Nintendo 3DS in top sales spot for May 2013, ending Xbox 360’s 28-month reign

By Michael Rougeau June 18, 2013

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Nintendo’s 3DS handheld took the top sales spot for gaming hardware in May 2013, according to NPD’s latest monthly data. It’s a big victory that becomes even more impressive when you consider that the first place position was wrested away from Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console after a 28-month streak. Publishers may be shying away from bringing content to the slow-to-sell Wii U, but the 3DS continues to flourish.

Three of May’s 10 best-selling games were 3DS titles, including Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, and Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes. Software sales on the handheld system saw 60 percent growth over May 2012, while hardware sales remained steady. Other games in the top ten include Injustice: Gods Among Us at number one and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 in second, plus Dead Island: Riptide, Metro: Last Light, NBA 2K13, BioShock Infinite, and Battlefield 3.

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It may be a sign of the coming generation shift, with the 3DS slowly building a library of must-have games while enthusiasm for the Xbox 360 dwindles as its successor, the Xbox One, approaches. Whatever the cause is for the sales boost, Nintendo appears to have successfully reversed the 3DS’s fortunes after a launch that left players starved for quality games.

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Michael Rougeau

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Mike Rougeau is a journalist and writer who lives in Los Angeles with his girlfriend and two dogs. He specializes in video…

Gaming

Nintendo’s 3DS discontinuation marks the end of an era for handheld gaming

Person holding Nintendo 3DS in hands

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On paper, the decision is a no-brainer. The Nintendo Switch is a massive success for the company, bringing the worlds of console and handheld gaming together. While Nintendo maintained its position that the Switch was not a replacement for the 3DS over the years — reiterating that point last year when the Switch Lite launched — it had become increasingly clear that the 3DS was outdated within Nintendo’s new strategy.

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How to revive dead companions in Baldur’s Gate 3

Withers offering services to the player in Baldur's Gate 3.

You're given a good bit of leeway during battles in Baldur's Gate 3 before you or a companion actually bites the dust for good. While in battle, if a teammate does take enough damage to drop, they aren't dead then and there. Instead, they will be downed with a chance to roll every turn to get back up. If they roll successfully three times, the battle ends, or you use another character to pick them up, they're good. If they fail that roll three times, however, they will be completely dead. That can be harsh when you've become attached to certain characters and want to further their stories, so you'll be looking for any way you can to bring them back. Thankfully you do have a few options for reviving companions in Baldur's Gate 3, but just like respeccing, they aren't so obvious.
Pay Withers to bring them back

Withers is a friendly undead you can find in a secret room in the Dank Crypt found inside the Overgrown Ruins. After finding and speaking to him in his sarcophagus, he will offer you various services, one of which is bringing back any dead companions. He won't do this out of the kindness of his heart (probably because it isn't beating) and will charge you a heavy fine of 200 gold to do so. Still, that's a small price to pay to bring back a beloved character. Once paid, that character will appear in your camp where they would normally be, so there's no need to go back to their corpse and find them.
Use a scroll of Revivfy or learn it

Gaming

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The player skates toward the moon in Skate Story.

Few things feel as inevitable in the video game industry as delays. Ever since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, game delays have only become more and more common as developers find previously set timelines unrealistic and adjust their release plans accordingly. More than halfway through 2023, we've already seen some notable AAA games like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Skull & Bones, and Pragmata delayed pretty heavily. Because video game release date delays are so common, it can be tough to keep track of every game that has had its launch date shifted in some way.
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As Until Dawn: Rush of Blood is one of the best games for PlayStation VR, The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR, Supermassive Games' PlayStation VR2 successor, is a highly anticipated launch title for the upcoming VR headset. Unfortunately, it will no longer make PlayStation VR2's February 22 launch and will instead be released on March 16. On Twitter, a message from Supermassive Games says this delay will ensure that players "receive the most polished, terrifying experience possible" at release. The game was released on that date to mixed reviews.
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