The newly appointed Nintendo President, Shuntaro Furukawa, may have only officially stepped into his position earlier this week, but already he’s been talking to a number of local media outlets in Japan about the direction of the company.
Speaking to The Kyoto Shimbun, the president touched on a range of subjects in relation to Nintendo’s current and future business practices. His points about the 3DS follow on from recent conversation in the West linked to the expected lifespan of the system. Mr Furukawa is of the belief the device still has advantages over the Switch and stated Nintendo was “considering various possibilities” in regards to a successor for the popular handheld device. How serious he is about this is unclear, as the Switch is obviously a key focus for Nintendo right now - with the aim being for every person to own one.
Mobile gaming is steadily becoming an important area for the company as well. According to Furukawa, Nintendo wants to diversify its offerings and eventually make mobile platforms a main pillar of revenue, even though it only contributes to about four percent of the total sales at this point in time. Collaborations with companies such as DeNA is another important factor in helping this area succeed.
Would you like to see a successor to the 3DS, or do you think Nintendo should focus on the Switch and the mobile market? Tell us below.
Comments (123)
Likely just another PR move. Remember how the DS wasn't the GBA successor?
I don't expect a true successor. I do expect a Switch Mini, however.
I can see it happening, and honestly I wouldn't be opposed either. 3DS and Switch are wildly different systems aimed at different markets with different strengths and weaknesses.
Taking the total (3)DS line sales into account, it would be bizarre to abandon it. No one knows if the Switch can be a 100% DS replacement.
They could develop and release a new DS system and it would sell 20 million no problem, so it’s a no-brainer to me. I think it’s about what Nintendo’s ambitions and sales targets would be for a potential successor.
I'd probably end up pre-ordering it, I do have a switch but I consider my 3DS to be my main console so I really want to see the console live on.
a 50% cheaper version of the Switch will do
The question is, can Nintendo create enough software to cater to 2 different devices? Because I would say based on the Wii U/3DS era, they can’t. And unlike Sony or Microsoft, they don’t get system selling third party support. Nintendo relies on Nintendo to sell consoles so that means focusing on getting enough first party games out there as possible while also not lacking the quality.
What a surprise! xP I've said this all along. Switch isn't a full replacement for the lower price segment the DS line caters to. It's obvious they are considering the actual end of life of the 3DS and the replacement for the market the 3DS still serves.
Of course it will be more integrated with the Switch. Integration within the modern account system will update the product line to "Modern Nintendo". This successor would probably be designed as part of the "NX-type" family. They might even use a cheaper modification of the Tegra chipset from nVidia.. Possibly making compatibility with (lightweight) Switch games possible or even (wishful thinking) crossbuy. That'd make Captain Toad style dual releases and easy ports possible.
Backwards compatibility with all 3DS games would make a new DS system very attractive, which could be beneficial to the success of the system. However, Backwards Compatibility would still would require the (New) 3DS chip in there to enable that benefit. Maybe they can commission dedicated hardware emulation with nVidia to integrate that functionality into the new custom chip? I wonder what's cheaper: a separate 3DS BC chip or integration of essential functions on a custom nVidia chip (if that's even possible).
On the other hand, do you really need to add BC and make the system more expensive by doing so? Consumers could just buy a cheap 3DS if you want to play those games? We're talking about end of life of 3DS after all.. That means, the moment interest in 3DS and its games is really dwindling.
So obviously a lot of things for Nintendo to consider deciding on what their next lower cost handheld system will be. And what will be the best course of action to retain that essential market after 3DS is really at it's end.
Don't expect it anytime soon though, considering it means most of the development still needs to happen. Count on a few years from now. And expect it to be something interestingly new as well: Can't turn of Nintendo's creativity!
The 3ds is and will always be an amazing console but in I guess the last 2 months I have bin playing it less and playing the switch more so maybe it is time to leave the console and concentrate on newer horizons
I think that they might make a smaller and more powerful Switch. The thing is that they have to choose between 3DS or Switch compatibility since each has a totally different architecture. At first glance it makes more sense to make it Switch-compatible but if you think about the huge 3DS library, its backwards compatibility (digitally at the very least) and how popular 3DS has always been since its price was reduced is not as evident as it seems.
