintendo release a pseudo-handheld system in the mid 90s called the Virtual Boy which tanked miserably doe to poor design, lack of third party support, and gimmicky 3D graphics. I can't help but draw parallels between the failed virtual boy and Nintendo's 3DS. They seem to be suffering from very similar problems (maybe not as much with the poor design issue) and the sales show this. So what are your thoughts on this? Do you feel like the 3DS is doomed to fail as the Virtual Boy did, or will the 3DS bounce back and get more support and increased sales?

Shenmue_Jehuty

No it's not.......

I have played on the Virtual Boy...man it was a pain on my eyes, neck and brain. I remember playing Mario Clash on there.

BTW, 3DS has better games than that system and should pick up.

As many of you know, Nintendo release a pseudo-handheld system in the mid 90s called the Virtual Boy which tanked miserably doe to poor design, lack of third party support, and gimmicky 3D graphics. I can't help but draw parallels between the failed virtual boy and Nintendo's 3DS. They seem to be suffering from very similar problems (maybe not as much with the poor design issue) and the sales show this. So what are your thoughts on this? Do you feel like the 3DS is doomed to fail as the Virtual Boy did, or will the 3DS bounce back and get more support and increased sales?

Shenmue_Jehuty

Really? maybe you don't remember the VB that well.

Did the VB got 4 millions of sales at the beginning of its life spam?

Did the VB saw such a huge sales boost after a price drop?

Did the VB got strong third party support with popular franchises?

Did the VB got any strong 1st party support aside from Super Wario Land?

Considering the 3DS sold more units by launch day than VB did in it's entire lifespan, your comparison(and by extension you yourself) is fail.El_Zo1212o

Do you really think the videogame market is the same size now as it was back then?

The 3DS is flopping as much as the PSP did (not at all).

Is the Vita the next Atari Lynx?

Are you kidding? The 3DS's library is already bigger than the VB's. It's sold a few MILLION copies and is brilliantly designed. The price drop in particular will make it sell like hot cakes. Honestly, what's with these negative 3DS threads, it's actually got a similar launch as the original DS. That one had a horrible start-up library.

[QUOTE="El_Zo1212o"]Considering the 3DS sold more units by launch day than VB did in it's entire lifespan, your comparison(and by extension you yourself) is fail.topgunmv

Do you really think the videogame market is the same size now as it was back then?

Do you have proof that it's bigger?

Who honestly thinks this? The Virtual Boy was just an absolute failure. It'll be very hard for the 3DS to fail like the Virtual boy did.

You're not that smart if you honestly think that.

Fanboy hivemind.

It's like i knew what was coming before ever clicking on this thread.

I don't like the 3DS but it's nowhere near Virtual Boy's level of fail.

This thread is.....

[QUOTE="topgunmv"]

[QUOTE="El_Zo1212o"]Considering the 3DS sold more units by launch day than VB did in it's entire lifespan, your comparison(and by extension you yourself) is fail.calvinsora

Do you really think the videogame market is the same size now as it was back then?

Do you have proof that it's bigger?

Sales figures don't get broken year after year by a market that isn't growing.

It is possible, for sure. If it doesn't do well over the holidays, I think I'll lean towards 'yes'. People act like it is impossible for a system to flop from a major company. It isn't impossible and nobody can argue there's been an abundance of negative press surrounding the device--from lack of games to the 3D effect. I own one, I like it, but it certainly has the ability to flop.

*sigh*

I'm gonna share this with you all. Mostly for all the Nintendo gloom and doom that's been going around lately

charizard1605

No:|

You know you're in good shape as a company when people call your product a flop because it didn't seel at least 10 million on day one. :lol:

[QUOTE="calvinsora"]

[QUOTE="topgunmv"]

Do you really think the videogame market is the same size now as it was back then?

topgunmv

Do you have proof that it's bigger?

Sales figures don't get broken year after year by a market that isn't growing.

Hmm, sorry, that was the wrong question from me. Indeed, the marketplace has grown, but it's not dramatic enough to constitute saying that the 3DS's sales are on the level of Virtual Boy failure. That's ridiculous. Selling more copies in the first few weeks than a system's lifetime is a considerable advantage.

*sigh*

I'm gonna share this with you all. Mostly for all the Nintendo gloom and doom that's been going around lately

charizard1605

That, was one amazing post Char.

The 3DS seems like it has a lot of potential. Some better games would do wonders for the system imo.

oh look another nintendo is doomed thread:roll:

and its comparing it with the virtual boy.never seen that :roll: :roll:

3DS is a moderate disaster. Nothing close to the Virtual Boy. Bread_or_Decide

*sigh*

I'm gonna share this with you all. Mostly for all the Nintendo gloom and doom that's been going around lately

charizard1605

[QUOTE="Bread_or_Decide"]3DS is a moderate disaster. Nothing close to the Virtual Boy. Shinobishyguy

The 3Ds doesn't destroy people's eyes yet and software is slowing trickling in for the handheld.

It might not fail quite as hard as the Virtual Boy, but it's definitely having a terrible first year. It's not even a year old, and they've already been forced to slash the price and introduce an add-on hardware upgrade for the purpose of extending its lifespan-- and on top of that, there's still the serious problem of NO GAMES. Who drops $250 on a new console to play upgraded ports of N64 games? Only Nintedno's most loyal fans, if the sales are any indicator. If the 3DS isn't a flop, it will be Nintendo's least successful portable that isn't an outright failure.

