Dawn Of The 2DS: Why Nintendo’s Newest “Misstep” Is Their Smartest Move Of The Year

Pokémon Has Never Been This Cheap

All this talk, and I haven’t even mentioned games yet. It’s no accident that Nintendo is releasing the 2DS the very same day that Pokémon X and Y will be globally available, and– well, I don’t think that really needs much more explaining. Pokémon has never been this cheap, and the possibility of a kid getting through the Pokémon door for $170 all said and done is an incredible value proposition.

Kids are going to be starting with Pokémon cheaper, they’re going to be starting younger, and they’re going to be playing longer, since there will be more years before they grow out of it. More exposure to the games over more years and from a younger age may even prevent them growing out of it in the first place, bring them back sooner due to stronger nostalgia than ever before, or even cultivate a higher percentage of lifelong Nintendo fans due to, once again, exposure from an unprecedented young age.

I’m not saying the competition doesn’t have great brand recognition too. There’s no doubt that Sony has done a phenomenal job building up its IP and securing a competitive stable of mascots over the years, but getting a Vita and it’s most addicting game for $170 flat simply isn’t possible right now. Additionally, it’s unlikely that your parents will be letting you play Naughty Dog’s latest at the ripe age of six. M and T ratings may have infected ten to twelve year-olds where they previously hadn’t, but even the most irresponsible parents aren’t letting their five-year-olds shoot each other in the face online. Nintendo is planting the seeds of the future, and the land is looking mighty fertile.

What Does It All Mean?

So there you have it. I know the Nintendo 2DS is easy to dismiss at first, and there’s no doubt that I would feel quite stupid carrying one in public. Despite this, it has almost no impact on what Nintendo is trying to do here. This Fall is going to be an extremely testing time for Nintendo and the Wii U, and if that system continues to fail there’s no telling what might happen. That is, I did feel that way before the 2DS was announced. If all goes according to plan, the 2DS should spike sales and profits in the handheld realm to enough of a degree to act as a safety net for Wii U should it continue to flop as it has.

And if Wii U is able to make a miraculous recovery? Well, if that happens, Nintendo will be looking mighty fine going into 2014. Out of touch, indeed.