The 3DS Launches At A Lower Price. Some Japanese People Buy It

Today in Japan, the 3DS went on sale with a new, lower price. Some people lined up at stores in Tokyo, but not that many. But that’s OK.

When the 3DS first went on sale, hundreds of people lined up for pre-orders, and then hundreds more lined up to purchase the portable.

Months later and now at a lower price point, Bloomberg reported that around 28 people were lined up at a Yodobashi Camera in Tokyo to get the 3DS, while Famitsu reported that around 50 people were waiting at the Bic Camera in Ikebukuro.

Those aren’t huge lines, but they’re pretty good for a weekday and for a system that isn’t new.

(A good rule of thumb: If fifty people line up in Tokyo for something, the lines are typically shorter in other cities across the country. This is due in large part to sheer population numbers.)

Another thing to keep in mind is, of course, online pre-orders. So it’s really hard to gauge how hardware does simply by looking at lines — but sometimes we like to try!

Reports on Famitsu stated that the 3DS sold well throughout the day, and there were reports of good sales at other retailers as well. This is in line with reports from yesterday that there was significant pre-order interest in the 3DS.

Kotaku won’t know how the lower priced 3DS did until official sales figures hit, but Bloomberg reported that analysts want Nintendo to abandon its own platforms and release games on the iPhone, something that Nintendo has repeatedly said it will not do.

If the 3DS sales do pick up, those cries for Nintendo to make iPhone games are likely to subside. But if Nintendo has a rough time with the 3DS, expect those cries to get louder and louder and louder.

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