Seriously Nintendo? Seriously? (Op-Ed)
Video game makers have been some pretty silly things as of late. Largely the complaints have been that games have been released broken. The only way you can fix that is paying for some downloadable content later on down the line. Then there’s Nintendo. They released the latest installment of Super Smash Brothers for the Wii U. Everyone wanted to use the Gamecube controller to play it, but for the longest time, they didn’t produce enough adapters and the price for them was high. And now there’s this current misstep.
Last Friday they released the latest 3DS XL. While that sounds like great news, it’s not coming with something that every modern hand-held gaming system needs, a charge cord.
That’s right, no charge cord. Now… as a gamer and one who will get hand-held systems for the games that are only available on those systems (like the Ace Attorney series). I haven’t picked up a 3DS largely because the 3D technology, while it’s neat that you can do 3D without 3D glasses, it would still give me a headache. The image wasn’t all that clear. That’s something that this latest 3DS is supposed to have.
Why no charge cord?
Nintendo says that the reason why they didn’t include it is because they’re expecting the people that own the earlier versions to already have the charge cord and it was more cost-effective to not include it.
That’s all fine and dandy, but that means you’re cutting off people who don’t own the system yet. People who haven’t bought it yet who were waiting for the impetus to do so. For me, it was waiting for Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3DS.
I was going to get the special edition version. They came in a limited number and there have been issues (especially with Best Buy) where people had their orders canceled because they didn’t limit the number that could be ordered). This is not a problem that Nintendo created. That’s all on Best Buy. So, I figured I’d get the new version when it came out. It’s supposed to have better 3D graphics and maybe it wouldn’t give me a headache like the older editions did.
Seriously, not throwing in a charge cord is silly. You shouldn’t think that the only people who are going to buy this new system have the older models. You’re limiting the amount of growth the system could have.
Yes, you can buy an AC cord from Nintendo for an extra $8.95. It’s not all that expensive, which begs the question: Why not include it in the systems in the first place.
My guess, this is indicative of where the video game industry is going. You have to pay extra for anything to be functional… and that is truly sad.
Come on Nintendo! You have created some amazing games. Games that keep me buying your systems because they’re so good. I’m going to buy a Wii U when the latest Legend of Zelda game comes out. This is a huge misstep and isn’t going to please your fan base. Can’t you just add the cord for free? I understand not doing so with the Gamecube controller adapter. It’s not a necessary part of the system. You don’t need to play things with the Gamecube controller.
But you can’t play the 3DS without a charge cord. Sony has you beat on this. They still include the charge cord with the Vita. Why can’t you just bundle it together instead of gouging players more?