Switch has outsold Wii U but Wii U is Nintendo's worst seller ever (Virtual Boy was not even released in Europe). Switch is also the first Nintendo console without backwards compatibility in a long time and most of its main games are Wii U ports. I don't believe that Switch will dictate Nintendo's future, it's just one ingredient. Nintendo is talking much about 3DS lately.
My 3ds was my most played system until I got a switch. I can’t even go back to play metroid on it even though I bought it day 1. Just make games for switch. And continue to suppprt 3ds with updated consoles like they do, but I thought Nintendo was combining development so they didn’t have to support 2 different consoles...
@Donutman They combined the teams to make it easier to integrate and move resources and developers between projects. That way they could release a bigger volume of software at a more consistent rate.
It also makes dual releases (Smash, Hyrule Warriors, Mario Maker, Yoshi's Wooly World, Captain Toad), or releases based on games on the other system (3D Land/World etc.) possible and easier.
It was never about having just one system to support. They never said that. That's what people made from it.
Contrary to that thought, it's going to help them support two systems better.
Great news because as much as I love Nintendo, the switch is not the answer to anything, especially the 3ds successor. Can't wait for the 3ds 2, day 1 purchase for me.
I hope the 3ds successor is more like the game boy line. A single screen system that's lightweight and an ergonomic design that doesn't cramp adult hands would be perfect.
It makes sense to 'not' have 2 portable consoles. Having said that, given the life cycle of the 3DS and it's only marginally changed it would be bad business to abandon it. Maybe like a NewNew 3DS ?
What ever it is, let it be backwards compatible !!
@linq No chance. Nintendo will be sticking with the clamshell design as that's what most people, including myself want.
I really hope he means a miniature version of the Switch when he says "3DS successor" now since the Switch didn't go the way of the Wii U.
@Abes3 I don't consider the switch to be a portable console which is the main reason I sold mine. Bring on the new 3ds
They already said some time ago, that the Switch and a future, dedicated handheld can exist together.
Nintendo will probably surprise us with something new, as usual...
Nintendo has shown in the past they can't reliably support 2 systems at once on their own (1 always suffers). So I guess the outcome where this works out fine is the one where Switch owners embrace 3rd party games to the extent the 3rd parties don't abandon the Switch.
Just like how the DS wasn't a successor to the GBA and they would co-exist?
Why have a separate line? Makes no sense to compete with themselves since Switch is marketed as a hybrid portable console. If they weren't compatible, it'd be stupid, in my opinion, to have two different portables that play different games.
It would make more sense to me if they released a different Switch design. One with a more portable design, perhaps a clamshell Switch.
A unified Nintendo putting all their support behind one ecosystem is far better than one divided between 2 systems.
As long it has backward compatibility with my 3DS games, i'm in.
3DS U...or The New 3DS U
Rather have a new switch with no bezel better gpu and a dock that bumps the gpu again
Unless they bring out a new Mario kart game I wont buy a switch but on the other hand I will buy a new 3ds immediately
It's going to happen. If Nintendo is positioning the Switch as a home gaming system, a successor to the 3DS is pretty likely. I don't want it to happen, but it will happen.
I sure hope not. Nintendo’s studios really don’t have the resources to sustain two separate libraries’ worth of games. As it stands, even with super limited development on 3DS, they’ve only managed to pump out two brand new exclusive games for Switch this year.
@Tokiwa Definitely.
One big advantage of the Switch is that Nintendo only has to focus on one system, but still has both a handheld and console experience. A 3DS successor goes against that for no reason, especially since it doesn't really make sense to buy. Why buy a handheld system when you can buy a system that plays console-level games on the go? If you want a cheaper system, make a Switch Mini for $150.
If Nintendo wanted to create a "Switch ecosystem" of a powerful "Switch Plus," the Switch, and a handheld-only "Switch Mini," that would be cool. A 3DS successor just does not make sense.
Switch P (portable) smaller screen, more compact design. Nintendo must be designing one as we speak.
I thought the whole point was the Switch was both handheld and home console. Imo they'd be better off working on a home console if they had to release something else. The Switch is already an amazing handheld, they don't need another one.
The big benefit of the Switch is Nintendo can focus on one system and satisfy portable and tv play.
