3DS Price Drop: $169.99 August 12th

djsaiyan

djsaiyan

CAGiversary!
Nintendo is dropping the price of the 3DS from 249.99 to 169.99 on August 12th.

Early adopters will be getting two free download bundles to make up for the fact that the system is getting such a big price drop less than six months after launch.

The first will be a ten game NES bundle with Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong Jr., Balloon Fight, Ice Climber, The Legend of Zelda and more. All of these will be made available for single purchase on the eShop as well.

The second is a GBA bundle (also ten games) featuring Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Metroid Fusion, WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$ and Mario vs. Donkey Kong and others. These games will apparently be exclusive to 3DS early adopters.

The bundles will be made available sometime over the next four months.

My advice, go pick one up for $199.99 at Best Buy/Future Shop this week, invoke their price protection on August 12th, and then enjoy your 20 free games and $169.99 3DS. :cool:


Source: Destructoid
 
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Reading the press release, they made it sound like there are no plans to bring GBA to the eShop whatsoever aside from these bonus 10. I expect they will eventually bring GBA out and also sell the free ones, but maybe not til 2012.
 
Is the price protection for game hardware at Best Buy 14 or 30 days? It doesn't appear to be listed in the 14 days section of the Price Guarantee page of the website. I'm assuming it's 14 though (since computers etc. are in that category), but just wondering if anyone knows for sure.

I literally just picked one up last night (meaning it'd be just > 14 days for me). $30 isn't a big deal since I get in on the free games but if I can get it back, I'd be stupid not to.
 
It should be 30 days for price protection. 3DS doesn't fall under any categories listed on Lowest Price Guarantee 14 days. And game console has always been 30 days.

It is the best time to pick up a 3DS right now.
 
[quote name='retro.elite']It should be 30 days for price protection. 3DS doesn't fall under any categories listed on Lowest Price Guarantee 14 days. And game console has always been 30 days.
[/QUOTE]

Excellent. Looks like I'll be getting my $30 back on the 12th then. Thanks.
 
I'm really guessing this is just for the $250 3DS and they don't want us to know about the price drop.

EB Games/Games Stop Save $60 on a brand new 3DS console
WHEN YOU TRADE IN A SELECT OLD DS SYSTEM

Don't forget...Get $25 trade credit for each game traded towards the 3DS

Offer valid on DS Lite, DSi and DSi XL. Offer valid through July 31, 2011. While quantities last. Trade must include all applicable accessories. Applies to titles with a minimum $8 trade value only. Valid on PlayStation 3, PSP, Wii, Nintendo DS, 3DS and Xbox 360 games. Games must include boxes and instructions. No duplicate titles accepted. Some titles may be excluded. No dealers please. Limit one per customer. Offer valid in Canada only. See sales associate for complete details.
 
[quote name='Princess Zelda']I'm really guessing this is just for the $250 3DS and they don't want us to know about the price drop.

EB Games/Games Stop Save $60 on a brand new 3DS console
WHEN YOU TRADE IN A SELECT OLD DS SYSTEM

Don't forget...Get $25 trade credit for each game traded towards the 3DS.[/QUOTE]

That's just like GameStop to do that. "Quick, trade in your worn-out, old DS and we'll give you $10-- *COUGH* *COUGH* AHEM... $60 off a NEW 3DS! Amazing!"

Gimme $60 off the price-cut value and we'll talk.
 
That ends on the 31st and the price drop doesn't take effect until the 12th, so yeah.

It's in all retailers best interest to clear out as many of them as they can before the price drop, as they'll have stock they paid a higher distributor's price for that they'll have to sell for a lower profit (or even at a loss). I'm not sure if Nintendo has to reimburse them for unsold stock that they'll have to sell for the new price. I doubt it.

I expect we'll see more deals popping up until the 12th when the price drop goes into effect. The average person won't know about it, they'll just see trade-in deals or 'on sale for $199.99' and bite.

Though none as sweet as the price drop itself, of course.
 
Not flaming or anything, just curious: Is the 3DS doing that badly that it's getting two price cuts within weeks of one another?
 
Couldn't you just buy a 3DS from Best Buy on, say August 1st, pay the $250 price, take it online and download your free 20 games whenever they are released, then PM at Best Buy after the 12th to get your $80 back? Nintendo will have no idea how much you paid for it. This way you are getting the free games AND paying the lesser price. I've done this before with my TV from Best Buy 2 weeks after I bought it and got the $50 difference back.
 
Answered my own question:

Nintendo claims that it has sold more than 830,000 3DS systems in the US since it debuted in late March, and that it will keep momentum up with several big holiday releases.
Click to expand...
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/28/current-3ds-owners-eligible-for-free-games/

Guess under a million sales of any console in 6 months doesn't cut it in Nintendo's corporate structure.
eusa_snooty.gif
That doesn't really tell us total numbers of course.
 
[quote name='Princess Zelda']One price cut.[/QUOTE]

Yeah I said two but I wasn't sure. I thought the Walmart was a price drop, is that the same as a cut or temporary? Well, instead of two smaller ones, then one big one I guess.
 
