Nintendo announced it has sold 4.5 million 3DS handhelds in the U.S during its first year of availability, numbers that exceed the launch of the Nintendo DS.
According to Digital Trends, the figure marks “a very impressive turnaround” for the handheld gaming system, which had a “very rocky start.”
“How has Nintendo managed to turn the 3DS around?” asks the article. “Two ways: pricing and content.”
Since early criticism focused on unit cost and lack of compelling games, Nintendo reduced the retail price from $250 to $170 in the U.S. This was followed by the long-promised availability of new 3D content, including versions of Nintendo’s own Zelda and Mario franchises.
The result was a sharp increase in sales, placing the 3DS neck-and-neck with the Nintendo Wii console during the same year.
Video has most likely been an additional factor in the 3DS turnaround, since the device also features access to Nintendo Video and Netflix streaming.
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