Nintendo today confirmed rumors of a new portable system by announcing the Nintendo 3DS. This portable system will have 3D display capabilities that will function without glasses.
While the 3DS will be fully backwards compatible with the original DS, Nintendo said that the 3DS should be considered a new hardware line. The 3DS will launch some time during the next fiscal year, starting April 2010 and ending March 2011.
Update: More details on the 3DS have emerged.
9 Comments
March 23, 2010
Way to bury the DSi XL, Nintendo.
March 23, 2010
Ha, yeah the timing of the announcement is a bit strange.
March 23, 2010
Oh my goodness! You can't be serious! Now I have to buy this thing! This will be the second Nintendo handheld I have bought in a row after NEVER buying a handheld of any kind before. This sounds so sweet. This time I'm not going to give it to my sweet heart! Sorry psp you are second on the list now! Don't worry I will still get you PSP, after I get the DS3!!! This will be the second time Nintendo has had a 3d system to launch. They where way ahead of themselves in the paste on a 3d system the Virtual Boy VR-32 from 1995. This time especially seeing how much they have to live up to(DS), I'm sure they have it wright!
March 23, 2010
Yeah that is on my mind also, the timing is very strange. I think they don't want IPHONE-next or XBOY, or CISCO3D, or PSP-GOto3d to beat them to the punch! Or maybe they don't want to crowd wii3d, at E3 ( which in a year will become the system formerly known as Wiii ). ---ALL the previous is just a fans weild hopeful speculation.
Less speculative idea,
Or less excitingly they don't want to be crowded by Xbox360s, and PS3's support of 3DTV's at E3? I mean after watching HD3D tv people will be less hyped about a handheld 3d.
March 23, 2010
Wow, a handheld Virtual Boy...Is Nintendo figuring that they can gain market share in the handheld category merely by increasing the number of diffierent handhelds they sell? Better still, let's make them all incompatible with each other... that'll really mess up those third-party developers! Maybe they will have a good justification for this at E3... but it's gonna have to be a doozy.
March 23, 2010
Sorry about the Third post on your article David ( I think Steve Peterson is toying with me, but I'll byte ). Come on guys if you like these articles on this awesome site just post it on your video game buddies facebook wall or any other place you can think of! Do something to help keep the most informative site growing.
Yeah I think they have it figured out a little. The article does say that it will be backward fully compatible with DS. Plus when I bought a DS it would work with the previous two handheld Nintendo systems games.
If anything Nintendo is the absolute best at making sure they are compatible with previous software. And this is coming from me a PS360 fan. They should to be given credit for that.
Nintendo already OWNS the handheld category, and the CONSOLE category ( It still feels strange that I COULD say that, AND the numbers back me up). Maybe they are running scared of NATAL hype, and the MOVE catchup and pass hype, and the 3D HDTV support!
March 23, 2010
Just to specify, that image at the top is just a mock up - I don't know what the 3DS will look like but it will NOT look like a Virtual Boy. Expect it to have many of the same features (ie, camera, microphone, etc) that the DSi has now.
indysurfn: Feel free to comment. We like your passion. :)
March 23, 2010
It just seems odd to stomp on your own press, getting in the way of the XL launch with a product that's many months away. Not very good media thinking.
I also question the wisdom of extending the DS line to 4 units, with the new one requiring separate software support of some kind. Won't this confuse consumers? Wouldn't it be better to keep adding software features (Netflix?) or expand the basic capability of the hardware (more memory, faster processor)? I think one of the best features of the iPod Touch/iPhone for consumers is the fact that all your games are with you all the time... no cartridges necessary.
This announcement does not seem to be carefully planned to me. Nintendo has done very well with the the DS, but perhaps they are getting a bit worried by the iPhone/iPod and soon iPad... and felt the need to respond with a hardware announcement. It will be interesting to see what (if any) third-party support for this new device is announced at E3...
March 24, 2010
that'll really mess up those third-party developers! Maybe they will have a good justification for this at E3... but it's gonna have to be a doozy.
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