Topic: Is Nintendo Aiming For an October Release of the 3DS?

[NWR_DrewMG]

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rumor/22950

Even more interesting is that this date puts the 3DS directly up against Project Natal, the new motion-sensing peripheral for the Xbox 360. Microsoft has indicated that they will essentially be "relaunching" the Xbox 360 alongside Natal this October. Both of these products will be introducing new styles of gameplay, based on familiar and successful brands.

CVG cites an unnamed UK industry source for their rumor, who says "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."

Nintendo, of course, refused to speculate on the rumor. What do you think of this potential launch window? Comment in the Talkback thread!

[UncleBob]

Ooohhh... I like the idea of a 10/10/10 launch worldwide launch.  It's even on a Sunday.

Doubtful, though.  *maybe* Japanese October launch.

[Halbred]

Seems too soon after the launch of the DSi XL.

I'm also beginning to doubt that the system will actually be called the "3DS." If they want it to be a whole new platform, they'll have to separate it from the existing handheld.

[BlackNMild2k1]

I mentioned this in the 3DS thread already, so I'll just quote myself from there:

I really hope its a massive WorldWide Release with enormous marketing. It's gonna be so fun to see The Big 3 square off at E3 for mindshare and then again in October for marketshare.

With the fact that the sources are from the UK and saying it's an Oct. release, and we know that this will hit Japan first, we can assume that the UK sources are saying that it will also release in the UK in Oct., right? And if it is gonna hit the Japan and the UK (and the rest of Europe) in October, then it should be pretty safe to assume that Nintendo is also aiming to get it out in the US at the same time, so we can conclude that they are implying a WorldWide release.

[UncleBob]

It worked for the Game Boy/Game Boy Color/Game Boy Advance.

Heck, Nintendo Entertainment System and Super Nintendo Entertainment System, even...

[Jonnyboy117]

In Japan, maybe. (It's not like Natal is a factor there.) In America, NOA wants one last blockbuster holiday season for the DS. I'll be surprised if they even drop the price of DS by Christmas, much less launch a successor.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Seems too soon after the launch of the DSi XL.

I'm also beginning to doubt that the system will actually be called the "3DS." If they want it to be a whole new platform, they'll have to separate it from the existing handheld.

Why would they want to separate themselves from the most successful gaming platform ever?
It all comes down to the marketing.
"This isn't a DS 2, it's so much more than that.... this is the 3 DS!"

[NWR_Karl]

I'm thinking late January/early February. Like Jonny said, I think NOA wants one last holiday push for the DS, and to give the XL a chance to actually make money.

Also, CVG made note of Level 5 developing a game for the system, which seems like a no-brainer to me. They've made so much money on the system, you'd think it was a forgone conclusion.

[BlackNMild2k1]

I also said this in the 3DS thread (same post about this CVG article)

3DS might get an earlier release than we expected (worse case scenario.... Oct. JPN, Jan. N.A., Mar. EUR)

[Ian Sane]

Seems too soon after the launch of the DSi XL.

I think pretty much ANY launch date is too soon after the DSi XL.  Nintendo are going to look like crooked con-man jackasses with the DSi, but there's nothing that can stop that now.  They decided to rip people off and now there is going to be that risk of a backlash, or at the very least low DSi XL sales.
 
I think it all depends on what they have ready for the October launch.  I don't want it to be like the DS launch where they pretty much had nothing to offer.  It was clearly too early and was a bad first impression for the DS.  Sure the DS did great in the end, but why risk it?
 
I feel in a Natal vs. 3DS launch window that Nintendo probably carries the bigger hype at this point.  I think MS should be more scared that the 3DS is going to take away attention for Natal than the other way around.  We're comparing a successor to one of the most success portables of all time to an accessory for a second place console.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

DSi/XL is targetting the marginal leftover fringe users that can't see the DS very well or just naturally late adopters.  It wasn't meant to be the lead marketing image in the product series.

3DS is for the usual handheld masses who'll quickly jump on to the new stuff; the DSi users are just casually in the backseat catching up, or not making an effort to catch up at all cuz they just want to chill in the backseat.

It's about continuing to serve different sections of the market; no one hardware iteration will take care of all sectors for the entirety of its market life.

[KDR_11k]

Natal doesn't matter for this, it's a handheld.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Natal matters for mind share of the potential consumers.

I have a few extra hundred dollars to spare/spend and want some new entertainment for my dollar. Do I buy the Nata....HOLYSH!T Nintendo 3DS!!!

[BooBuddyJohn]

Nov. 21st. $199.99

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

HERE WE COME, Nintendo GAMECUBE

[Caterkiller]

This thing does NOT need to release so early, but what ever. So the real question is do I get it at launch only to by 93 newer versions months and years down the line? I think we all know the answer to that is "yes, yes indeed"!

[Ian Sane]

So the real question is do I get it at launch only to by 93 newer versions months and years down the line?

Well you can either buy the original model and have it get replaced by a better version 6 months later or you can wait for the better version and have it get replaced by the 3DS successor 6 months later.

[TJ Spyke]

BlackNMild, what makes you think Japan will get it first (Nintendo has not said what region will get it first)? The last two systems, Wii and Nintendo DS, both launched in North America first.

Assuming this rumor is true (I never assume any rumor is true, so I will treat the 3DS release date as the official TBA), why would anybody find it odd? The Wii and DS both launched in mid/late November, the North American release of the GameCube was also in  November. The North American release of N64 was in September. Nintendo has a history of fall releases for systems.

[BlackNMild2k1]

DS is still killing the charts in the US and EUR, but everything has taken a hit in Japan.

If Nintendo was focused on releasing this in the US first, then it probably wouldn't even exist(in ready to be mass-produced kind of way) considering DSiXL just came out and DS as a brand is still pushing 500-800k in non-holiday months.

DSi XL came out months ago in Japan, sales are steady but not great and are no where near the number that are happening on a monthly basis here in NA.

I personally think it's gonna be a WW launch as it would be wise to push the HYPE through the roof and completely take over all consumer mind share everywhere at the same time so that Move/Natal don't get a foot hold in any market. But if it were to be a staggered launch, I feel Japan would get it first for the reasons I stated above.

[TJ Spyke]

The Game Boy Advance was still kicking ass when in North America when the DS came out. For October 2004 (the month before DS launched), the GBA sold 464K systems in the US, which was higher than every other system. Nintendo goes by Japan sales though, and GBA had slowed down in Japan while it remained strong in North America (which was the biggest market for the system, over half of the systems worldwide sales were in the Americas).

[BlackNMild2k1]

And where did the GBA come out first....?

[TJ Spyke]

Japan. It launched in Japan in March 2001, then North America in June.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

The closet.

[yoshi1001]

Some of it depends what the launch software will be, which we don't have any info on as of yet.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Japan. It launched in Japan in March 2001, then North America in June.

It was a rhetorical question.

You answer would relate back to the question you first asked of me.
Why Japan 1st?