IGN:3DS必须推倒重来

Toyger

While Nintendo has established a long history of releasing new versions, designs and models of its hardware, it's now entering dangerous territory with the Nintendo 3DS. Inside a year of its release, the system is seeing a peripheral that can and will fundamentally change the way companies approach game development.

The market for the Nintendo 3DS will soon be fractured, split in a way that the GBA SP, Game Boy Color and DS Lite never were. This peripheral is, of course, the circle pad expansion. A second circle pad was certainly necessary for the 3DS, but now Nintendo is faced with a critical choice – relaunch its system or fail to truly keep the peripheral viable in the long term.

Nintendo's lack of foresight in packaging the 3DS with a second circle pad is a critical failure on the part of the company. Virtually all modern games require a second analog input, and movement and touch-based solutions are inadequate replacements. Moreover, the PlayStation Vita features two sticks and is more powerful. Although it's (now) more expensive than the 3DS, it could still potentially prove more alluring than the 3DS if Nintendo doesn't fix its error. That the publisher is attempting to do this now is certainly reassuring, but the fact that Nintendo has to do it speaks volumes about how it approached this system in the first place.



This is what is causing Nintendo a headache...
A number of poor choices have plagued the 3DS since its launch, and in some respects the system's first year will be remembered as one of Nintendo's roughest ever. The question now is what to do about it. A price drop, expanded content and a functioning eShop go a long way, and certainly have had an impact, but the circle pad is a fundamental product feature unlike any of the other "upgrades" Nintendo has provided. It changes how games are made. Now the company faces a tough choice – support the add-on full force and accept the consequences, or watch it fade into oblivion, giving its competitors a significant advantage in accepting ports and remakes of modern titles.

If Nintendo wants developers to support this extra circle pad, the first model of the Nintendo 3DS must be replaced immediately. It cannot remain on store shelves, because its continued presence furthers a splitting of Nintendo's marketplace. Developers will be forced to either support a platform of millions with only one circle pad or a platform of few with two.

Specifically this piece right here.
That's the biggest problem the company faces – convincing developers to start over. The current system is just now gaining steam, selling over 200,000 units in August after its price drop. For Nintendo to introduce a seismic change to its system's control interface could potentially undo all of its progress thus far. For all intents and purposes, the 3DS would be starting over, barring some sort of massive recall or free distribution of the expansion device. Quite obviously, both of those would have huge financial implications.

Of course this is to say nothing of consumers. Millions have already invested in Nintendo's 3D world, many at the system's original $250 price point. This is, of course, the danger of even suggesting a relaunch or uttering the words "3DS Lite." No doubt many gamers were holding out for a revision to the system's hardware, particularly considering the portable's rather anemic battery life, but many were willing to be early adopters. Now the other shoe drops. Not owning a new 3DS model could potentially cut existing 3DS owners out of a whole range of titles. Attempting to keep the existing version results in an awkward attachment that at best resembles a prototype still in development.

Toyger

The Nintendo 3DS Must Relaunch
任天堂3DS必须重新发售

  任天堂推出新版本硬件已经有很长的历史惯例了，但是对于3DS现在已经进入了一种危险的领域，周边的巨大波动已经直接触及到了游戏开发者的研发根基。
  3DS硬件生产商将会很蛋痛，这种痛是GBA SP, Game Boy Color和DS Lite这几种改进型机型都未遭遇过的。3DS对于这个右摇杆 扩展周边是需要的，但是任天堂今天必须做出一个艰难的决定，重新发售（双摇杆）新系统 或者保持这个周边的存在做长期抗战。
  作为一个公司，任天堂现在才提出右摇杆是一个缺乏远见的失败，只能算亡羊补牢。事实上现代的游戏都需要右摇杆的存在，触摸功能只能作为一个补充而不能是替代。此外，PSV的双摇杆就显得更加强大，尽管（现在）比3DS昂贵，但是PSV迷人设计潜在的反映了3DS硬件的失败，如果任天堂还不去改进这缺陷的话。右摇杆的发布让人感到安慰，现在任天堂要做的是，大声宣告这右摇杆将如何给系统带来便利性。

使任天堂头痛的是...............
  从3DS发售开始，匮乏的游戏选择就显示出这系统将是任天堂最粗燥的产品，问题是现在如何去解决它们，拼血大减价、额外内容和启动eShop，这些措施带来或多或少的作用。但是扩展右摇杆这不是一般的“升级”，这将直接影响到游戏的开发，任天堂现在头痛的选择是：全力支持发挥这摇杆接受市场考验，或者冷淡让它成为过眼云烟给人笑柄，这将把次世代大作拱手相让给竞争对手。
  如果任天堂想要游戏开发者大力支持这右摇杆，那么先前发售的3DS必须马上被更替，而且不能再出现在售货架上了，不然会分裂任天堂的市场份额。游戏开发者全力为（双摇杆）系统开发作品，而以前的单摇杆机型用户可以通过购买右摇杆外设来玩新游戏。
  如何说服游戏开发商从头再来是任天堂面临的大难题，因为3DS自从8月份减价以来售出了20万台，才刚刚上道。这右摇杆带来的动荡或许会对这势头产生不利影响。从利益来看，厚道的话，任天堂如果重新发售新机型将面临大规模召回旧机型，或者免费派发右摇杆外设，两种方案都要巨大的财政支出。
  对于已经消费者来说这些都无关紧要了，数以百万计的玩家在250美元原始价格就投入了任天堂的3D世界，重新发售的风险或者称"3DS Lite"计划都不会阻止真·任天堂fans购入新机型或者扩展摇杆的热情，再说这扩展周边还带着巨大的电池呢，大大延长了游戏快感时长。但是对于冷冰冰的硬件来说，这些开发中的改进将会把已存在机型推到一个尴尬的地步。