Nintendo Says The 3DS Isn’t Going Anywhere

Don’t expect the 3DS, or Nintendo’s support for it, to go anywhere any time soon. The company’s executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing Scott Moffitt said in an interview with the Washington Post that the “Nintendo 3DS is here to stay.” He continued to cite the device’s sustained success, adding that “so far in 2015, sales of the family of Nintendo 3DS hardware in America are actually ahead of last year’s place.” He’s not exaggerating: the 3DS has, to date, outsold both the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One combined.

Moffitt also spoke on the 3DS sharing the mobile gaming space with smartphones and tablets: Clearly gaming on smart devices and gaming on Nintendo 3DS can happily coexist, to the benefit of all gamers," he explained. "The inclusion of multiple control buttons on Nintendo 3DS allows a much deeper and more sophisticated type of play."

The executive also maintained that Nintendo’s expansion into smartphone gaming will not divert energy towards its portable console: “From our first mention of the intent to provide game apps for smart devices, we’ve been clear that we expect this expansion of our intellectual property to bring people to our dedicated platforms. So we intend to provide enjoyable experiences on both smart devices and our dedicated Nintendo 3DS line.”

While Nintendo’s portable has experienced significant success, especially in the face of the new mobile market, its latest console has not. However, the company is gearing up for a major change of direction in that market. Reports suggest that the company may launch the NX, its next console, as early as next year. We’ve also gotten a look at a weird controller patent that seems strikingly similar to Valve’s latest offering.