Why the premature 3DS launch has done nothing but bring problems for the future of the system.
When people said that the 3DS was just like the Virtual Boy, I laughed them off. Yeah, they both have a 3D gimmick, but neither is truly comparable… or at least that's what I thought. While the two may share some rudimentary similarities, they are similar because they both suffered extremely botched launches – the worst in Nintendo's history.
Some people may point to the DS as justification for why the 3DS launch is going just fine, but I'm not talking about sales or adoption rate. No, I'm talking about the actual hardware, its marketing position, and the popular opinion surrounding the system. It's becoming clear that the 3DS launched well ahead of it being ready. The late launch of the eShop was pretty telling of that, but some other events have confirmed this fact.
If you own a 3DS, it's likely you're frustrated with the game selection. There's no doubt that games are out there, even some pretty good ones, but following the DS, you need more than a few decent games to inspire confidence in the market. Without a strong first party title, the system has nothing to anchor itself to. Clearly there are games on the horizon, but they won't be available until the end of the year – when the system truly should've launched in the first place.
Come the holidays, just between Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7, players will be plenty busy. Those are must-have games for most prospective players that will give them a reason to endorse Nintendo's latest handheld venture.
However, it doesn't seem like Nintendo realizes this. Perhaps in a moment of despair, they've created the 3DS Circle Pad Attachment, which they plan to launch at the end of the year. It's unsightly and we all know it, but worse is that the writing for a redesign is on the wall. It doesn't help that the reputable 01.net started the rumor that a redesign is on the way and that the price cut was a liquidation measure to clear stock of the current 3DS out of the market.
For hardcore gamers that have yet to purchase a 3DS, it's likely that they are waiting on the side lines for this redesign, further stifling sales of the system despite the aggressive sales cut. Regardless, this new attachment in its own right is quite troubling.
Clearly, the system should've had a second analog stick on it from the get-go. All modern controllers feature 2 sticks, and for good reason. It's the easiest way to control a character and a camera in 3D space. With the official announcement of the peripheral, Nintendo has revealed that it's already being supported by some heavy hitting titles, like Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil, and Kingdom Hearts.
But there's a small problem with the wording here: it's supported, not required. And of course it's not required; you'd be severely limiting your market otherwise. Because the 3DS launched with only one analog stick, developers are stuck delivering games that must support just one analog stick. This means that most developers won't make bold moves to create games that demand a second analog stick. Instead, these titles will likely go to the Vita, where the entire market is guaranteed to have the necessary controls.
That's a huge problem for Nintendo and 3DS owners – a huge problem that has no real solution. If Nintendo hopes to unify their market, they'll need to provide all 3DS owners with the circle pad attachment and replace the current 3DS with a redesigned one, complete with the attachment or a second analog stick build in. Either that or replace everyone's 3DS with a redesigned one.
Of course, neither will happen. Instead Nintendo will try to force support by packing in the peripheral with games that are made for it specifically and hope the adoption rate increases. The Wii Motion Plus serves as a great example for what 3DS owners are in for. And if that's any indication, support won't be nearly as strong as players might be hoping for.
While I welcome the ill-conceived peripheral, I can't help but think how different a story the 3DS would be if it would've been delayed and released in the fall. Nintendo could've really analyzed the benefits of including a second circle pad, released the system with a strong line-up of games, a full feature set, and done so at the right price. At this point, the 3DS is going to have to make up lost ground with disenchanted gamers and the incredibly persuasive gaming press. It doesn't help that the market will now be segmented and that current 3DS owners will feel the burn of an early redesign that includes a more elegant implementation of the second circle pad.
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