Yesterday we reported that the New Nintendo 3DS was ceasing production in Japan, but at the time of writing it remained unclear whether the model might continue on in Europe and North America. Well, Nintendo has since clarified that the phase out of the system is a worldwide event.
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When reached for comment by GameSpot, Nintendo of Europe confirmed the standard New 3DS has been discontinued in that region as well. As for North America, well, that’s a bit trickier – the basic New Nintendo 3DS was never widely released here (we only got the larger XL version). Here’s what Nintendo of America had to say about the death of the model:
“This announcement does not affect Nintendo of America territories, as the [New Nintendo 3DS] was only sold in limited quantities as special offerings. There are no changes to the sales status of New Nintendo 3DS XL, Nintendo 2DS or the upcoming New Nintendo 2DS XL”
In other words, “We never even released that here and you can’t miss what you never had, so don’t sweat it.” That said, don’t expect any more “special offerings.”
As mentioned, the standard-sized New Nintendo 3DS was only widely released in Japan and Europe. The New Nintendo 3DS let you swap out your system’s faceplate, and was, arguably, more attractive (and portable) than the bulkier XL model. That said, the New Nintendo 3DS XL outsold the base model by a handy margin, so it’s the one that will carry on. Survival of the fittest. The New Nintendo 3DS will likely become somewhat of a collector’s item due to its unique design and low number of units sold, so if you’ve got one, it may be worth hanging onto.
The next model in the 3DS family, the New Nintendo 2DS XL, arrives on July 28.
[via GameSpot & GameIndustry.biz]