[quote name='Cthulhu8u']Answered my own question:

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/28/current-3ds-owners-eligible-for-free-games/

Guess under a million sales of any console in 6 months doesn't cut it in Nintendo's corporate structure.
eusa_snooty.gif
That doesn't really tell us total numbers of course.[/QUOTE]

Americas | Others (Europe, Etc.) | Japan | Global Total

3DS 1.43m | 1.63m | 1.27m | 4.32m

Launch: 03/27/11 | 03/25/11 (EU) | 02/26/11


So in approximately four months (five in Japan), 4.32 million units have shipped. This doesn't equal units sold, of course.

EDIT: What is perhaps more telling is that at the end of March 2011, they had already shipped out 3.61 million units.

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2011/110425e.pdf
 
[quote name='Princess Zelda']I'm really guessing this is just for the $250 3DS and they don't want us to know about the price drop.

EB Games/Games Stop Save $60 on a brand new 3DS console
WHEN YOU TRADE IN A SELECT OLD DS SYSTEM

Don't forget...Get $25 trade credit for each game traded towards the 3DS

Offer valid on DS Lite, DSi and DSi XL. Offer valid through July 31, 2011. While quantities last. Trade must include all applicable accessories. Applies to titles with a minimum $8 trade value only. Valid on PlayStation 3, PSP, Wii, Nintendo DS, 3DS and Xbox 360 games. Games must include boxes and instructions. No duplicate titles accepted. Some titles may be excluded. No dealers please. Limit one per customer. Offer valid in Canada only. See sales associate for complete details.[/QUOTE]
just a despicable ripoff. wha a bunch of scumbags over there running that "company"
 
It sucks, but what do you want them to do? Tell their customers to not buy any 3DS but come back in 2 weeks? I'm not a fan of EB, but expecting any store to give up potential sales is kind of crazy. I'm not trying to defend them, I find they have crappy policies, bad prices, had some bad experiences with them and I don't ever shop there.
 
[quote name='Cthulhu8u']Yeah I said two but I wasn't sure. I thought the Walmart was a price drop, is that the same as a cut or temporary? Well, instead of two smaller ones, then one big one I guess.[/QUOTE]

A price drop/cut are the same thing. The Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Future Shop price is just a sale. It's temporary.

The August 12th $169.99 price is a drop/cut and is permanent.
 
Very nice. I'm so glad I waited on the 3DS.

Now, do I grab it now at BB and get price protection on the 12th, or do I wait and grab it at Staples, with a $20 off $150 coupon, for $149.99? I guess I'll have to decide if those games are worth $20.
 
[quote name='mabba18']I guess I'll have to decide if those games are worth $20.[/QUOTE]

If you don't already have them, then yes. Just the five GBA games already mentioned are among the best in the entire library (even if Mario Kart: Super Circuit is the worst of the series).
 
[quote name='Derfel']If you don't already have them, then yes. Just the five GBA games already mentioned are among the best in the entire library (even if Mario Kart: Super Circuit is the worst of the series).[/QUOTE]


The games I'm interested in, I already have in on form or another. I just wish they would have released the full game list.
 
[quote name='mabba18']Very nice. I'm so glad I waited on the 3DS.

Now, do I grab it now at BB and get price protection on the 12th, or do I wait and grab it at Staples, with a $20 off $150 coupon, for $149.99? I guess I'll have to decide if those games are worth $20.[/QUOTE]


Staples also has a price protection policy, so you could grab it from them now if you really wanted to. Means more initial out of pocket expense, but your final price would be cheaper.
 
Not sure if this deserves its own thread:
I've never noticed before, but Walmart now has online ordering available online. I added the 3DS to test and shipping came to $10.25. No options for ISPU or cheaper shipping anywhere.
 
[quote name='Cthulhu8u']Not sure if this deserves its own thread:
I've never noticed before, but Walmart now has online ordering available online. I added the 3DS to test and shipping came to $10.25. No options for ISPU or cheaper shipping anywhere.[/QUOTE]

Shipping on games is $0.97; my local stores were OOS on Vanquish during the EB sale, so I ordered a copy for price matching purposes.
 
I may actually pick up a 3DS for this price. Would be nice to get those free games and take advantage of price protection after the drop.

If this definitely works, I will pull the trigger and get one now.
 
[quote name='djsaiyan']Staples also has a price protection policy, so you could grab it from them now if you really wanted to. Means more initial out of pocket expense, but your final price would be cheaper.[/QUOTE]

I don't think that would work. I don't think they would accept the coupon retroactively when I went for the PP. I would also lose the value of the coupon if I used it first, because I would bet that they would only return the difference to $170. To many maybes and running around for me.
 
[quote name='mabba18'] I don't think they would accept the coupon retroactively when I went for the PP. I would also lose the value of the coupon if I used it first, because I would bet that they would only return the difference to $170.[/QUOTE]
I agree with those two things, don't do that.
 
What's walmarts price policy? Is it 30 or 14 days?
A person working there said it was 14 days starting the day AFTER you bought an item. For the 3DS specifically.

I just wanna make sure, I don't trust employees at stores like that, and Walmarts website only talk about refunds, not price matching or anything.
 
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