While the Nintendo 3DS has enjoyed strong early sales in the US and Japan, there’s been no word about how the new system has fared in Singapore since its launch two weeks ago. The crowd for the 3DS launch last March was decent, but nowhere nearly as large as the number of Singaporeans that showed up for similar midnight launches for Starcraft II and Halo: Reach.

　　While it’s still too early to state whether the 3DS will be successful outside of Japan and the US, the road is still laden with pitfalls and obstacles to overcome in Singapore. Is the system's current price tag, $399, one such hurdle? The answer--at least from Singaporean retailers--seems unanimous. Jaclyn Low, co-owner of local game retailer store Gamescore, says the 3DS price tag is a little high, as it is comparable to purchasing a PlayStation 3. "When you compare the specs of both machines, it seems hardly justifiable to pay so much for the 3DS," she said. She believes that Nintendo's pricing strategy revolves around maxing out its tech while maintaining a profit margin while being able to be significantly lower than its previous portable systems.

　　Loo Pei Fen, the director of group marketing and e-commerce at Asian electronics megastore Challenger, said that "There's been some online chatter that the price tag is a bit hefty." On a related note, Pei Fen stated that the chain sold "slightly over 200 units so far since [the 3DS] launched" in March. She considers this an encouraging sign, since the portable gaming market is crowded with worthy competitors from the iOS and Android mobile platforms.

　　Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition is a popular choice to complement the 3DS.

　　Playing devil's advocate concerning price, Soon Qisahn, owner of game store Qisahn, said that the launch price isn't a factor for early adopters but would be a demerit for a casual consumer. "The early adopters are always happy to get their hands on a shiny new gadget, and seeing how people are willing to queue for an Apple product, price is never an objection. The general populace might beg to differ though," she said.

　　Chris Sng, director of game store Funzcentre, said that the 3DS is cheaper when compared to past system launch prices in Singapore. "I remember the Nintendo DS selling at S$500, the PSP at S$900, and the Wii at SS$299 to S$320. I think more Singaporeans would accept that particular price range. If a killer app like a new Zelda or Metal Gear title is on sale, however, people are willing to buy the system regardless of price tag."

　　Product awareness is another factor. Qisahn said that the 3DS lacks local marketing power. "Some people [I asked around] didn't even know the 3DS was out." Loo Pei Fen also agrees to this sentiment. "In that sense, [Challenger] finds that content drives the product now."

　　Low stated that marketing and game support will help tremendously in getting attention. "Look at the success of Microsoft's Kinect worldwide; when you have a large enough marketing budget, you can break Guinness world records." She also emphasized that software support is important after launch, such as the introduction of more genres and categories of games and more announcements of incoming games to help keep the hype and interest for the console alive.

　　Will the 3D version of Nintendogs have the same impact as its DS brethren?

　　As for the future of the 3DS in Singapore, retailers in Singapore seem cautiously optimistic about it. Qisahn said that the "3DS would definitely catch on, but whether it would be a market leader once again would be another question." He also raised a possible challenge for the new handheld’s future. The growing number of children who are growing up are more accustomed to toned-down games that have simple gameplay mechanics like apps on the iOS. "If games like Plants vs. Zombies can be found on the iPhone [at a cheaper price], why [would an average consumer] need to get it on the DS?"

　　Pei Fen said that Challenger is estimating to sell "near to 300 units by the end of April," which is "an encouraging start in an overcrowded gaming market." Sng expects sales to be strong during the oncoming school holidays in June, while Low expects island-wide sales to "between the range of 2,000 to 3,000."