Andre Yoskowitz
21 Jun 2010 22:53
At the E3 event, Nintendo unveiled the 3DS handheld, the first console to support 3D playback without the need for special glasses.
What Nintendo did not reveal, however, was a set timetable for the handheld's release, or a price.
Today, IndustryGamers is reporting that Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime has confirmed the device will be launched no later than March 31st, 2011, although it is unclear which nations will get it first. (My bet is on Japan).
Price is still not revealed.
Perhaps more importantly, Fils-Aime says the final design may still be tweaked, after it receives feedback from E3 users.
Says the boss: "You know typically, at an E3, our engineers are looking for feedback. You know, we have an army of Nintendo representatives out on our show floor talking to attendees, getting reactions to everything in the device: the depth slider, the buttons, the sliding pad that is, essentially, an analog-type stick. These are things that we’re looking to get reaction to, including the overall button placement. When we get all that feedback, then we’ll finalize the design."
When asked about the given timetable, Fils-Aime concluded: "Well, the reason we haven’t announced a launch date or pricing is that, first, we wanted to get reaction here. Secondly, we’ll be making individual market decisions in terms of what’s happening in Japan, what’s happening in the Americas, what’s happening in Europe. The one thing, for sure, is that we will launch in all of our major markets by March 31, 2011."