The Nintendo 3DS is here to stay. In fact, Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima hinted that an updated 3DS is in the works.
Nintendo reassured fans of the 3DS will be "cannibalised" by the much-hyped Nintendo Switch. As proof, the company indicated that new 3DS games are coming. Additionally, Kimishima supposedly confirmed to Japanese newspaper Kyoto Shinbun that the company is still interested in an update to the Nintendo 3DS.
Kimishima informed investors that the company is still dedicated to the portable console and that he believes the Nintendo 3DS can "continue on its own form". He also said in an interview with Bloomberg late last year that the 3DS business still has momentum and is still growing thanks to its software. According to International Business Times, Kimishima believes that the two consoles will not affect each other in terms of market shares. He said that the Switch is different from the 3DS in "shape, weight [and] price".
In December last year, Nintendo offered $20,000 to anyone who could hack the 3DS. It is unlikely that a company such as Nintendo will spend that much money just to prove that a console that will eventually be discontinued is unhackable.
The Nintendo Switch has hogged headlines recently and understandably, fans of the Nintendo 3DS are worried that their beloved handheld console is being replaced. The fear is quite understandable considering the Switch is expected to eat up the market for both home and portable consoles. Another major factor that has fueled the 3DS rumors is the recent killing off of the underperforming Wii U.
With the cancellation of the Wii U, a number of games planned for the console have also been canceled including Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto's 'Project Giant Robot'. The much-anticipated game can still possibly make it to shelves but not for the Switch. The game was intended for dual screens which strike the Switch off the list. The Nintendo 3DS, however, is a good candidate to play the Miyamoto game provided the gaming legend does some necessary tweaks.
