Nintendo 3DS Price Drop Hits on August 9th at Walmart

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[IMG-R=5838]24198[/IMG-R]According to a trusted source, Walmart will be dropping the price of the Nintendo 3DS on August 9th, 3 days before the official drop takes effect. This means savvy shoppers will be able to get the new low price and the 20 free downloadable games available as a reward to early adopters of the 3DS. Just connect to the Nintendo eShop at least once before 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Aug. 11 to qualify for the free games.
 
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[quote name='rcx4']Exactly.. And besides, how would Nintendo know that we bought the 3DS at Walmart anyway? I can say that I bought it at Target or Best Buy or [insert random store name here]..[/QUOTE]

before the console gets shipped out to the store the serial number scanned. i was reading about this at GAF and someone called Nintendo and they knew he bought it from Walmart.
 
[quote name='SpartenOmega117']before the console gets shipped out to the store the serial number scanned. i was reading about this at GAF and someone called Nintendo and they knew he bought it from Walmart.[/QUOTE]

do they know when and how much was paid for it? maybe he put walmart as the place of purchase when filling out a warranty form?
 
[quote name='fignutz32']do they know when and how much was paid for it? maybe he put walmart as the place of purchase when filling out a warranty form?[/QUOTE]

im not 100% sure but i would assume Nintendo would know where you bought it from just from the scanning of serial number. Im pretty sure walmart also scans the serial number when you check out. As for the amount paid I think Nintendo would know the day you bought it as well. Like your serial number was scanned on or after August 9th. I guess they would know that you bought it for $170 since walmart put it up for sale. But again this is all just speculation so don't take my word for it.
 
From past experience, Wal-Mart doesn't scan the serial number when you check out. They didn't when I bought my PS3. Anyways, the price dropped later in the day, but when I got back there the 4 systems left were already gone.
 
Not believing it. When I went to the e shop, went to the ambassador program, it said I was in the program.
 
[quote name='SpartenOmega117']before the console gets shipped out to the store the serial number scanned. i was reading about this at GAF and someone called Nintendo and they knew he bought it from Walmart.[/QUOTE]

Yes, they do know where you got it from. When I did the warranty work for the dual layer issue on the Wii, they knew it was from walmart.

Anyway, that story sounds like BS.
 
[quote name='offensive_jerk']Yes, they do know where you got it from. When I did the warranty work for the dual layer issue on the Wii, they knew it was from walmart.

Anyway, that story sounds like BS.[/QUOTE]

I am willing to put money on it being BS. Nintendo cant prove 100% you paid the lower price and overall the 20 games was to motivate people to buy early.
 
picked mine up this morning before work. they said it should be the lower price, but was sill marked at $250. they did the price adjustment but it didnt work, so they manually adjusted the price for me after supervisor approval. took about 20 minutes but im happy i got the lower price and will get the free games
 
[quote name='Moonlk']Not believing it. When I went to the e shop, went to the ambassador program, it said I was in the program.[/QUOTE]


It says I'm in the Ambassador Program, too.

It's misinformation spread by someone with sour grapes because people were able to buy a 3DS cheaper than they did, and still get into the program. Boo-Hoo.

That's the price of being an early adopter. Early adoption always costs more, because you're paying to play with new toys right away.
 
I stopped and checked at the Riverhead, NY location yesterday and had them check. In their system it came up 250.

So I grabbed one from Bestbuy and am price matching.
 
Guys, listen. The ambassador program was about being an early adopter. Not about how much money you paid for your 3DS. What if I paid $129 for one on Ebay, would I not be an ambassador?

Also, you apparently don't know how retail works. Walmart already paid Nintendo for those 3DS' they rolled back to $169. So, what does Nintendo care? They aren't losing any money. Lets face it, anyone who buys a 3DS from Walmart over the next couple days is getting a hell of a deal.
 
[quote name='62t']Sounds fake. System brought at Walmart today already got the notification they are in Ambassador[/QUOTE]


Why would Nintendo send an email to Gamestop about Walmart?
 