@subpopz you make some good points, if they did that I would buy it
I was absolutely in love with the 3DS since day 1. Countless blissful gaming hours went into that thing and I'll always keep and cherish it. With that being said, it's Switch time and I wouldn't want anymore 3DS support as it's just getting more and more dated with each passing day. Let the poor guy retire. It's lived a great, long life.
Nintendo HDS
Play 3DS, NDS , NDSi & Switch ALL Region.
Clam Design, 720p, 3D Slider, Upper Screen = 6 inch, Lower Screen = 5 inch.
HANDHELD Only.
Comes with 4 Different Basic color: White, Blue, Red & Black.
Nintendo can still focus on BOTH DS machines and Switch.
While I miss dual screen gaming, and significantly so, I still feel like it could be brought to switch
@invictus4000
I still missing some Japanese ONLY 3DS games, so that's why i'm planning to buy Japanese 3DS to play Japan Only 3DS games. Still so many 3DS titles that i haven't tried yet.
They could go with a smaller, lighter, cheaper Switch, without detachable joy cons or even a dock. This way many existing games in the library of Switch could be carried over with minimal cost and they would not have to divide their development resources.
@Hughesy the switch is too big, has a poor battery and is too fragile to be a true handheld
The NES, Game Boy, and Super NES existed together on the market simultaneously at one point, all three flourishing. The more options, the better.
I do like dual screen clamshell gaming
@N64SNESU I use it as a commuting handheld all of the time and it is fantastic as such. Your comments are odd.
@N64SNESU Not really, especially with the joy cons disconnected. Compared to my n3ds XL it's not that much bigger. Not sure what part is fragile, I guess if you don't look after stuff then you will break it, but then that means you also break your mobile phone.
Battery life isn't an issue, most people these days have portable chargers because phones suck so much battery. My Switch is almost exclusively used as a portable as my 3DS has been retired.
@Roam85 church
I think that would really defeat the purpose of the Switch being a hybrid system. I really really hope they do no do that. I think a better choice would be to release a cheaper Switch mini and a more expensive Switch Pro/Elite/whatever they decide to call it.
The 3DS was and is a great design, but it is time for Nintendo to focus on just the Switch. The hybrid design is fantastic and they should build on it's success by turning the Switch into a "family" of systems like the 3DS was.
Switch Mini. Anything else would be insanity.
I'm almost sure that the plan is to use the Switch as the NEW 3DS.
For me, the Switch is like a Trojan Horse for Nintendo.
I can see that they are going to release an additional hardware fully switch compatible to make the "REAL HOME CONSOLE" combined to the Switch. Basically, a kind of Wii U 2 but powerful enough.
Like the power of the Switch will be only dedicated for the "NEW GAMEPAD" sort of.
We"ll see if I'm wrong but for me, I see more a "New dock station" with good specs to compete the next Playstation and Xbox.
The Switch like it is today will become the "new handheld" and the new hardware will be fully compatible with the actual Switch.
I can totally see the announcement at E3 2019, wait and see.
At this point Nintendo have dug themselves into a bit of a hole. Anything they build that isn't somehow related to Switch will end up eating into the Switch market and resources.
The DS line needs to end. Nintendo can't keep splitting their market. I'm seriously not liking this new guy so far.
Releasing another handheld will only hurt switch sales, currently the switch ownership is like some Home/handheld gamer team up. Throwing either an all new seperate home or hand system will damage it.
The only way I can see this working if the new device hits near the end of the Switch's life span and is effectively an switch mini (but named differently) then Nintendo announces an switch 2. The handheld would be the "entry level" systems like the 3DS currently is.
A smaller Switch about the size of the Vita with the same resolution and chipset with undetachable controls for £150 would sell hard.
A smaller dock (sold separately) but compatibility with all current accessories and games.
I'd welcome it and buy one even though I love my Switch. There's still nothing quite like true portable dual screen gaming - just keep it simple and offer us a N2DS style device with a better screen and backwards compatibility.
If I don't get a legit Animal Crossing Switch game....
It's just a portable mode only Switch.
Yes we must have a replacement 3ds, even if it is called a 3d Switch pocket.
Why? They're having enough problems getting games out for this year on the Switch, why would you make that situation worse? I'd be fine with a Switch mini or any other type of revised Switch model that satisfies the handheld market more, but creating a completely different platform with a completely different lineup will do them more harm than good.
@fuzzy833 you may think my comments are odd, but read the other opinions on here and they tell you otherwise.
