14 DAY TRIAL // When the Nintendo 3DS was announced back in February Nintendo did not offer any information about when the new handheld will be launched in the different world markets. The E3 trade show, which concluded this month, brought a lot more information about the device, including the name of the chip that is offering the power for the three dimensional gaming, but Nintendo was again quiet about the launch dates and the price. Now Reggie Fils-Aime, who is the president of the American branch of the company, went on a television show to confirm that the 3DS will be arriving in 2011.
On Late Night with Jimmy Fallon the game tried out Donkey Kong Country Returns and the Nintendo executive said “Next year” when asked about the launch date for the new handheld. Considering the audience he was talking to, he was probably only talking about the date for North America, with Japan still having an outside chance of seeing a launch before the end of 2010. Europe will probably see the device arrive on its stores in 2011.
Previous reports from Nintendo mentioned that the new videogames platform, that was the ability of delivering three-dimensional gaming experiences without the use of specialized glasses, would be out before March 31, 2011 in all relevant markets. The demos have shown at E3 showed that the hardware is almost ready, with Nintendo probably working hard with internal and external developers to prepare titles, like Kirby, The Sims and Resident Evil, that can use the new powers of the handheld to create exciting new experiences. Expect most important franchises appeared on the DS family to migrate to the 3DS as publishers seek to bolster their presence in the mobile gaming market.
Here's the segment in which Reggie Fils-Aime and host Jimmy Fallon talked about all things Nintendo and the 3DS: