Nintendo Knows 3DS Is Declining, But Will Continue Supporting It Anyway

While Nintendo has previously stated its intent to continue supporting the 3DS in the long run, there was some optimism among those who just want the company to move all their games to the Switch already that maybe they will drop support for the ageing handheld in the wake of its underperformance against an already modest goal. However, speaking to investors in a Q & A session, Nintendo’s President Shuntaro Furukawa asserted that even though Nintendo is aware of the 3DS’s decline, it will continue to support it.

“While the 3DS market has contracted faster than we anticipated, currently many of consumers who newly purchase Nintendo 3DS are consumers purchasing Nintendo 3DS as their first game system,” Furukawa said. “Demand still remains from parents looking to purchase a first game system for their children. That is why our basic policy is to proceed with both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS in our dedicated video game platform business.”

The question here is what this “support” might entail. If it just means that the console is continued to be sold, along with budget priced re-releases and re-issues of games, I hardly think anyone would complain. If, on the other hand, Nintendo continues to put games on the 3DS that might be better served on the Switch—something like Metroid: Samus Returns, for example—then I can imagine why many might be unhappy with the company’s continued support for the system.

Currently, Nintendo has no 3DS games announced beyond Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn. Their first Nintendo Direct for the year will be telling—will they announce more 3DS games? Or is Kirby it?