Well it mustn't step on the Switch's toes. So it needs to be a sub £150 machine with no TV connectivity that can fit into a back pocket. Cheaper games- maybe even without carts/download only? Plays indies, retro games and small Nintendo 1st party.
I'm thinking a modern version of the gameboy that connects to the Internet.
The only way I see a new Portable Console being made is:
Download only, VC only
GB, GBC, GBA, DS, 3DS, NES, SNES, N64, GameCube libraries.
Nothing else. No new games.
This is likely a bad idea. However, if they do it the system needs to run the same architecture and OS as the switch making all games for it fully compatible with switch. They're already having droughts the last thing they need to do is split their development again.
Guy's there is no system yet. Not a "Switch mini" or a "HDS/NewNew3DS". It's not even a single idea or concept yet.
They are currently >considering various possibilities< on what they are going to do next for a successor for the 3DS. So they aren't even sure about which direction they are going to go
Switch can't fulfil that fully even though it does partly. So they do need a next thing to cater to the lower price market ($100-$200 system, $40 and less games) which 3DS is currently serving very well.
There are a myriad of possibilities which also include "Switch Mini" concepts and "HDS" concepts.
The amount of integration with the Switch ecosystem will most likely be another big point of consideration.
Don't panic, we're not going to see anything tangible come from this for several years.
And reading these comments I'm sure most of you might be disappointed anyway, since most of you are game enthusiasts and aren't primarily in that low price segment market. (Even though many of us will still be enticed by Nintendo's creative new system and still buy it. xD)
I can only afford to get games for one console though.. Guess I better start doing some extra hours..
Considering that the 3DS sold half of what they managed to achieve with the DS, I don’t see them going that route. Not to mention, that they would have to split their dev teams, again. Saying that, I see them releasing cheaper, dock less and joycon less Switch and market it as pure handheld device. But that’s not going to happen before we see more expensive revision of the Switch (XL maybe?).
To me the most sensible solution is a Switch Mini, something small enough to fit in a pocket and easy to carry around. I still love my New 3DS XL and play it often, so I certainly wouldn't complain about getting a 3DS successor, but I think a Switch Mini is probably the safest way forward for Nintendo from a marketing perspective.
Nintendo has always been more successful in the handheld market but these days manufacturing two consoles competing against mobile devices, PC, Xbox and PS is a losing battle.
They will release a handheld more similar to 3DS than to Switch and perhaps release some games on other platforms, not just on mobile phones but everywhere else including Xbox and PS and that would be awesome, imagine Nintendo games on much more powerful hardware. Their future handheld will still be popular because of its dedicated controls and because Microsoft and Sony don't have one.
I have switch but I still play my 3ds everyday. There is a place for both. This is the best news I heard in a long time.
There is no need to maintain two separate lines. Developers have already been porting mobile and 3DS games to the Switch. Why do it again for yet another system?
Having said that, I agree with those suggesting a Switch Mini. But could it really be called a "Switch" without the detachable parts?
Nintendo should focus on one system - not two.
I say just let me plug my 3ds into the switch and play on the tv. I ca already take it everywhere else otherwise. Often I prefer to take the 3ds in the go instead of the switch too. id love if this were a thing. I could play Star fox 64 3D on the TV and Majoras’s Mask and OOT and Gurumin.... so even if the “newest” 3ds they make does become a thing, I hope it at least plugs into the switch and also is backwards compatible with everything on 3ds including digital titles. I’d buy it.
With 75 million 3DS sold it makes sense to consider a successor. I think it will entirely depends on whether the Switch can consistently sell 20 million units each year.
There’s already a successor to the 3DS out now called the Switch.
I really enjoyed the 3ds and still play it sometimes. Samus Returns was great and I've been going back to MH generations in preparation for Generations Ultimate.
But it makes no sense to me to release a 3ds successor. A switch mini that is portable only (no dock) and about 100 dollars cheaper, I could see that selling a lot though.
Switch is a handheld but not a true portable, so extending the 3DS life is good news. No reason why Nintendo cant keep making great new titles for 3DS.
Good, the Switch simply doesn't have the dual screen and isn't as portable as the 3DS (even the 3DS XL).
Switch Mini coming November 2K19 with Pokemon Gen8, bookmark this.
