GameStop: 3DS sales lagging behind expectations

Here’s some unsurprising information. Video game retail giant GameStop says that despite extremely strong launch sales, Nintendo 3DS sales are starting to slow down and it expects sales to start lagging behind its expectations by the end of the second fiscal quarter. GameStops’s president Tony Bartel, “We were very excited about 3DS when it launched. [It] was one of the highest market shares we’ve ever had for a Nintendo launch at 45%. I think there have been reports that the numbers are lagging from what the expectations were in the US, and I think our results will be in line with that.”

Looks like Nintendo’s going to need to step things up with the 3DS if gamers aren’t biting. One of the tricky things about having a 3D console is advertising it. It’s very hard to express the depth that a 3D device can display with traditional 2D formats such as in print or on TV.

As we said in our Nintendo 3DS review, the main problems with the handheld is that there are no lust-worthy games available (something that will change over the next few months). Nintendo pushed out very casual “demo-like” games such as Nintendogs + Cats and Steel Diver, but no Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D or Super Mario 3DS games made it to launch.

So, tell us, are you holding off on a Nintendo 3DS purchase because of the lack of good games? Waiting for a Sony NGP? What is it that’s holding you back from a shiny new 3DS?

Raymond Wong
Categories: Gaming
Tags: 3DS (Nintendo), gamestop, Nintendo