Nintendo 3DS price drop receives a warm, Asian welcome as it launches in Japan...

Islam has Mecca; the NFL has the Super Bowl; and Football has the World Cup. While seemingly unique, each represents the pinnacle of importance to its successive supporters/followers, and the videogame industry is no different.

When Nintendo announced they would be lowering the price of the Nintendo 3DS, it was clear what was happening - the 3DS was struggling. Now I'm sure this statement will be met by much resilience from Nintendo fan-boys, but let's look at the facts. In their history, Nintendo have sought to drop their price when sales of their current console have stalled. The Gamecube; Nintendo DS; Wii - all saw significant reductions which ultimately sparked a rise in sales...it's simple business.

So, with a price drop imminent, all eyes were cast on the Asian - in specific, Japanese - market. If this lower price was well-received in Japan, chances were that the same would apply on a global scale. Well, the console went on sale today and, while still at an early stage, the initial figures look good.

Bloomberg reported that around 2000 people queued outside Yodobashi Camera Co.’s store in Akihabara, Tokyo, following the consoles re-release, with many of these queuing from 10pm the night before. Furthermore, the console has seen a significant rise in Pre-order sales - many of Japan's top electronic retailers have sold-out - and a vast increase in second-hand sales, with some companies reporting a quadrupling of sales.

With America and Europe due to welcome their significant drops - expected to be $170 and £115 respectively - this is certainly good news for both Nintendo and pre-existing owners. While a number of big-name titles continue to pull out of a 3DS production, gamers can still look forward to the likes of Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7; and after all, what can't be solved by a simple game of Mario Kart?

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