Nintendo handhelds go where Pokemon goes (and vice versa), there's no way there'll be a new, separate product line.
@Lumine That's a successor to the Wii U.
Maybe they should just make a phone?
@ThomGee
Looks at Nintendo history and sees a loooong line of consoles and handhelds co-existing with no issue
@Alto Which screen would be displayed on the TV?
@TossedLlama
"Maybe they should just make a phone?"
NintenPhone ?
Beep.... Beep....
Pardon, i have an incoming call from my NintenPhone.
@Anti-Matter
At this point, I'm kinda surprised they haven't. I want a built in selection of game music for my ringtones if they did.
@ThomGee Not gonna lie, that's what I was thinking in regards to the naming as well. "Switch Plus" for the Pro version (with 2 Red joycons), and then a "Switch Minus" for the Mini version (with 2 Blue joycons, or sides if they're non-detachable). It'd be a cool idea.
They need to release switch mini, that doesn't come with a dock and has attached Joycons permanently, but is still dock compatible and Joycon (wireless) compatible, with same screen size but smaller bezels, leading to a smaller form factor aimed as a cheap ($150) thing for little kids to still play the newest and best Nintendo games. Then a switch pro, same size as the current switch but no bezels and a bigger screen, also more powerful with games with a switch pro enhanced sorta thing just like the Xbox one x has
@Tempestryke This situation is different. Those systems were clearly home consoles and handhelds, while the Switch is both. Also, technology has improved to the point where we can have something like the Switch, while handhelds in the past were clearly less powerful than consoles. Third, you can't really say the 3DS and Wii U co-existed. The 3DS was wildly successful and got tons of games, while the Wii U went through game droughts every year.
I hope not honestly, for money purposes. Plus Nintendo seems to have this odd thing for making multiplayer focused games on its handhelds when they have a home console that you could actually enjoy games with with friends and family. If they do go with it though, I hope it’s small enough to fit in a pocket this time. That would make it more appealing to me at least, if the screen is bigger than the Game Boys at least
If they build the 3DS successor on the same architecture as the Switch to make porting between each console easy then it's a good move to keep the dedicated handheld business alive. I love my 3DS but it's not getting a look-in now I have a Switch, yet I know that's not true for everyone. The Switch's success is in no small part due to a steady stream of software and if Nintendo can keep that up then I'm a happy camper.
While it does seem like the kind of dumb, self-destructive move they would do when things are going well for them, I think this is highly unlikely. Otherwise what's the point of doing the Switch in the first place? What was the point of streamlining/unifying everything? There's almost certainly going to be a smaller, cheaper, more portable Switch Lite at some point and between that and mobile they should have everything covered. Otherwise, talk about spreading yourself thin. What would a new 3DS offer that those things don't? A 3D effect and dual screens? Both of which were proven last generation to be abject failures.
I'm not sure which Nintendo some of you are following. The one I know is way more imaginative that 'Switch Portable', or 'Switch Mini'. The boring answer is the hardware would need to be differentiated in some way from the Switch and offer something new, a third pillar they like to brand stuff. The hardware will offer new ways to play like pretty much everything they do, so for the love of God, quit being ignorant and drop the Switch nonsense. No one here knows what they are cooking up and all we can guess is chips in a box SKUs. It's a pointless debate unless we are talking about Sony or Microsoft Microsoft have PC software and infrastructure, Sony have electronics and films/music. So please, don't ask Nintendo to put their eggs in one basket. It's bad business practice. You just deprive Nintendo of a revenue stream and gamers of something new.
Yes now it's time to move the 3DS away from the spec of old and create the HDS which support 720p 30-60fps and backwards compatible with all DS and 3DS games. Also don't make it like the Switch where save files are tie to the system, that I hate, keep it external like it always has. I hope a Xenoblade Chronicles X port and Super Mario Galaxy 3 are launch titles for the system with Pokemon Rainbow and Pokemon Star coming for it later down the road as well as a new Legend of Zelda HD for the system.
Would be nice to have a 3DS with a better screen and what not, to move my digital library of games to. And if they throw in cloud saves, they’ll get a sale from me for sure.
