Why was 3DO so expensive?
Nintendo and Sega sold their hardware at a loss with the expectation of offsetting that with software sales. In contrast to that model, 3DO licensed their hardware tech to manufacturers with no established software development, so manufacturers expected to make a profit on each unit sold, hence the high price. The console was incredibly expensive, being 699 dollars while the SNES was about 89 dollars. Another reason the console failed was because of the lack of good launch titles and how Sega and Nintendo were dominating the gaming industry. By the time they lowered the cost of the 3DO, it was too late.
Is the 3DS still selling?
Despite dwindling demand, nintendo would continue supporting the 3ds family until it was officially discontinued on september 16, 2020. The 3ds eshop closed on march 27, 2023, and nintendo network online services were discontinued on april 8, 2024. Nintendo released the 3ds in 2011 for $249. The following year, the larger 3ds xl (known as 3ds ll in japan) hit shelves for $199. Just a year ago, you could pick up a used nintendo 3ds xl for as little as $100.