Lauren Goode

Recent Posts by Lauren Goode

Nintendo Lowers Wii U Price to $300, Takes the “3D” Out of 3DS With New 2DS Model

Nintendo really wants to make its way into your living room this holiday season.

The Japanese game company said today that it would drop the suggested price point of its struggling Wii U console from $350 to $300 for the deluxe set, starting Sept. 20.

Nintendo has also introduced a new DS handheld gaming device: The 2DS, positioned as an entry-level, more affordable 3DS.

At $130, it’s at least $50 cheaper than the 3DS, has the familiar two-screen layout, and is fully compatible with packaged and downloadable games for the 3DS system. It also has backward compatibility with the existing library of a couple thousand Nintendo DS games, Nintendo says.

But the 2DS lacks the 3-D capabilities, as well as the “clamshell” form factor of the 3DS.

The higher-priced 3DS has actually been gaining traction — just this summer it nabbed the top title in videogame system sales — but had a slow start due in part to a child-safety warning Nintendo had to issue shortly after its launch two years ago. The warning quoted researchers that said the 3-D technology could impact the vision of children under age 6.

So Nintendo may be trying to appeal to concerned parents, or those with very young children who want a handheld gaming device (you know, the ones who clamor for Mom and Dad’s iPhone and iPad).

Or it could be doubling down on its “mobile” efforts — since mobile, for Nintendo, means focusing entirely on its own handheld devices.

Latest Video

View all videos »

Search »

I’m a giant vat of creative juices.

— David Pogue on why he’s joining Yahoo