[quote name='NEgami']This is sort of off topic, but let me pose this question. I bought a 3DS four days ago from best buy and I only two games I bought with are: Zelda, Ocarina of time, and Ghost Recon game. None other games for 3DS interest me yet. Street Fighter 3D edition perhaps, but I am not paying full price for that game. So... can anyone recommend any must-play DS games that are below $20-25 dollars? I have about $105 to waste. I am open to all genres, maybe not fighters. Thanks for any suggestions.[/QUOTE]


I got my copy of Street Fighter 3D for $20 shipped in like new condition (from Glyde, but you can probably find similar elsewhere).
 
I was AMAZED when I walked through the door yesterday to see tons of these on the shelf at that price. I absolutely picked up another one, even though I shouldn't have afforded it. Bought one to keep at my parent's house so I don't have to drag my 3DS around with me and risk losing it. I'll deal with the financial fallout later. This is too good of a deal to pass up.
 
[quote name='heavy liquid']It says I'm in the Ambassador Program, too.

It's misinformation spread by someone with sour grapes because people were able to buy a 3DS cheaper than they did, and still get into the program. Boo-Hoo.

That's the price of being an early adopter. Early adoption always costs more, because you're paying to play with new toys right away.[/QUOTE]

I hear ya. They paid for roughly five months of gaming. they can get over it.
 
Just picked up one at a walmart in cullman al. Had about ten of each color, already marked down.

Just wish a game had been on sale! No target here so I guess I'll just be playing with the system itself. Gonna hit up a pawn shop later for some ds games.
 
My two cents, this price drop and 20 free retro downloadable games (no future value) has turned a lot of decent cags into regular consumers. Great ploy by nintendo. I guess if we could go back and they did this for the virtual boy or sega cd, you'd all be lapping that up. Not to say this is as horrible as those but when a company flat out admits price point defeat so early, it's suspicious. No one does that. Hell sony stood by the ps3 which came out at like $4,000 at launch.

I just don't like it. As a CAG an informed gamer/consumer. But enjoy yours!
 
I called around to just about every Walmart in the Albany, NY region yesterday. The one off Washington Ave Extension had three in the morning and one when I called a few hours later, so presumably they're gone.

I called another six or so stores and all were out except for a few which had a couple of the blue 3DS. The exception is the location on Altamont Ave in Schenectady. They had probably 8 or so of both colors (full shelf), so I grabbed a black one from there. The new price is clearly marked on the display.

That's probably your best bet in the area, unless another store gets a shipment today/tomorrow.
 
I feel guilty as a CAG spending so much money lately.. A 2nd Wii, a 2nd 3DS, but I'll deal with the financial fallout later... I still have to update my first 3DS... I still haven't played with the AR Cards.
 
I think it's funny how people on Craigslist are still selling for $200+ for used units, not including games. Even when I informed them (they emailed me after picking up my unit) that the price had dropped, they basically didn't care.
 
[quote name='8bitogre']I think it's funny how people on Craigslist are still selling for $200+ for used units, not including games. Even when I informed them (they emailed me after picking up my unit) that the price had dropped, they basically didn't care.[/QUOTE]

Well to be fair some people will still buy them and be unaware of the earlier drop. I mean 200 + 10 free games + 10 more down the road > 160
 
[quote name='ijustw1n']My two cents, this price drop and 20 free retro downloadable games (no future value) has turned a lot of decent cags into regular consumers. Great ploy by nintendo. I guess if we could go back and they did this for the virtual boy or sega cd, you'd all be lapping that up. Not to say this is as horrible as those but when a company flat out admits price point defeat so early, it's suspicious. No one does that. Hell sony stood by the ps3 which came out at like $4,000 at launch.

I just don't like it. As a CAG an informed gamer/consumer. But enjoy yours![/QUOTE]


This is what I've been thinking, too. It's like, Nintendo tells you this thing is flopping hard, so they drop the price before six months is up and suddenly you guys are like, "Wow, that system I didn't want because it didn't have any games is priced a bit lower! I MUST HAVE IT!"

