No Launch Date and No Price Announced for Nintendo 3DS

There were two things that gamers expected from Nintendo at this E3: to show off a new Nintendo Wii bound Legend of Zelda videogame and to detail the Nintendo 3DS, its abilities and the videogames set to arrive for it.

The company delivered on the Zelda front but failed to offer two crucial pieces of information linked to its new handheld, the exact launch dates for Japan and North America, and the price gamers would have to pay in order to experience full three dimensional gaming without the use of specialized glasses.

The Japanese giant has confirmed that the new 3DS will have a top screen slightly bigger than the bottom touch screen. There will also be three cameras, one oriented toward the user and two facing away, allowing for 3D images to be captured and then used with the 3DS. The device has also been confirmed to have a motion sensor, a gyroscope and a Slide Pad that allows for analog input.

Shigeru Miyamoto, one of the leading creative minds behind the key Nintendo properties, stated, “The additional dimension of depth in 3D makes it easier for players to judge distances while giving developers a new tool to create games and experiences that play with both height and depth.” The designer was one of the early pioneers of the concept with his work on Super Mario 64.

Nintendo is compensating the lack of a price point and a definitive launch date by talking quite a bit about the gaming experiences it will be delivering on the 3DS handheld. Mario Kart will come to the platform to satisfy those looking for a quick competitive race, a new Kid Icarus will serve as launch title, a fresh submarine simulation game, called Steel Diver, is also under development and a new Animal Crossing and Nintendogs will satisfy the more casual-oriented crowd.