Nintendo 3DS to Launch Within a Year

Nintendo has issued a press release outlining its newest portable hand held gaming console, the 3DS. The Nintendo 3DS will allow users to enjoy their gaming experience in 3D without the need for 3D glasses. According to Nintendo, their 3DS will launch by the end of the fiscal year ending March 2011, which begins next month. More details regarding the Nintendo 3DS will be revealed at E3, an electronics expo, set for mid June in Los Angeles, Calif.

What the Nintendo 3DS has that parents will love

Backwards compatibility is a concern for parents. Last year, when our child wanted a DS, we were forced to choose between the DSi and a DS. The pricing was fairly close for the two models; however, what won us over was the backwards compatibility of the DS. We had many Game Boy games and wanted to our children to be able to continue to play them and certainly did not want to have to buy them again in the DS format. Though the DSi had many features that were certainly an upgrade over the DS, we ultimately chose the DS specifically because of backwards compatibility. Parents of children who own DS or DSi hand helds will be pleased to know that thee new Nintendo 3DS will be backwards compatible so that DS and DSi games can still be enjoyed.

What parents might not love about the Nintendo 3DS

Nintendo has not released a price point for its 3DS and considering that the hand held game will be breaking ground here in the US with regard to 3D gaming, I don't expect it to come cheap. As a reference point, the new DSi, the DSi XL, will come out in less than one week with a price tag of approximately $190. According to IT World, that price point is just $20 more than a DSi and $60 more than a DS. Nintendo DS gaming console lovers should not expect Nintendo to release pricing information for the 3DS until at least June, when it is unveiled at E3. It is also not readily known when the 3D hand held will be released in the US. Will it be the newest must-have item for Christmas 2010?

Sources:

Nintendo Press Release
Nintendo's DSi XL Gets Price, Ship Date (IT World)
Nintendo's 3D-Capable 3DS: 5 Questions (PC World)