jamesesdad
CAGiversary!
Yeah that was my bad providing incomplete sales data. It still pretty clearly shows a downward trend in sales data starting at 2013, and only picked up this year due to renewed interest in pokemon. I'm not claiming that this data should be ignored, but likely wont be a trend that continues through 2017, especially with such a weak software lineup, and the launch of a new piece of portable hardware.Thanks for your incomplete sales chart, only showing 3DS hardware sales through the first three months of 2016. If you look at Reggie's claim, he is actually correct, the hardware numbers are there for showing a surge in sales. And I know they relied on the new Pokemon games and low price 3DS to drive these numbers, but the fact is they sold units. And if you are a Nintendo fan this should be good news, I don't mind if one title drives sales to allow a company some room to figure out next steps and innovate. I think that your wrong about the fire sale measuring demand. I think both the 3DS and classic console are perfect examples on how Nintendo miscalculated supply and demand for their products. The price was low enough to drive demand so high that the product sold out quickly. Also, I did reference all 3DS consoles, which are still not available around me with the exception of a Pokemon XL preorder at Gamestop. All other versions aren't available within 250 miles, which is also a supply/demand problem (which Nintendo needs to fix soon). Look at the prices in the second hand market, and you will see that there is a big demand for the 3DS, or people wouldn't be able to charge as much as they are getting. The demand is there or else the shelves wouldn't sell out (including XLs not just the $99 version), and you would be able to get a 3DS for cost or lower, not $100 more than MSRP.
You think the only game coming out that isn't shovel ware is FE. I can't argue against your preferences, but I do have a few titles I am looking forward to including some of the Level - 5 games (Lady Layton, The Snack World) and Pikmin 3DS. I do hope more games are released, and I do hope this is one time Reggie is telling the truth and we get a few more quality titles.
I expect Reggie to spin the numbers in his favor, he isn't going against his employer. And if the switch takes off and they move all development to that console, that is smart business. Don't we want them to be delivering quality so people will continue to buy a product that could have a long life cycle with updated versions? This will spur better development and third parties to jump on board, which everyone is always complaining about anyway. I expect a company to act in their own best interest, and they better have different options depending on how well the switch does, or they are as shortsighted and doomed as everyone has been predicting since the early 90s.
Also, I find it ironic that you have no basis for your argument that casual fans won't buy the hardware, other than having smart devices, yet reject other observations regarding the same topic as anecdotal evidence. Considering my first console as a kid was an Atari 2600, I have been around long enough to know that Reggie isn't the best choice for the role he is in, but I still support Nintendo, because I like their products.
The items that sold out this holiday season were supplied in extremely limited quantities, using that as a metric to judge success isn't fair. The new 3ds was 1/3 cheaper than msrp, and the NES classic was driven by a market of scaplers, not people genuinely interested in acquiring the product for personal use. Nintendo misjudging demand and not having enough units in the market shouldn't be taken as a success. It should be troubling that nintendo can't judge demand, or manage supply in a way that 3 months after the biggest shopping holiday of the year there still aren't 6 year old 3ds units on the shelves....
I specifically mentioned 3ds games with actual release dates. I agree that there are games slated for 2017 that could be good, but most don't even have a release date, so we likely wont see them till the end of the year. My point being there isn't much compelling software to spur sales like we had last year.
My basis for saying casuals wont buy the system is the last 5 years of nintendo losing money hand over fist in the console market. 3ds sales are incredibly soft in comparison to ds, and the wii u was a comercial disaster. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out casuals have moved on to gaming on smart devices.
I'd gladly take actual data or real information, but your observations based on people you know, or what your kids like is 100% anecdotal, which is why I chose not to engage with you on that subject. The problem with your anecdote is I can easily tell you I know 25 people who play games casually that won't be buying the switch and don't even know what the console is. Or the 3 kids in my family under 16 only game on desktop or ipad. It doesn't prove anything, and we get into a meaningless debate about meaningless information.
I actually think reggie is great at his job. I just know better than to believe anything that comes out of his mouth that doesn't have actual numerical data associated with it. Thanks for the well thought out response though, please don't take my criticism as anti nintendo. I love the company, they were my childhood. But to not take an extremely critical eye to their failures in the market over the last 5 years seems shortsighted and fanboyish. I want nintendo to succeed, I just don't believe the upper management at NOJ will allow that to happen as long as they are mired in conservative business practices from 2 decades ago.