Nintendo 3DS Launching On March 27 For $250 120
Sam writes "Nintendo executive Reggie Fil-Aime today revealed US availability and pricing for the Nintendo 3DS at an event in the Nintendo World store in New York City. The 3DS will launch on March 27, 2011 with a retail price of $250 and will be available in two flavors: Aqua Blue and Cosmo Black. There will be roughly 30 games released between the launch day and E3 2011 (June 7 to June 9). These include 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. The device will have the same form-factor as the DSi and will be backwards compatible with both DS and DSi games. Users will also be able to download games via an online store, called the eShop. In Europe, the 3DS will launch on March 25, 2011. While Europeans will get the device two days early, pricing is not good news. Nintendo held a second event in Amsterdam today and said that pricing would be left up to retailers. Retailers in the UK are reportedly planning a £229.99 ($367.64) price tag, while other European retailers are going with €249 ($336.00)."
Re:Ok, maybe it's just me.... (Score:4, Interesting)
Do keep in mind however that the PSP was basically only a half-success in the Western markets. In terms of hardware units sold Japan is in 3rd place behind North America and Europe, but in terms of software sold the situation in the West is so bad that most 3rd parties pulled out of doing PSP development after 2008. As it stands there's something like 8 games due on the PSP in North America in the next 6 months; most of them are being published and/or developed by Sony. The only place PSP game development is still alive is Japan, where a number of games still come out every week.
It was the most successful non-Nintendo handheld to date, but it's not the kind of success you want to emulate in the West.
Region locking is archaic (Score:3, Interesting)
Having since enjoyed the freedoms afforded to me (for now anyway) with the lack of PS3 region locking, as an Australian, I have hence decided that any systems locked will be imported from the states.
Region locking to me is a serious throwback to the early 90s where Nintendo used to manipulate publishers and price points in every region. With region locking, Nintendo can just blindly go ahead and charge me twice as much (typically new games here are upto $120AUD on PS3/360, similar on Wii) and get away with it.
It's bullshit and I refuse to play their profiteering game any longer.
Re:First handheld to be fully region locked (Score:5, Interesting)
OTOH, I've got a console and a DS at home, and usually play with the DS. I can just open and shut the lid whenever I need to without having to wait. To me, the DS is much more about playing WHEN I want rather then WHERE. Then again, I don't have a hardcore gamer mentality; I play games for fun, not for a challenge; I don't play for hours on end.
Same here, my DS has fallen into disuse the last few years, but i have my PSP on my nightstand in sleep-mode, so i can play a level of little-big-planet / race in gran turismo during the commercial breaks when i'm watching TV, which is something i couldnt/wouldnt really do with the 360/wii/gaming pc