In a world where tablet computers are becoming more and more popular, handheld videogame devices are decreasing in relevance with each new gaming app for the Google Play store or App Store. In order to combat this trend, Nintendo announced Wednesday that it will offer a low-cost Nintendo 2DS for $130.
The device will still have dual screens but will no long have hinges that close the screens down on each other. Now the entire setup is one big static-sized device. Two larger shoulder buttons sit on top, while the mic has moved to the lower left. Also, the switch normally use to shut wireless on and off has been removed. Other than the 3-D capabilities and the clamshell design, the 2DS has everything the 3DS has, albeit in a slightly different location, according to USA Today.
The company will introduce the new handheld as a sibling to the 3DS. It will launch Oct. 12 and will be capable of running games built for the 3DS only it won't be able to utilize any of the game's 3-D effects. As a result the 2DS is priced at $40 cheaper than the 3DS. The hope from the Japanese gaming giant is that this will curb some of the appeal of tablets for gaming. According to The New York Times about one-third of American adults own tablets. That figure rises to about 50 percent once parents with children living at home is factored in.
"Forty bucks may not be a lot, but for families it's a lot," said Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo of America, in an interview. He continued that the 2DS is meant for entry level gamers or people who live in a household with multiple children.
The 3DS has continued to be the best-selling piece of gaming hardware on the market over the past three months, according to NPD Group. The last, best-selling portable gaming device was the 3DS' predecessor the Nintendo DS, with over 150 million units sold, making it the best selling portable gaming device in history, even beating out all Gameboy models.
Nintendo also announced on Wednesday that it would be reducing the price of its flagship console for the living room, the Wii U, by $50. This is a reaction to the fact that sales of the Wii U were not nearly what the company had estimated they would be. Now it appears the company is trying to get the product off shelves any way they can before the holiday season. Perhaps a lower price tag will be just the thing to slip a Wii U under more trees this year. After all, things are only going to get harder for Nintendo come November when the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 come out.
