I can understand that every system’s price will eventually drop at the end of its life. It’s just that Nintendo could’ve not chosen a worse time to do it.
Nintendo DS for some, if not many, still packs a very good value in it despite its age largely due to its software library.
So much so, that it can be considered as a, if not the, strong competitor of its current generation handheld, the Nintendo 3DS.
Yeah, I know, in terms of the number of capabilities, the 3DS has more “values”. But customers don’t just look at it that way. After the features are enumerated, they’d ask,
“1. How much value do those features have for me?
2. How much am I willing to pay for that value?”
3. How much is the product in question?
4. Do the value that I see in the product justify the price (is it worth it?)”
Apparently, in number 4, majority of the customers answered “no.” based on the 3DS’ sales for the past couple of months. The “price-value equilibrium” (if there’s any) is still far from being achieved in this product. For many, 3DS’ value doesn’t justify the price – it’s priced higher than the value – it is over-priced.
Now what is the most immediate solution Nintendo could execute to remedy this problem, albeit temporarily? Probable Answer: cut the price of the 3DS… if they can.
But no. Nintendo didn’t. Instead, they cut the price of its competitor, the DS.
And the implication?
The Apparent Value of Nintendo DS just got Higher,
and therefore,
becomes a much stronger competitor of the 3DS which is experiencing the opposite.
Apparent, because the DS, obviously, will not have its value any higher because it is dying. Therefore, while its actual value is as such, because of the price drop, its value becomes ‘apparently’ higher.
And for some, including me, Nintendo DS’ value now surpasses its price – I now get much more than what I’m gonna pay for, hence the expression: it’s a steal!
In my eyes and certainly in others’ as well, Nintendo DS becomes more preferable than the 3DS after the price drop, if it wasn’t already before.
In my perspective, it’s fine, heck, I can even say that it’s a good thing! For 100 bucks I can have access to a titanic library of FUN games which, also, are justly priced (cheap)!
Though in Nintendo’s POV, this phenomenon, with regards to the 3DS, should be nothing short of alarming.
Sigh… if only they cut the price of the 3DS instead of the DS… Though I’m not complaining, LOLZ!
Thanks for the charity, Nintendo :)
Nintendo is following a marketing textbook. Lately, Nintendo’s business moves are reminding me of Sony.
Nintendo thinks that 3d output will be this magical digital platform in the near future. The objective with the 3DS is not to make the best games possible, the objective is to make a 3d output platform to get in front of the upcoming trend of 3d output that is coming.
But this is the same mistake Sony and Microsoft made with HD. 3d output will never become popularized. Like HD, it will become a commodity. 3d output, like HD, offers no qualitative differentiation. Nintendo bet on the wrong horse, and they have no contingency plan.