[QUOTE="charizard1605"]

*sigh*

I'm gonna share this with you all. Mostly for all the Nintendo gloom and doom that's been going around lately

nintendoboy16

2008-2010 was the "eh" period when gamers chose to ignore the Wii and dismiss it as a disappointment, but couldn't deny that Nintendo was still making a lot of money.

2011 marks the official return to pre-Wii style doom and gloom.

[QUOTE="nintendoboy16"][QUOTE="charizard1605"]

*sigh*

I'm gonna share this with you all. Mostly for all the Nintendo gloom and doom that's been going around lately

SakusEnvoy

2008-2010 was the "eh" period when gamers chose to ignore the Wii and dismiss it as a disappointment, but couldn't deny that Nintendo was still making a lot of money.

2011 marks the official return to pre-Wii style doom and gloom.

I'm pretty sure the 3DS has already surpassed the Virtual Boy in units sold. So no.

I'm pretty sure the 3DS has already surpassed the Virtual Boy in units sold. So no.

GamerEye

[QUOTE="GamerEye"]

I'm pretty sure the 3DS has already surpassed the Virtual Boy in units sold. So no.

Timstuff

[QUOTE="Timstuff"][QUOTE="GamerEye"]

I'm pretty sure the 3DS has already surpassed the Virtual Boy in units sold. So no.

93BlackHawk93

There is no point comparing the DS to the 3DS in terms of early sales-- the 3DS should have been selling out because of the brand name, but the problem is that no-one wants a new DS anymore. The are in the same rut that Atari was in when they launched the Atari 5200-- the market had changed, and people were more interested in buying games for the Atari 2600s they already owned, or simply didn't want to buy any more games. Atari ended up having to can the 5200, and went back to trying to keep 2600 owners satasfied while they prepared yet ANOTHER next-gen system that also failed (the 7200). It was a huge fiasco involving brand confusion, dissatasfaction over flawed hardware designs and the general sense from customers that there was not enough incentive to upgrade.

[QUOTE="93BlackHawk93"]

[QUOTE="Timstuff"]Celebrate the small victories, I suppose.Timstuff

There is no point comparing the DS to the 3DS in terms of early sales-- the 3DS should have been selling out because of the brand name, but the problem is that no-one wants a new DS anymore. The are in the same rut that Atari was in when they launched the Atari 5200-- the market had changed, and people were more interested in buying games for the Atari 2600s they already owned, or simply didn't want to buy any more games. Atari ended up having to can the 5200, and went back to trying to keep 2600 owners satasfied while they prepared yet ANOTHER next-gen system that also failed (the 7200). It was a huge fiasco involving brand confusion, dissatasfaction over flawed hardware designs and the general sense from customers that there was not enough incentive to upgrade.

[QUOTE="SakusEnvoy"]

[QUOTE="nintendoboy16"] The same doom and gloom since the N64 era?charizard1605

2008-2010 was the "eh" period when gamers chose to ignore the Wii and dismiss it as a disappointment, but couldn't deny that Nintendo was still making a lot of money.

2011 marks the official return to pre-Wii style doom and gloom.

I don' recall the DS having to slash its lifespan within the first few months, or having to release a ridiculously ugly and bulky upgrade package to compensate for its control limitations. The DS was also a pioneer into the "blue ocean" of portable casual games aimed at mom and dad, which has since been conquered by the App Store and Android Marketplace. The only people that the 3DS will have appeal to is hardcore gamers, and most of them are either A) still playing their DS vanillas, B) holding out for the Vita, or C) just want to play games on their consoles or PCs.

There is no point comparing the DS to the 3DS in terms of early sales-- the 3DS should have been selling out because of the brand name, but the problem is that no-one wants a new DS anymore. The are in the same rut that Atari was in when they launched the Atari 5200-- the market had changed, and people were more interested in buying games for the Atari 2600s they already owned, or simply didn't want to buy any more games. Atari ended up having to can the 5200, and went back to trying to keep 2600 owners satasfied while they prepared yet ANOTHER next-gen system that also failed (the 7200). It was a huge fiasco involving brand confusion, dissatasfaction over flawed hardware designs and the general sense from customers that there was not enough incentive to upgrade.

Timstuff

The Hardcore Gamer would have already bought a 3DS and would be playing it or would be saving up to get it because the Hardcore Gamer doesn't limit him/herself to certain platforms.

The 3DS was projected to recieve massive sales when it launched and of course Nintendo thinking that about the Wii thought it would be sold out everywhere so they made a lot of 3DSs to Meet the (Imaginary) Demand.

The Result was that there were plenty of 3DSs everywhere, so No Sellouts and everyone who Pre-Ordered got one and everyone who didn't got one.

Of course it's not entirely their fault, they Advertised the Heck out of their Product, The only thing that Killed them was the Price, $249.99. A lot of people I'm sure were like "Man, That's Awesome! Too bad it's way too expensive, with that kind of Money I could get an Apple Product!"

So in order for them to recieve more sales they HAD to lower the Price, Otherwise they weren't going to get the sales they want thanks to their competition which is Apple.

Not even close...now that the 3DS price has been brought down to a realistic range it will sell like crazy this holiday.