7 replies to this topic

[Jordan Haygood]

But it won't be built-in. Just like how the original 3DS received a second circle pad as an add-on for people who felt they needed one, the 3DS XL will follow the same path and get one of its own. Rather than installing one in the core design (which many gamers seem to be angry about), we will be getting the next best thing for around $20 or so, if the price is the same as last time.

This news was originally announced in the latest issue of Famitsu, which confirms Nintendo's plan to release the XL add-on, which not only comes with the circle pad extension, but also gives us an extra set of shoulder buttons. Unfortunately, we can't see the product just yet due to lack of images, and no release date has been given. However, Famitsu does mention that Japan will be receiving the 3DS XL Circle Pad Pro sometime this year.

And as an added bonus, Famitsu also confirmed that we will all have the ability to transfer all our save data, applications, and pretty much every other important thing from the 3DS that we own now to the XL we may decide to get in the near future.

Will you be getting the Circle Pad Pro XL when it comes out?

Click here to view the article

[sirdan357]

This is the reason why they didn't install the second stick in the first place, so they could sell people the crappy attachment a second time.

[Number 905]

This is the reason why they didn't install the second stick in the first place, so they could sell people the crappy attachment a second time.

That is an extremely cynical and unfair position to take.


It's also exactly how I feel.

[Kezins]

I agree that they didn't include it just so they could sell the attachment. It's only supported with a handful of games too. Nintendo makes me mad sometimes.

[Jason Clement]

To anyone who thinks Nintendo is trying to make a quick buck on this- hear me out.

Let's not beat around the bush- Nintendo obviously should have put a second circle pad in the original 3DS to begin with. Because of a lack of foresight, they didn't, and because a few developers that wanted it included, they made the Circle Pad Pro. To this date, there are only a few games that use it (like 5 or less), and a small fraction of 3DS owners even actually own one.

Could Nintendo have put one in the XL revision? Yes, but keep in mind that the instant they did, they would segregate the two audiences; the ones that have the original and the ones who own the XL. People say, "Well, you could put it there just for optional use, right?" But what happens when games are developed that absolutely require it? Then the original 3DS owners would be required to buy the $20 CPP and they wouldn't be too happy about it. That's exactly why they didn't include it on the XL.

And from a business perspective, Nintendo doesn't stand to gain lots of money from a CPP XL version when not that many games will probably use it anyhow for the foreseeable future; they're merely making it to appease the user-base that does want to play the games that have an option for it.

The bottom line is, anyone thinking that Nintendo didn't want to add an extra circle pad to the XL just so they could sell this to make lots of easy cash really isn't thinking it through. Nintendo shot themselves in the foot by not having the original 3DS include two circle pads, so their option now is to either piss off the entirety of people who don't want to buy an XL because they bought the first version, or piss off only those who really wanted and counted on the XL having two circle pads in the first place (which is a much smaller audience than the former).

TL;DR version: Nintendo won't make boatloads of cash on this; this is their poorly thought-out band-aid for a situation that really can't be redeemed other than fracturing the userbase, which would be an extremely bad decision at this point. Who knows if they'll do it for a 2nd revision, however.

[Marcus Estrada]

Honestly I thought that the lack of 2nd circle pad on the 3DS XL was a sign that Nintendo was just simply abandoning the idea. It seems the systems doesn't have room for it even if they wanted it though so I guess that's more of the reason for making a new attachment for it. But if they had just decided to brush that idea under the rug I wouldn't be surprised. As useful as multiple analog sticks are, it doesn't seem that many games are talking about taking advantage of it yet. Would be interesting to see if eventually all games use it (say some time after a newer 3DS revision has it integrated) or if it just gets phased out.

[Number 905]

Could Nintendo have put one in the XL revision? Yes, but keep in mind that the instant they did, they would segregate the two audiences; the ones that have the original and the ones who own the XL. People say, "Well, you could put it there just for optional use, right?" But what happens when games are developed that absolutely require it? Then the original 3DS owners would be required to buy the $20 CPP and they wouldn't be too happy about it. That's exactly why they didn't include it on the XL.

The problem is, I don't think we'll ever reach the point where the second circle pad is required for anything more than a dozen titles, if that. Historically, add-on peripherals don't take off and never become more than a novelty. With the limited availability of the add-on (as far as I know, it's only officially sold at GameStop and through Nintendo), adoption is hampered even more. Even if a second circle pad was added to the XL, developers still would be wary to use it because of the division between 3DS and XL owners.

I just see the whole second circle pad thing wasting away in a corner like plastic guitars, to be honest.

[zero110100]

They don't want to segment the users.