Nintendo traditionally goes for a more wallet-friendly price point that probably reflects its traditional primary audience: children.

Perhaps with the breakout success of the Wii with adults and has forced the company to reevaluate its target audience. That demographic change potentially applies with the 3DS too -- the device's says shouldn't use the 3D functionality at all.

Perhaps Nintendo is hoping to target a more mature crowd with the 3DS. You know, the one that doesn't rely on allowance money or birthdays for its major purchases.

To be fair, the $250 retail price doesn't include costs for research and development, packaging, advertising, and shipping. Besides that, Nintendo unlike other hardware manufacturers (here's looking at you, ) doesn't like to sell its hardware at a loss.

If you're into numbers, compiled a list of launch prices for portable prices and adjusted it for inflation.