Nintendo 3DS Australian Price and Release Date Speculation

As Nintendo ramp up the hype for the 3DS, we start to ask when were gonna get it and just how much it will cost here

Since being officially unveiled at E3 in June, Nintendo’s 3DS has stayed the hot topic amongst gamers and in recent weeks we’ve seen plenty of screenshots, info and other goodies revealed for the exciting new handheld. Internationally, people are getting some preview hands-on time with the 3D-enabled device, with a special invite-only event being held recently in the UK. Late last week, a dubious mistranslation of a Japanese article published by Bloomberg had Nintendo fans excited about a possible release in Japan this coming October- a date later shown to be incorrect. Despite the error, excitement around the 3DS remains high and many are beginning to wonder just when it will be available.

On the radar, we are expecting Nintendo to announce the release date on September 29th – an announcement of an announcement that is sure to put the promotional bandwagon into top gear. Given the timing, we’re beginning to think that the release date will be sooner rather than later – at least overseas. We’re also starting to ponder just how much the 3DS will set us back, so we can start saving the pennies right now.

A synchronous release date worldwide is unlikely. DS sales are languishing overseas- namely in Europe and Japan, where the now six year old handheld is suffering from the usual long sale life fatigue, not to mention the woes of rampant piracy. Nintendo are keen to get the 3DS out on shelves as soon as they can to stifle declining software sales and seize the upper hand on handheld sales once again. With the upcoming reveal of the release date revelation on September 29, we’re not ruling out a pre-Christmas launch for 2010. Development on the handheld is likely in the closing stages, as the technology is looking refined and stable. Nintendo originally touted an early 2011 release date, but the situation may have changed as they look to beat the market and get the handheld out in time for the Christmas rush. The 3DS will come out first in Japan- where it’s needed the most, and maybe a week or two later in Europe and the US.

Locally, it’s a different story. Consider the chances of an Aussie release date to be known before the end of September to be slim. It’s more probable that the local release date won’t be known until much later this year. Unlike the Wii, which released in late November/early December across most territories in 2006, we’re expecting at least a month-long delay before it drops in Australia- and more realistically a bit longer than that. If the 3DS does indeed launch before Christmas overseas, then you can rule out a January 2011 release window. It would simply be too soon after the holiday craziness for consumers to rush out and get them. Much more likely is a late February 2011 release at the earliest. The original DS Phat came out in Australia on February 24th back in 2005 – a date that could be a fitting homage for the very first DS. February 24th also happens to be a Thursday next year, the day that most new software typically reaches store shelves. We’re not placing any bets just yet, but pencil in February 24th as the absolute earliest we’ll get it in Australia – a date that provides plenty of time to build up enthusiasm in the gaming market. If the release date for the overseas markets announced on September 29th is indeed a 2011 date, then we’re probably looking at an Aussie launch of no sooner than March 2011.

How much is it going to cost? To figure that out, we need to look at Nintendo’s history with the price-points of each of the various iterations of the DS, as well as consider just how much consumers will tolerate for a handheld. The DS ‘Phat’ was $199 AUD when it launched, as was it’s successor the DS Lite. The much-improved DSi came with a $299 price tag, but can now be picked up for $249 with its larger cousin the DSi XL costing $299.

Therefore, $299 is likely the absolute minimum price we can expect for the 3DS when it launches. There is just too much expensive tech packed into the device, and demand will be too high for Nintendo to price it any lower. As for the upper limit, consider anything higher than $349 to be out of the question- that is simply too expensive for a handheld to make the broad-base impact Nintendo wants when it goes on sale. Expensive handhelds don’t sell, and Nintendo will follow their business model of selling a new system close to the price of manufacture. The Wii was sold at a profit from day one, unlike other companies who sold their consoles at a loss to encourage software sales. The 3DS packs a lot more tech than anything Nintendo have ever offered before, so if it is sold at a profit, then we expect that margin to be razor-thin. Simply put, they’re going to have a lot of software available from day one and can make their money there. As such, a price tag of $329 seems very likely although we’d prefer to pay $299 if there’s no game bundled in.

The 3DS might have the snazziest display ever seen in a handheld, but don’t think it’s gonna be an exception to every other gaming platform- software is what counts, and the 3DS is gonna need more than just a handful of hot titles available at launch to guarantee the knock-out success we’re expecting. From Nintendo themselves, we’re expecting Nintendogs + Cats to be a launch title, possibly even a pack-in game. The big first-party launch title will be Kid Icarus: Uprising, and the game will be to the 3DS as Twilight Princess was to the Wii when it came out. It’s probably too soon for Mario Kart, but Paper Mario and Animal Crossing are likely to be on shelves from day one. On the matter of Nintendo 64 remakes, Starfox 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time are also likely at launch and we’ve probably just seen the tip of the iceberg in terms of what other 64 classics will be remade for the 3DS.

From third parties, expect Activision’s DJ Hero 3D to be available, as the massive publisher will really be pushing the DJ Hero brand as a new property over the next 12 months, and from what I’ve played at E3, the game is most likely almost complete. The game is technically sound and worked bug-free and most of the work remaining to be done on the game is to flesh out the library of music tracks to mix and play. Capcom are likely to deliver Street Fighter IV close to launch, given the volume of media currently released for the game, although Resident Evil: Revelations probably won’t make the cut in time. Metal Gear Solid 3DS: The Naked Sample is also unlikely to be available on launch day. EA’s The Sims 3 might also make launch and could cement the 3DS’ appeal with softcore gamers from day one. There’s a heap of stuff from SEGA, Square Enix, Namco Bandai and countless other publishers which at this stage is difficult to tell whether they’ll be available at launch. Regardless, such a strong line-up of support will provide a steady stream of titles to fill out the 3DS’s catalogue throughout 2011.

The launch of the 3DS will overlap with the tail end of yet to be released games that will see out the last days of the DS. The DS was an incredibly successful handheld for Nintendo, selling in greater numbers than they had projected and enjoying a much longer life at retail than anyone foresaw. As such, the legacy of the DS is likely to linger early on in the life of the 3DS, with more than a few decent titles to send it out with a bang. Capcom’s Okamiden on DS may very well be played by a significant number of early 3DS adopters, given it’s early 2011 release window. There’s also Pokémon Black and White, which being Pokémon games, are going to be absolutely huge.

It’s early days people, so hedge your bets, but I anticipate a February 24th 2011 release date in Australia with a $329 AUD price tag to be a good possibility, with maybe a dozen games in total from Nintendo and collected third parties. Regardless of price and the actual release date, the launch of the 3DS is guaranteed to be a success for Nintendo as demand is going to be huge. Our recommendation? Once the release date is confirmed, start placing your pre-orders, as the 3DS is going to sell like crazy and you wouldn’t want to miss out on the world-changing new handheld.