Nintendo surrenders Christmas to Apple; delays U.S. 3DS release until March

Apple Online Store“In a blow for holiday video game sales, Nintendo said it would delay the launch its 3DS handheld video game system until February [and a month later in the U.S.],” Dean Takahashi reports for VentureBeat.

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“The company also cut its forecast by more than half due to the stronger yen and the delayed 3DS, which lets users see stereoscopic 3D images without requiring them to wear 3D glasses,” Takahashi reports.

Takahashi reports, “Missing the holidays is a big deal, since 40 percent of sales in the game industry occur in the fourth quarter. The delay will leave Nintendo vulnerable to rivals such as Apple… The Apple iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad have grown at such spectacular rates that many believe is coming at the expense of the Nintendo DS, originally launched in 2004.”

Read more in the full article here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Fred Mertz” and “Arline M.” for the heads up.]

50 Comments

  1. Err… If the 3DS lets people see 3D stereoscopic images without having to wear glasses, then I assume it must do it by alternate between two images with a slight offset from eachother at a mindboggling speed, which will in turn give people mindboggling headaches at the very least.

    Bad idea? Nah…

    MW: science! As in gone awry.

  2. Err… If the 3DS lets people see 3D stereoscopic images without having to wear glasses, then I assume it must do it by alternate between two images with a slight offset from eachother at a mindboggling speed, which will in turn give people mindboggling headaches at the very least.

    Bad idea? Nah…

    MW: science! As in gone awry.

  3. @Deus Ex Technica
    I agree that apple is like a “massively disruptive lightning ball from Zeus” but although I am a Greek, I have never encountered the word “apple” in my language (only apfels in german). As you are obviously educated much more than me, could you please help me by spelling the word in greek?

  4. @Deus Ex Technica
    I agree that apple is like a “massively disruptive lightning ball from Zeus” but although I am a Greek, I have never encountered the word “apple” in my language (only apfels in german). As you are obviously educated much more than me, could you please help me by spelling the word in greek?

  5. Personally, I wish that Nintendo would stop with the gimmicks — as “Virtual Boy II: The Revenge”‘s handle points out.

    How about a 7.5inch widescreen “Gameboy HD”? Basically, a one-screened, 3DS. But, no 3D.

    It would obviously be similar to the PSP. But, it would actually be supported with MANY types of games.

  6. Personally, I wish that Nintendo would stop with the gimmicks — as “Virtual Boy II: The Revenge”‘s handle points out.

    How about a 7.5inch widescreen “Gameboy HD”? Basically, a one-screened, 3DS. But, no 3D.

    It would obviously be similar to the PSP. But, it would actually be supported with MANY types of games.

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