Nintendo: 3DS will recreate Brain Age success

By Tom Phillips Published 21 November, 2011

Mass market software range coming next year.

Nintendo is developing a range of mass market software for the 3DS to recreate the successes of DS casual games such as Brain Training.

The new titles will be showcased by E3 next year, Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aime told AOL.

"My expectation is that, come E3, I think we'll be showcasing a range of different titles that, for a more casual consumer, they'll see reasons to jump on board with the Nintendo 3DS," Fils-Aime said.

"I can't go into the details of what exactly those titles will be, but stay tuned. There is information that we'll be sharing prior to E3, plus a lot of information at E3 as well."

Nintendo previously found success with DS titles such as Brain Age/Training (18.72 million sold) which became the fourth best-selling game on the handheld, beating every DS Pokémon release.

"Will there be content to appeal to consumers 50 plus the way Brain Age did? Absolutely," Fils-Aime confirmed. "Will there be content that's going to appeal to women the way we are able to do with the DS? Absolutely."

Despite initially shaky post-launch sales figures the 3DS has begun to bounce back, helped by this summer's dramatic price-cut.

Worldwide 3DS hardware sales had hit 6.68 million by the end of September - higher than the DS at the same point in its life-cycle. Meanwhile, weekly Japanese charts continue to show the handheld ahead of all other hardware competition.

Super Mario 3D Land, out on 3DS now.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Phillips

Tom joined Eurogamer in 2010 and has quickly made his mark writing news and columns and coming up with puntastic straplines. Questionable beard.

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Comments (28) Latest comment 1d ago

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  • TeaFiend #1 2d ago

    No, it will not.

  • area881 #2 2d ago

    Nintendo have never failed before TeaFiend. 3DS sales will explode when Mario Kart 7 gets released.

  • HerrQwerty #3 2d ago

    The comments on EG are resembling the DM and other rubbish sites, more and more.

  • Eraysor #4 2d ago

    Can't see this working. For a start, most people consider 3D to be a gimmick that's not worth upgrading for, especially older people who only recently entered gaming with the DS. Secondly, the market for these games have been completely undermined by iOS and Android apps. I cannot see them replicating the DS's success anytime soon, when it was the only well supported touch-screen enabled portable system for a good while.

  • roz123 #5 2d ago

    Whatever new ideas they come up with there will be 50 iPhone apps ripping it off within a month.

  • Stratix #6 2d ago

    What I am interested to know is, will they achieve this with new and original games, or will they rehash old ones?

  • StolenGlory #7 2d ago

    Instead of trying to recreate the last big thing Ninty, why can't you just create the NEXT big thing?

    You're not really being 'disruptive' in the industry if you're tracing your steps back the way you came are you?

    Edited by 2 at 21/11/11 @ 13:45

  • TheEarlOfZinger #8 2d ago

    Much as I said I wouldn't...I'm loving Mario land 3d.

    Tractor beam = sucked me right in.

  • malloc #9 2d ago

    @StolenGlory
    That's hardly what's being said. Merely that they're going to be proactively going after that market again as they did with the DS.

  • RevanNL #10 2d ago

    Well Reggie, you can't reveal Brain Age etc for the 3DS and then think it's OK to ask €45 for it when similar games cost €0,79 on Android or the iPhone. Nintendo and Sony can yell to everyone that smartphones aren't competitors, but that's a load of crap. The audience Nintendo was once so succesfull with now all got smartphones and probably aren't prepared to shell out €45 for the next iteration of Brain Age.

  • simsini #11 2d ago

    I'm not sure how anyone can argue that Nintendo's market has been undermined by iPhone and Android apps, most phones don't have buttons. And believe it or not, a lot of people actually like the 3D element and don't think it's a gimmick, including me!

  • StolenGlory #12 2d ago

    "@StolenGlory
    That's hardly what's being said. Merely that they're going to be proactively going after that market again as they did with the DS."

