Nintendo 3DS to Launch March 27; Will Cost $249
Mark your calendars, Nintendo fans, March 27 is the big day!
Announced at E3 2010, the 3DS has been in and out of the news for months. It almost feels as though we know everything there is to know about the console. Except, of course, when we can buy it ourselves. However, now the device finally has an official U.S. release date and price. Nintendo executive Reggie Fil-Amie today revealed U.S. availability and pricing for the 3DS at an event in the Nintendo World store in New York City.
The 3DS will launch March 27 with a retail price of $249. Nintendo says there will be roughly 30 games available between the launch day and E3 in June. Among the upcoming titles are Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition, Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D, Madden NFL Football, The Sims 3, Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D, and LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars.
European pricing is still a little hazy. Nintendo held a second event in Amsterdam today and said that rather than a set price, pricing would be left up to retailers. Retailers in the UK are reportedly planning a £229.99 price tag, which translates to roughly $368 by today’s conversion, while European retailers (such as Amazon France) are going with €249 ($336). So yes, Europeans are kind of getting screwed, but they are also getting the device two days early, on March 25. We doubt that’s any consolation, but it’s something.
In case you need a refresher, the 3DS offers glass-free 3D gaming and also includes the ability to take 3D photographs thanks to dual cameras on the back of the device. It’s got a slider that allows you to adjust the 3D intensity, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a little analog ‘circle pad,’ a home button that will take you right back to the home screen (it’ll pause your game if you press it mid-session), and a charging cradle for desktop juicing. As far as new software is concerned, you’ll get an activity logger that acts like a pedometer, counting your steps and awarding coins that can be exchanged for bonus content. There’s also the ‘Street Pass’ function that lets you share limited amounts of information, such as Miis, with passers-by who also have the feature activated.
Who’s going to buy one?
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First! And no thumbs down = epic lulz
Anyways, regarding the topic:
Nintendo really needs to lower that price tag!
Ehh, i'll play a friends or one in the store and get my 15 mins of enjoyment, unless Nintendo really has something here, I can't say i haven't played it.
Its looks great and glasses free 3D sounds pretty good, but I really want to see some games come out that aren't just 3D gimmicks.
Once the initial 3D "oooo's" and "ahhhhhh's" wind down developers should go back to just making good games and that's when I'll step in.
Wait 8 months and they'll release a better 'smaller' version with a price cut.
Bear in mind that the US price of $249 is without tax whereas the £229.99 UK price includes 20% VAT. The non vat suggested price is £191.66 which equates to ~$306. Amazon France's €249 price also includes 19.6% tax which ends up with a non tax price of €208.19 which equates to ~$280.62
That's not that big of a difference when you consider things such as the increased cost of rental rates/property prices for warehouses etc and the fact that petrol prices are more than double in Europe compared to the US.
I wouldn't really call that getting screwed.
Way too expensive for a portable device that only plays games.
That, and people with vision problems can be screwed (that goes for the entire 3D craze).
PLZ PLZ PLZ nintendo dont bring up the fucking habbit to name the games some thing about the console agen or will you be sending out supermario 64,3D superman 64,3D
maby castelvania 64,3D
First! And no thumbs down = epic lulz
Just wait untill the rating system works again
It is not a bad price considering what is included with inside the unit. I might buy one after I play with it in the store. I haven't kept up with all the news around the unit, but does anyone know if it is backward compatible with older games?
Just wait untill the rating system works again
Just wait until spell-check works again.
First! And no thumbs down = epic lulz
Really? Yer' going with that, huh?
And you even have "l33t" in you're name? Wow ...
Way too expensive for a portable device that only plays games.
You do know it plays 3D movies and has a built in MP3/AAC player, don't you?
It's also a pedometer, task scheduler, Internet accessible and mobile communication device.
Just plays games?
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/ima [...] -money.jpg
... nuff said.
Holy Crap! This is insanely cheap. Definitely be buying from the US...
Screw buying this from Australia, I'd quite literally at the moment be paying $400 US if I was purchasing locally.
This is a fantastic price.
Holy Crap! This is insanely cheap. Definitely be buying from the US... Screw buying this from Australia, I'd quite literally at the moment be paying $400 US if I was purchasing locally.This is a fantastic price.
yeah it's so cheap i know!!
hey, since it's so cheap, you mind picking me one up... thanks man appreciate it
It's backwards compatible with all DS games for whoever asked. I bet they add "forced" 3D for original DS games at some point like some TVs do with non-3D movies.
I'm glad its first and foremost a dedicated game machine. People will argue that they can get games for $0.99 on an ipod touch but can you really say those games are anywhere as deep, long, or immersive as what you get from a DS game? I bought a couple RPGs for $5 on my touch and while they are fun they do not satisfy my inner gaming needs because they are mostly flash and not nearly as rich of an experience
only $100 us overpriced. but then who's suprised?
This worries me more and more about how much the PSP2 will cost... a small fortune, I reckon.
only $100 us overpriced. but then who's suprised?
The PSP is still 170$ at gamestop and isn't as powerful as this. No way is it 100$ over priced. Oh but then who's suprised? I think 250 is a fine price of a handheld with this potential. Id pay 250.
Just wait untill the rating system works again
I always wonder what happened to the rating system? Any clues guys?
Holy Crap! This is insanely cheap. Definitely be buying from the US... Screw buying this from Australia, I'd quite literally at the moment be paying $400 US if I was purchasing locally.This is a fantastic price.
If you buy the 3DS from the US you have to import your games from US as well.. There are region locks
You do know it plays 3D movies and has a built in MP3/AAC player, don't you?It's also a pedometer, task scheduler, Internet accessible and mobile communication device.Just plays games?
Thank you! I wish people would do their homework before opening their mouths. Yes, it is first and foremost a gaming machine, but it can most certainly do much more than just play games.
If you buy the 3DS from the US you have to import your games from US as well.. There are region locks
Ah yeah. Games are cheaper from the states as well. I'm aware of the region lock, so will have to import, but it's great that you went out of your way to make sure a stranger knew. You're bound to save a lot of people a lot of heartache by doing that.
With that price tag, I'll wait and see.
By the way, what's the media's format for 3DS games?
I don't see that mentioned in this article.
with 3d, is it still for kids only?
With that price tag, I'll wait and see.By the way, what's the media's format for 3DS games?I don't see that mentioned in this article.
Similar shape to the DS and DSI ones. There is also a side slot for SD cards that you can load games onto.
Pedometer that rewards you for walking around, eh? There's going to be 100,000 8 year olds with tendinitis soon from shaking the thing for hours on end trying to get their free stuff.
Uh - it isn't just "3D"... have you people seen the goddamn graphics on this thing, ESPECIALLY for Snake Eater and Resident Evil?!!!? I
Pre-ordered :-)
This might be the first hand-held console I buy since the original GameBoy in 1989. I'll still wait for the hype to go down and see if the device is actually worth it, especially at that price tag.
BTW Jane, it's Reggie Fils-Aime, not Fil-Amie. You owe me a Kilkenny!