Some Nintendo fans expressed disappointment and anger at the lack of a regular size model for the New 3DS in North America. Now the company has responded to those concerns.
Damon Baker, Senior Manager in Marketing and Licensing at Nintendo of America, recently spoke with Nintendo Life about the New 3DS. More specifically, he addressed the decision to only introduce the New 3DS XL to North America:
Look, the face plates are super cool, but we're a different market. And now we have clear differentiation between those three systems. Before, there was a very limited difference between the 3DS and 3DS XL: other than size. It was the same resolution, same functionality… now, there's the 2DS, 3DS, and New 3DS XL, all of which have their own functionality and features. The different price points give it a clear message for consumers. The core audience… we weren't going to win with them on that decision. But we had to think about expanding the user base, we had to be able to market it and make it easy to pick up for consumers.
It appears Nintendo's decision boiled down to marketing, though the name of the New 3DS still produces plenty of confusion. Nevertheless, the New 3DS had a solid launch week in western territories.
Do any New 3DS owners out there wish there was a smaller model? My hands fit best with the XL, but I'm sure there are others out there who find a smaller size more comfortable.