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OffTopic > 3DS Japanese Pricing Info

#175204 - sgeos - Sat Oct 02, 2010 4:53 am

Japanese Reference Article
http://gamez.itmedia.co.jp/games/articles/1009/30/news082.html

The 3DS will launch in Japan for 25,000 yen. That comes out to $300.43 at today's horrible exchange rate of 83.215 yen to the US dollar. The unit comes with a bunch of goodies I don't care to list (they are in a different article).

The launch price is just above the historical launch price for the PC Engine (24,800 yen). It is the same as the launch price for the following Nintendo systems: Super Famicom, Nintendo 64, Game Cube, Wii.

The unit does not appear to be packaged with a game. If a 3DS and a game come out to 30,000 yen, that would be $360.51 using the exchange rate listed above. If you save 1,200 yen ($14.42) a week, you'll have enough for the unit plus a game in 25 weeks (just under 6 months).

#175205 - DiscoStew - Sat Oct 02, 2010 6:22 am

Understand, the price of goods in Japan is higher than other places. 25,000 yen was the price of the Wii in Japan when it launched, but in the U.S. it was $250. The DSi XL in Japan is about 18,000 yen ($216), but the DSi XL in the U.S. is $169.99, which is a bigger difference from yen to dollars than it was with the Wii. (Wii: 16.6%, DSi XL: 21.3%)

I'd expect in the U.S. the 3DS to be within the range of $200-$250.
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#175207 - sgeos - Sat Oct 02, 2010 5:38 pm

Keep in mind is that the 83.215 exchange rate I used last night is horrible historically. I had always used 100 yen to the dollar for quick mental math conversion, but this was when the USD could get more than 100 yen. Years ago the exchange rate was as high as 120 ~ 130 yen to the dollar.

25,000 yen / 125.00 yen/$ = $200.00
25,000 yen / 100.00 yen/$ = $250.00
25,000 yen / 83.215 yen/$ = $300.43

Goods may be higher in Japan, but the US dollar is also incredibly weak right now. With the US federal reserve being afraid of deflation and all, I don't see any action being taken to strengthen the dollar. I'm morbidly waiting for the exchange rate to hit 75 yen. (The yen is not strong, nor do I expect it to strengthen. I expect the dollar to weaken.)

25,000 yen / 75.000 yen/$ = $333.33

I'll vote $250, but it will be interesting to see what the accountants at Nintendo feel they can afford.

#175219 - sverx - Mon Oct 04, 2010 3:03 pm

Anyway when it'll arrive in Europe I guess it'll cost in Euro the same amount that it costs in US$, no matter the exchange rate. This sucks, of course.