Announced in 2010, the successor to the popular Nintendo DS promised a revolutionary experience with its stereoscopic 3D without the need for glasses. The expectation was high, but reality soon hit Nintendo hard as it received a rather lukewarm reception, which led the company to make the decision to lower the price of the console and also give away 20 classic games. from NES and GBA.
A little more than 13 years ago, the 3DS hit stores at a price that was considered quite high, which was $250 dollars and just at a time when smartphones began to attract attention in the gaming industry, trying conquer the market with your free games. A value that alienated several players who were waiting for its launch, and also due to criticism of its stereoscopic 3D system, which generated controversy due to its possible impact on the visual health of children.
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At the time, Sony Director of Hardware and Marketing John Koller told IGN that, despite being an “interesting” concept, the 3DS would hit a demographic roadblock. “Children of 8 and 9 years old playing in 3D is a bit exaggerated given the current conditions of our research,” suggesting that stereoscopic 3D would be detrimental to players of that age.
Changing the strategy to improve sales
These criticisms, together with the high price, generated a failure in sales of the 3DS, which did not meet Nintendo's expectations. A few months after its launch, the company made a decision that impressed the entire community, since until that time it was very strange to see in the “Big N” products. And they decided to lower the price of the console to $170 dollars and also offer the first buyers an “ambassadors” program that gave them access to 20 classic NES and GBA games for free.
In September 2011, Nintendo released a total of 10 NES games, including titles such as Balloon Fight, Donkey Kong Jr., Ice Climber, Mario and Yoshi, Metroid, NES Open Tournament Golf, Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Wrecking Crew and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. Subsequently, in December 2011, 10 Game Boy Advance games were released, including titles such as Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones, F-Zero: Maximum Velocity, Kirby and the Labyrinth of Mirrors, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Mario vs. . Donkey Kong, Metroid: Fusion, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, WarioWare, Inc. Mega Mini-Jeux, Wario Land 4 and Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3.
Nintendo's initiative was a success. Classic games, together with the price drop and the launch of titles such as Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7, managed to boost sales of the 3DS. The console would end up becoming a resounding success, with more than 77 million units sold around the globe.
Nintendo claims that games are realistic when the characters interact with the world and not because they have the best graphics
While publishers and console manufacturers compete to present visually impressive games, pushing current technology to its limits to seek results close to reality, Nintendo seeks to stand out for its different approach, and instead of focusing exclusively on graphics, the Japanese company prioritizes character interaction and expression to enhance the gaming experience.
During a panel at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2024 that TheGamer was able to attend, Nintendo CEO Takashi Tezuka shared the company's philosophy regarding realism in video games. Contrary to the trend of focusing on cutting-edge graphics, Tezuka emphasized that realism goes beyond visual appearance. According to him, the key is to make the characters react to the world around them, generating a more immersive gaming experience.
(FUENTE)
