New technology is always a risk, both for the manufacturer who invests years and funds into development and for the early adopter, who spends their money knowing full well that the tech could disappear or be eclipsed very quickly. So while it’s no surprise that Nintendo has had to slash the retail price on its Nintendo 3DS handheld devices, it’s nice to see that the company isn’t leaving its devoted customers in the dark.

On August 12, the 3DS, which was labeled as “under review” by Amazon on Monday, will see its price drop from $249 to $169.99, as the company struggles to get the product into consumers’ hands.

“We are giving shoppers every incentive to pick up a Nintendo 3DS,” says the president of Nintendo America.

As for those who have already ponied up the full price for the device, here’s what Kotaku reports:

[T]hose who bought/buy a 3DS before the August 12 markdown will be able to download 20 free games from the 3DS eShop. That offer comes in the form of ten NES Virtual Console games (including classics like Zelda and Super Mario Bros.), which will be available after September 1, and ten Game Boy Advance Virtual Console games (like Yoshi’s Island and Metroid Fusion), which will be available a little later.

Nintendo 3DS Gets Sudden, Massive Price Drop [Kotaku]

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