When Nintendo first announced the new 3DS handheld, the company stated that the device would be out some time before March 2011 (meaning before the end of the fiscal year). As it turns out, if CVG's U.K. trade sources are correct, the 3DS could actually launch this fall. The U.K. sources indicated that Nintendo is preparing to launch the 3DS in October, which would give the company plenty of pre-Christmas sales opportunities. It would also mean that the handheld would be competing for consumer dollars against new motion devices like Project Natal and PlayStation Move, and possibly even a new PSP model from Sony (that's very much rumor though).
A "very senior publishing source" commented to CVG, "It's a surprise - we were expecting it much closer to Christmas. But I suppose it gives Nintendo the opportunity to get it front and centre in people's minds nice and early. In my experience, you don't launch a product that early to Christmas unless you're confident in it - and going to spend a lot of money on it. We're reassured that Nintendo is going to give it some decent backing in Q4."
If Nintendo does launch the 3DS this fall, we have no doubt that it'll be a major success. 3D is hot right now, and Nintendo's marketing savvy will certainly push the right buttons with the mainstream to get the device tons of buzz.
