Back in 2014, Nintendo took the wraps off their new 3DS handheld consoles which came in the “regular” 3DS size and the “XL” size. Both models have been launched around the world, but oddly enough for North American markets, Nintendo decided to only release the 3DS XL version which had many of us scratching our heads in puzzlement.So what gives? Why not give American customers the same choices as everyone else? It turns out it was to avoid confusion. Speaking at Indiecade East (via Nintendo Life), Nintendo’s Damon Baker explained that trying to differentiate all the models would lead to confusion amongst customers, so by passing on the 3DS launch, they were able to create clear distinctions between the different consoles.
According to Baker, “Now we have clear differentiation between those three systems. Before, there was a very limited difference between the 3DS and 3DS XL other than size. It was the same resolution, same functionality… now, there’s the 2DS, 3DS, and New 3DS XL, all of which have their own functionality and features.”
Baker admits that the move did not sit well with Nintendo’s core audience, but states that it was done in a bid to help expand their user base. No word on whether Nintendo will ever bring the new 3DS stateside, but for now we guess gamers will have to contend with the XL version which we guess isn’t such a bad thing.
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