    I know what they're saying, I just think that when they proactively went after the market last time, they did so with a lot more innovation in their sails than just retreading the same stuff (but in 3D) that we've seen already.

  • Softie2k #13 2d ago

    The 3D IS a gimmick, but you're right about the buttons.

  • cowell #14 2d ago

    I'd agree to a point that the 3D has largely been a gimmick so far. However it definitely enhances the experience in Mario 3D (which is just amazing).

    I think it'd be a push for a Ł35 brain game, but 3D could be used smartly for those sorts of games.

  • Toothball #15 2d ago

    Quick! This means that anyone who wants to get a 3DS while it's still cool needs to do so in the next few months. After that if anyone sees you playing one outside they'll assume you're playing 3D Sudoku.

  • jonbwfc #16 2d ago

    @area881 "Nintendo have never failed before TeaFiend"
    Virtual Boy says Hi.

  • StolenGlory #17 2d ago

    "@area881 "Nintendo have never failed before TeaFiend"
    Virtual Boy says Hi."

    In fact, GameCube also says 'Hi - is there room for me here at this tea party?'

    Oooh burn! FEED ME YOUR NEGS!

  • TeaFiend #18 2d ago

    The problem with the 3DS is that a lot of the casual market without knowlege about differences see the DS and 3DS as the same. When asked my mum said she would not need a 3DS as she already had a DS. That is the sort of people they need to sell to for the success of the previous generation.

    I got a launch 3DS and I am still not convinced on it.

  • LazyDan #19 2d ago

    I'm hoping what Nintendo may have realised is that yesterday's casual gamers now have some degree of gaming skill, and are more open to games with a bit more depth now that they've been suckered in.

    Professor Layton's a good franchise to show how that could work - lots more depth, and a lot more 'gamey' than your Wii Fits, Nintendogs and Brain Ages; but still keeping with the simple controls and the calm pace, at a level of quality exceeding what your average tit or knock-off company with the iOS SDK can emulate in a weekend.

    Remember how popular Myst was with the mums back in the 90s? I'm thinking that kind of thing on the calmer end of the spectrum, and Wii Party minigame style complexity (in terms of rules, controls and pace) on the more frantic end.

  • scouserfuller9 #20 2d ago

    @StolenGlory - The GC may have been no where near advanced as the PS2 and XBOX but it still had great games. Zelda: WW, Mario Sunshine, Paper Mario, SSBM, Metroid Prime 1 and 2 and Pikmin 1 and 2 are just a few titles that had many hardcore gamers buying themselves one. That's all Nintendo ever have to do really. Keeping the Mario, Zelda and Metroid titles hitting the shelves will always have gamers buying their consoles regardless its powers.

  • Mister-Wario #21 2d ago

    @scouserfuller9 Actually, I thought the Gamecube was meant to be MORE powerful than the PS2, wasn't it?

    I suspect many people will disagree with me but I like the casual, not-game titles on DS. I like the 100 Books one, I like Brain Training, I like Rhythm Paradise, and I want to get a crossword game for it at some point. It's not like there aren't other games coming out for the console as well.

  • Zackv4861 #22 2d ago

    @TeaFiend Super Mario 3D land is amazing. I'm a hardcore gamer but if they keep it up 3DS will take off. It's a great bit of kit when used correctly

  • geox30 #23 1d ago

    I think we've had enough with the casuals already.History has proven that casuals may buy systems if they are the latest trend,but they don't buy software.Software is where the real money is.It is okay to create a few quality titles to broad your audience,but I don't want to see another DS/Wii recreation,where you are either dancing,singing,training your brain or riding a horse.This is the exact same thing that gave Nintendo the Casual mark that tries so hard to deny with the Wii U and now they want it back?I think that at this age,real gamers are the only ones that can support console gaming,whether home or portable.The casuals are spoiled with the ipads and iphones and they won't come back.