Perhaps they were right to price it high before so they could drop its price now. Otherwise, people might not been so happy to have it at $170 as they are now. Because if it had started out at $170, think of how low they'd have had to drop it to get your attention like they are now...

Price really wasn't the primary problem with the console. At least, not the price of the system itself. The games are overpriced, ports, it plays like something out of 2006 (stylus, nub, only one nub, 320x240 stylus-based screen), but now that it's $80 cheaper, it's a deal?

Eh. New MSRP's are not deals. Unless of course you're just aching to play Super Mario Brothers 1 and Donkey Kong in 2d again.

I'm all for people loving their system and all for people loving the 3DS if they love it, but calling this a deal and flooding the CAG forums with every store that prices this thing at its new MSRP does not in any way make this a deal or cheap.

This is MSRP-Ass Gamer. CAG becomes MAG.
 
[quote name='HisDivineShadow']I'm all for people loving their system and all for people loving the 3DS if they love it, but calling this a deal and flooding the CAG forums with every store that prices this thing at its new MSRP does not in any way make this a deal or cheap.

This is MSRP-Ass Gamer. CAG becomes MAG.[/QUOTE]

Witty. And on that note, Joystiq reported Target dropped the price today.

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/10/target-drops-nintendo-3ds-price-to-170-today-get-those-20-free/
 
[quote name='HisDivineShadow']This is what I've been thinking, too. It's like, Nintendo tells you this thing is flopping hard, so they drop the price before six months is up and suddenly you guys are like, "Wow, that system I didn't want because it didn't have any games is priced a bit lower! I MUST HAVE IT!"

Perhaps they were right to price it high before so they could drop its price now. Otherwise, people might not been so happy to have it at $170 as they are now. Because if it had started out at $170, think of how low they'd have had to drop it to get your attention like they are now...

Price really wasn't the primary problem with the console. At least, not the price of the system itself. The games are overpriced, ports, it plays like something out of 2006 (stylus, nub, only one nub, 320x240 stylus-based screen), but now that it's $80 cheaper, it's a deal?

Eh. New MSRP's are not deals. Unless of course you're just aching to play Super Mario Brothers 1 and Donkey Kong in 2d again.

I'm all for people loving their system and all for people loving the 3DS if they love it, but calling this a deal and flooding the CAG forums with every store that prices this thing at its new MSRP does not in any way make this a deal or cheap.

This is MSRP-Ass Gamer. CAG becomes MAG.[/QUOTE]

Not quite. A lot of us would have definitely bought a 3DS once our favourite game came out. (I would have bought the 3DS even at $250 once Mario 3DS and Paper Mario released). The deal here is that I get those 20 free games for purchasing a product early. So it is

a) Purchase 3DS at $170 in November and buy Paper Mario

OR

b) Purchase 3DS at $170 now and buy Paper Mario in November and get 20 free games (A few of which I would have bought on the eShop).
 
[quote name='whatsinaname']Not quite. A lot of us would have definitely bought a 3DS once our favourite game came out. (I would have bought the 3DS even at $250 once Mario 3DS and Paper Mario released). The deal here is that I get those 20 free games for purchasing a product early. So it is

a) Purchase 3DS at $170 in November and buy Paper Mario

OR

b) Purchase 3DS at $170 now and buy Paper Mario in November and get 20 free games (A few of which I would have bought on the eShop).[/QUOTE]

I would add in like I keep saying... buying a 3DS right now should be worth over 600 coins on club nintendo giving you platinum status.
 
We really should just have one thread for 3ds price drops instead of them all scattered around. Its not even like its a sale or a deal since its a universal price drop.
 
