Nintendo 3DS not ready in time for Xmas
NINTENDO has failed in its bid to rush its new 3DS handheld games console out in time for Christmas.
The Japanese firm announced yesterday the device, which claims to create a 3D effect without the need for glasses, will be released in February in its home country and March in Europe and the US.
The news will be a big blow for the firm, which has struggled to compete with big-hitters Microsoft (Xbox) and Sony (Playstation).
As a result Nintendo was forced to cut its earnings forecast for the year by a third. The company trimmed its projection for overall DS sales for the year to 23.5m units from 30m and lowered its estimate for Wii consoles to 17.5m machines from 18m.
Net revenues are expected to be £680m, down from £1.51bn last year.
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said yesterday: “At first we thought it would be desirable to launch the 3DS within the year, so we made our forecasts on that basis. At this point it is clear that if we launch within the year, we will not be able to supply enough units.”
The 3DS is expected to cost around the £200 mark, although exact details have not been released yet.
The casing of the console is expected to be almost identical to one demonstrated at the annual E3 games event in June.
The 3DS will also allow users to download games from a platform similar to Apple’s App Store, cashing in on the trend for classic games.