The Shrine

After months of speculation, Nintendo has today revealed the launch date for the new 3DS handheld at a press conference in Tokyo.

And that date, at least for the Japanese market, is February 26, 2011. The 3DS will retail there for ¥25,000 (USD$300). Two colours will be available at launch: "Aqua Blue" and "Cosmos Black"

Release dates for the European and North American markets were not quite as specific, Nintendo saying that the handheld would be out in the West in March 2011. No pricing details for these regions were disclosed.

http://kotaku.com/5650652/the-nintendo- ... lease-date

http://kotaku.com/5650651/the-3ds-hardw ... its-stylus

http://kotaku.com/5650704/a-super-stree ... h-gameplay

http://kotaku.com/5650702/watch-almost- ... -in-action

Some more details that I ripped from VGchartz.com coverage.



* 3DSware - remade 3D versions of classic games for both handheld and console.
* Auto-create Mii using the 3DS camera; snap a picture, and it will create a Mii based on the image (Anyone going to moon the camera?).
* 2GB SD memory card included, and Internet downloads can be sped up by placing the device in the cradle/charge station
* 3D television (although we might not get this feature here for a while unless it is done through the Internet - it seems downloading is a big part of 3DS).
* Robust Internet browser, home button, and some sort of "Notebook" feature, and universal tag mode (maybe like Dragon Quest 9's tag mode; would be interesting if lots of people used tag mode for many different games - although I could be off here).


Judging by the usual yen-dollar conversion rate Nintendo uses, it should be $~249.99 to 269.99 here - which is fairly in line with my expectations based on the internal components revealed by IGN. That is still pricey for a handheld, but the 3D buzz right now, combined with the strong DS name, will probably be enough to carry it through. There's up to an 8 month option before the Holidays to drop the price as well if the market decides to reply with a "hah!". Although PSP launched at around $300, with advanced media features (maybe not quite so revolutionary as the 3DS), and the strong reputation off Sony (at the time); and lost the battle. Of course, the 3DS has an insanely strong line-up of software which the PSP didn't have to factor in. Also announced today were two Resident Evil Titles, and Megaman Legends 3 (PSX series resurrection).

It'll be nice having another Christmas only three months later =P

$300? Ugh.

I'm really expecting a $250 launch price. I know the direct yen-USD conversion comes out at $300, but I don't think that'll happen. At least, I'm hoping it won't. The specs look awesome and if it launches at $250, it's very likely that I'll sell my DSi and grab one at launch.

Actually, the price could be as low as $229.99. In Japan they recently cu the price of DSi XL from 20,000 yen to 18,000 yen. It costs 169.99 Canadian dollars.

We'll see; I anticipate the price will be announced for here soon.

They couldnt release this at a better time if they tried as 3D is all the rage in movies and with television nowadays. I dont care about 3D, but kudos to Nintendo for being on the cusp, no matter what price this thing will make tons of money.

Just like all the tablets are to the ipad and the motion control consoles are to the Wii, any company that copies this will be far far behind.

$300 is way too much. I think it'll do alright at $250 but people will wait for it to drop. When it hits $200 it'll reach the first mass market price point and really take off. No handheld really sells over $200 here for a reason

Yeah, $200+ is too much for a handheld, especially for the last hurrah of the single-purpose handheld gaming platform.

Flip wrote:They couldnt release this at a better time if they tried as 3D is all the rage in movies and with television nowadays. I dont care about 3D, but kudos to Nintendo for being on the cusp, no matter what price this thing will make tons of money.

Just like all the tablets are to the ipad and the motion control consoles are to the Wii, any company that copies this will be far far behind.

I also see it as a competitive shot at certain corporations by Nintendo and other media companies; Nintendo has some fairly nice distribution deals which include Disney, Warner Brothers, and Dreamworks. Sony is the big target who is a rival of the companies Nintendo is working with, and a rival of Nintendo in the videogame market; in 1996-98 they passed Nintendo in the console market, and then later attempted it in the handheld market. Sony also wishes to provide 3D TVs with expensive glasses. Nintendo has signed deals to distribute movies of rival companies of Sony. The 3DS might not exactly be the same level as a TV set, but it is showing consumers that naked-eye 3D technology is not only possible, but probably not too far down the road; this is a fairly serious blow to the 3D glasses/TV market - I would almost say fatal.

Flip wrote:They couldnt release this at a better time if they tried as 3D is all the rage in movies and with television nowadays. I dont care about 3D, but kudos to Nintendo for being on the cusp, no matter what price this thing will make tons of money.

Just like all the tablets are to the ipad and the motion control consoles are to the Wii, any company that copies this will be far far behind.

Yeah, congrats to companies like Nintendo and Apple who don't care if the device is useful or functional, as long as its stylish and makes them mountains of money.

SineSwiper wrote: Yeah, congrats to companies like Nintendo and Apple who don't care if the device is useful or functional, as long as its stylish and makes them mountains of money.

I have found my iPhone and all of my Nintendo products incredibly useful.

Well, let me rephrase that: they are known for making engineering decisions that favor style/looks/popularity over functionality.

Instead of jumping into the phone/gaming platform model like they should, they are going to try to wow people with gimmicky technology.

SineSwiper wrote:Instead of jumping into the phone/gaming platform model like they should, they are going to try to wow people with gimmicky technology.

Seriously, Sine, are you gonna let your bias blind you that much? Apple I can see but Nintendo? They have over $10 BILLION dollars in liquid (or near liquid) cash because of their innovation

Oh, I don't doubt that Nintendo, like Apple, will make shittons of cash because of it. Just like Nintendo made shittons of cash from the Wii and N64, and Apple make shittons of cash from the iPhone, iMac, etc. But, what did they get out of it? Zealots Apple fans defending a phone without a replaceable battery, an antenna that shorts out by touch, and an application store with questionable business practices. And Nintendo dumps their core audience for 3x as many casual players, turning their controller into something that you either have to use the NES-like controls most of the time (like Metroid: Other M) or fuck with the motion stuff all the time.

Style over substance. Style over FUNCTIONALITY AND SUBSTANCE! In some cases, it's style over logic and reason.

Again, look at the Wii's lineup and you'll find more "core" titles than any other system they've ever released (handhelds not included)

SineSwiper wrote:Instead of jumping into the phone/gaming platform model like they should, they are going to try to wow people with gimmicky technology.

That seems like sound advice to me: abandon your successful business model, creating products that people want; because this guy on a messageboard thinks these popular interface options are gimmicks! =/

SineSwiper wrote:they are known for making engineering decisions that favor style/looks/popularity over functionality.

If you take a look at what the other companies are doing, they're making touchscreens like Apple and Nintendo products have, and they're making motion controls, like Apple and Nintendo products have. They are doing this, because Apple and Nintendo are leading the market by doing it. It's not a gimmick, these are features that people want, and that is why they buy them. In the end, it is Apple and Nintendo who are the most progressive companies in their fields.