[quote name='ijustw1n']My two cents, this price drop and 20 free retro downloadable games (no future value) has turned a lot of decent cags into regular consumers. Great ploy by nintendo. I guess if we could go back and they did this for the virtual boy or sega cd, you'd all be lapping that up. Not to say this is as horrible as those but when a company flat out admits price point defeat so early, it's suspicious. No one does that. Hell sony stood by the ps3 which came out at like $4,000 at launch.

I just don't like it. As a CAG an informed gamer/consumer. But enjoy yours![/QUOTE]


You don't think it's a deal because the free games are not physical media?

My 2 cents: If anyone planned on buying a 3DS in the future as well as any of the downloadable games... it's a deal. The more games you would have bought, the better the deal.

I personally buy a lot of games online (though I too, prefer physical media), so I could easily see myself buying 7-10 of the games, bringing the price of the 3DS under $100 if you factor that in. Pretty good deal, in my books.
 
I think it's douchey that the red 3DS is coming out after the program ends. It's been out in Europe for ages. I prefer the red to the black/blue one anyways.
 
[quote name='karyadi']I think it's douchey that the red 3DS is coming out after the program ends. It's been out in Europe for ages. I prefer the red to the black/blue one anyways.[/QUOTE]

I hear they're giving them out for free in London.
 
[quote name='ijustw1n']My two cents, this price drop and 20 free retro downloadable games (no future value) has turned a lot of decent cags into regular consumers. Great ploy by nintendo. I guess if we could go back and they did this for the virtual boy or sega cd, you'd all be lapping that up. Not to say this is as horrible as those but when a company flat out admits price point defeat so early, it's suspicious. No one does that. Hell sony stood by the ps3 which came out at like $4,000 at launch.

I just don't like it. As a CAG an informed gamer/consumer. But enjoy yours![/QUOTE]


[quote name='HisDivineShadow']This is what I've been thinking, too. It's like, Nintendo tells you this thing is flopping hard, so they drop the price before six months is up and suddenly you guys are like, "Wow, that system I didn't want because it didn't have any games is priced a bit lower! I MUST HAVE IT!"

Perhaps they were right to price it high before so they could drop its price now. Otherwise, people might not been so happy to have it at $170 as they are now. Because if it had started out at $170, think of how low they'd have had to drop it to get your attention like they are now...

Price really wasn't the primary problem with the console. At least, not the price of the system itself. The games are overpriced, ports, it plays like something out of 2006 (stylus, nub, only one nub, 320x240 stylus-based screen), but now that it's $80 cheaper, it's a deal?

Eh. New MSRP's are not deals. Unless of course you're just aching to play Super Mario Brothers 1 and Donkey Kong in 2d again.

I'm all for people loving their system and all for people loving the 3DS if they love it, but calling this a deal and flooding the CAG forums with every store that prices this thing at its new MSRP does not in any way make this a deal or cheap.

This is MSRP-Ass Gamer. CAG becomes MAG.[/QUOTE]

I agree completely. Seems like a lot of CAGs here have caught MSRP-fever with the 20 free old downloadable games, most of which would probably not sell for more than a buck on iOS/Android market. Nintendo's "retail prices" for their downloadable games is laughably high; NES and GB games should be a dollar max, GBA maybe a couple bucks max. The 20 free games wouldn't suddenly tip me to buy the 3DS, but then again I wasn't impressed with the system in the first place. Basing a handheld system on 3D as the big selling aspect is contradictory; as you move the system around during play, it messes with the 3D viewing sweet spot. Plus the overall specs for the system are way underpowered for a 2011-release console.

However it will be interesting to see how things play out for the 3DS this holiday season . . . really a make or break for the system, IMO. Since the Vita is delayed in Europe/North America until early 2012, the 3DS will get a chance to garner holiday sales, and it might help.

As for the games, nothing of interest for me on it. I wish they had put their effort into a single (larger) screen handheld, with much more power than the 3DS has, but unfortunately it looks like they just stuck with a slightly upgraded DS, adding the 3D feature to reel people in.
 
