14 DAY TRIAL // Nintendo is quite confident in its upcoming 3DS handheld console, with two of its most important executives saying that due to its unique features, its sales will be on par with the phenomenon that was the Nintendo Wii home console.
The Nintendo 3DS is set to be one of the most important portable console launches of the year, and boasts an array of enhanced features over the regular DS, with the standout feature being the capability of rendering 3D without the necessity of special glasses.
Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime talked with the New York Times, and said that due to the unique features of the 3DS, the device would be in a category of one, and that it would really deliver 3D to the masses.
"Right now, 3D is not mass-market,"Fils-Aime said. "In our view, Nintendo 3DS will be the first mass-market 3D device."
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata is certain that, with the enhanced features, the 3DS will be a best seller, and the initial sales will be on par with the company's current home console, the Wii.
"There will be not only our own software, but also third- party titles, which have the photo-realism that will satisfy Western gamers," the exec told Bloomberg. "We expect the 3DS to get off to a rocket start, like the Wii's debut."
Nintendo already confirmed that it planned on selling four million 3DS units in the first month of availability, and even at a pretty steep price of $250, the company is confident that the device will fly off the store shelves.
Analyst Michael Pachter is so certain of this that he forecasts the 3DS will become extremely rare in its first year on sale, due to the high demand, and advised Nintendo to up its production estimates in order to satisfy its customers.
The Nintendo 3DS is set to arrive on February 26 in Japan, on March 25 in Europe and March 27 in North America.