Sadly Nintendo has made it clear multiple times that the Switch is a home console you can just happen to take on the go - they don't see it as a handheld system at all. It's a fulfilment of the idea that they had with the GameCube's handle. Their ongoing commitment to 3DS has me fully believing there will be a new system in the DS/3DS line in the next couple of years. It'll have considerably more power than the 3DS and put it more in the smartphone space; mainly targeting kids and casual players.
@Haywired Otherwise what's the point of doing the Switch in the first place?
The Switch is a Wii U replacement with the added option of portability. They haven't been in any hurry to kill the 3DS and that should tell you that the Switch is not intended to be the only relevant Nintendo hardware.
Switch is the successor to the 3DS. There's no room for another handheld device. I don't think that Nintendo will try to cannibalise Switch sales. It wont work. A cheaper Switch with smaller screen and no dock capabilities though....count me in
@Inkling How so?
What if they made a 'Switch Mini' - a cheaper, smaller Switch that could fit in any pocket, perhaps clamshell designed, without detachable Joy-Cons? Would the Switch still be aimed at a different market?
@dimi Switch is the successor to the 3DS.
No it's not and that's becoming more clear all the time.
@Crono1973
Yes, but when the Switch Lite/Mini comes out (and I can't believe there are people here who don't think that'll happen), it will be.
@Crono1973 agree to disagree
A Switch Jr or Switch Pocket would be acceptable to the masses. Something that uses near identical architecture to Switch. DO NOT split the games library again. It will not end well.
@Haywired Yes, but when the Switch Lite/Mini comes out, it will be.
When the Wii Mini came out, did it kill the DS?
@Crono1973
That doesn't work, the Wii Mini wasn't a handheld.
@Haywired That doesn't work, the Wii Mini wasn't a handheld.
Wii was a console and so is the Switch.
@Crono1973 You mean like how Pokemon, Yokai Watch, Layton, and Fire Emblem are moving onto the Switch?
It's become more clear that it is the successor.
@dimi They're keeping the 3DS around because it offer a unique gaming experience, not because it's a handheld. It could co-exist with the Switch quite okay. Taking the 3DS out of the picture means Nintendo will be in deep trouble if Switch doesn't live up to the hype.
You can count Switch as a handheld all you want but in the end it really was a home console that happens to offer portability as optional feature, it was never a fully fledge handheld experience as it doesn't had many of the requirement a dedicated handheld would have: long battery life, small portable size, and how multiplayer would handle are many features that Switch had differently.
For a dedicated handheld, games had to be cheaper thus multiplayer required connections and multiple copies to be able to play, battery life had to be longer like 8-10 hours of play time, design of the system must be able to fit your pocket, and it must not be able to connect to the TV ever. It's control function should also never be change at all, Switch is not a dedicated handheld cause it's control could be customize and change at will, you can't do that with a dedicated handheld though. Like arcade, dedicated handheld kept their control exact with their experience. You can remove the joycons on the Switch but you can't remove the d-pad, touch screen, and circle pad on the 3DS.
At this point Nintendo's business model just kinda confuses me. I get having the 3DS/2DS alongside the Switch as basically cheaper alternatives, but I don't see any real benefit of releasing a brand new and presumably proper next-gen-power 3DS system going forward. Releasing a cheaper-again 3DS model to bring the low-end entry price down even further is fine though.
@Crono1973
Wii was a home console. Wii Mini was a home console. DS was a handheld.
Switch is a home console/handheld hybrid. Switch Mini could still be a hybrid, but in any case, will most likely be pushed almost entirely as a handheld. 3DS is a handheld. Switch Mini now makes 3DS redundant.
@Seacliff They are moving onto the Switch because a 3DS successor hasn't been confirmed yet. Look guys, you are in denial, Nintendo is telling you that they are considering a 3DS successor and you guys are running around with your fingers in your ears.
@Haywired Switch mini doesn't exist yet, you don't know if it will be portable only. You are guessing about the Switch Mini but ignoring Nintendo when they say they are considering a 3DS successor.
@Bolt_Strike If it's far enough in the process, maybe it's the reason for the 2nd half of 2018 1st party droughts.
I assumed the reason for the droughts would be Nintendo thinking Wii U ports aren't E3 worthy and the next couple of Directs revealing around 3 2018 Wii U ports total for those drought gaps (hence there being no droughts) but if a true 3DS successor is coming soon, maybe the droughts stay.
Nintendo, I thought you just said that the 3DS wasn't going to be discontinued anytime soon?
Make Advance Wars a launch title and I'll buy.
@Crono1973 "They are moving onto the Switch because a 3DS successor hasn't been confirmed yet."
Pretty sure it doesn't work like that. You can't just throw multimillion-dollar projects on the 'next best thing'.
And the fact that they hadn't considered it yet means it's going to be years and years away even if they decided it should be a thing now. Like how there's evidence that the 3DS started development in 2008. By then the Switch would be well into its lifespan.
3DS successor or not, it's not clearly not going to coexist with the Switch.
@G-Boy Well, they are considering a successor which puts it atleast a year out.
@Crono1973
Yeah, and I said that in the comment, but it won't matter if it's 100% portable or not. It will still be as portable as any portable. Yes the Switch Mini/Lite doesn't exist yet, but how can anyone think that it won't happen? Nintendo always makes new models of its popular hardware. Plus, Iwata basically said as much before he died; that future home consoles/handhelds would take a more unified approach, basically being the same system but in different forms, like an iPhone/iPad (though granted, he's not around anymore and things can change).
Classic Nintendo logic right here.
@Seacliff 3DS successor or not, it's not clearly not going to coexist with the Switch.
Interesting, are you saying that Switch will be replaced within a few years with another console and then the new member of the DS family will co-exist with that?
@Haywired Things are changing without Iwata. Perhaps the new boss doesn't like the Switch as a portable or maybe he just sees that the second screen on the DS line opens up gameplay possibilities that you can't get on the Switch (Etrian Odyssey comes to mind).
You are dismissing what Nintendo is ACTUALLY saying in favor of a Switch Mini which is not something Nintendo is talking about and then you are guessing the details of the Switch Mini.
@N64SNESU You may not consider the Switch a portable console, but it is one. As a huge fan of portables (the New 3DS is still my favorite console of all time), I've been shocked at how much I love the Switch. It isn't much larger than the New 3DS XL or my Vita, so it's great for commuting and travel, and then tabletop co-op is an option even with its small footprint, which is awesome. And unless I'm playing something local multiplayer, I always play in portable mode. TBH, I'm finding it more and more difficult to make time for (or have the desire to make time for) going back to my 3DS, even though I have plenty in the backlog. A Switch Mini might make sense, though, for those who want a smaller portable and don't care about playing on the big screen or with friends.
@kirbygirl A Switch Mini might make sense, though, for those who want a smaller portable and don't care about playing on the big screen or with friends.
A new DS model might makes sense too for people who like the dual screen, clamshell, a smaller portable and don't care about playing on the big screen.
I think they should pump out some more games and focus on the Switch before thinking about a 3DS successor. It was just released last year, and there are still some franchises that haven't got a game on it (Metroid for example).
@Crono1973 the problem is a 3ds successor would have specs almost identical to the switch. So what they’re doing to put out two consoles with nearly identical specs and split development between them? That’s what the switch is the 3ds successor.
@Crono1973 If that's what you want, just keep playing your current 3DS. Between the DS and 3DS libraries, there are hundreds of great games. Probably enough to keep you busy for the next decade or so. I know I still have enough in my backlog to keep me busy for years, even though I've been a huge fan of the DS and 3DS throughout their lifespans. As mentioned previously, the 3DS is still my favorite console of all time. And yet, more and more, I'm comfortable leaving it home and bringing only my Switch when I travel. I think that says something.
From a business and software development perspective, it would make much more sense for Nintendo to concentrate on one console line.
How about just a Switch DS: a handheld gaming device that just so happens to play both 3DS and switch games? I'd buy that in a heartbeat
@Yorumi That’s what the switch is the 3ds successor.
The Switch is the Wii U successor which has the added bonus of being portable (this time you can take the Gamepad anywhere).
The DS line is alive and may be continuing well into the future. If you like you can think of the Switch as a continuation of the Game Boy line with the added bonus of a dock for big screen play.
@kirbygirl If that's what you want, just keep playing your current 3DS.
How about I do that AND buy a 3DS successor if it happens, that ok with you?
You know, nintendo can't split their game library specially now that smt5, fire emblem and pokemon are confirmed for switch, games that are normally asociated with portables.
If they do a portable device it has to be a switch P or the something along that line.
Tap here to load 123 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...