[quote name='karyadi']I think it's douchey that the red 3DS is coming out after the program ends. It's been out in Europe for ages. I prefer the red to the black/blue one anyways.[/QUOTE]
you must be a visitor from the future, and if so can you give me some stock tips as well?

the flare (or flame) red system has only officially been released in japan. noa announced (this week) that the color will be making its u.s. debut on 09 sep, but no uk date has been announced by noe for this colour system yet
 
[quote name='chimpmeister']I agree completely. Seems like a lot of CAGs here have caught MSRP-fever with the 20 free old downloadable games, most of which would probably not sell for more than a buck on iOS/Android market. Nintendo's "retail prices" for their downloadable games is laughably high; NES and GB games should be a dollar max, GBA maybe a couple bucks max. The 20 free games wouldn't suddenly tip me to buy the 3DS, but then again I wasn't impressed with the system in the first place. Basing a handheld system on 3D as the big selling aspect is contradictory; as you move the system around during play, it messes with the 3D viewing sweet spot. Plus the overall specs for the system are way underpowered for a 2011-release console.
[/QUOTE]

So, even taking your valuation, a system @MSRP with (at least) $20 worth of games is *not* a deal in your eyes?

I understand that you may not personally be persuaded by this (I certainly am not), but I think, even based on your given valuations it passes the smell test as "a deal".

It just happens to be a deal you have no interest in, and that's cool too.
 
To whoever it was crying about this being a MSRP "deal" - I thought it was pretty obvious that the reason this is considered a deal was solely to double dip on the free games and the new price. After August 12th this definitely won't be a deal, but for approximately $80 worth of downloadable games to just be handed to you for buying the system before the 12th, that's most certainly a deal for anyone interested in at least some of those games.
 
[quote name='hostyl1']So, even taking your valuation, a system @MSRP with (at least) $20 worth of games is *not* a deal in your eyes?

I understand that you may not personally be persuaded by this (I certainly am not), but I think, even based on your given valuations it passes the smell test as "a deal".

It just happens to be a deal you have no interest in, and that's cool too.[/QUOTE]

I understand what you're saying, and obviously for many people this is a "deal", and that's fine; but if there isn't a compelling reason to actually own the system (for me there isn't), then it doesn't matter. There aren't any 3DS games out right now that would make me want one anyway, and the older eShop games are not going to make that happen either (would rather have a DSL/DSi/XL for those, due to the odd 3DS upper screen resolution which doesn't work well for those games), soooooo . . . its an easy pass. I'm patient and I have a huge backlog on many platforms to play right now anyway, no big rush. If Nintendo sorts things out and improves the 3DS (particularly with a revised console, which many people are doubtful they'd release anytime in the near future), I might consider it.
 
not sure to pick one up or not. i will probably never use it, but 20 old games and price drop seems enticing, but battery life and i rather have a 3ds light (if they even make one).

there's nothing i want to play on it anyways, i think i just want it just to have it. i shouldn't waste money. i hope i can last 2 more days without buying one.
 
Newsflash: You don't have to enter threads and discuss deals that you don't believe are real "deals" and/or have no interest in.

You can do what normal people do and just ignore threads that don't interest you.
 
[quote name='strait edge follower']This thread is around two weeks old and people are still arguing lmao[/QUOTE]

While I agree that it's ridiculous... five days = ~2 weeks? :D :D :D
 
Target and Walmart both have the new low price. So for people who bough it at Best Buy prior to this new pricing, are you able to Price match AND Price adjust without hassle?
 
[quote name='xRemnant']Target and Walmart both have the new low price. So for people who bough it at Best Buy prior to this new pricing, are you able to Price match AND Price adjust without hassle?[/QUOTE]


I'm waiting until Friday just because I don't see the rush. It's much easier for them to price match their own system than to call to verify an unadvertised price.
 
Confirmed at Target in Issaquah, WA. They had at least 3 of Black and Aqua left. Without the 20 free games I probably would have waited a few more months and bought this used, so I'd say this is a nice deal indeed. :)
 
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