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Nintendo 3DS misses Xmas launch window

Santa, kids said to be 'shocked'

Nintendo's upcoming 3D handheld console, the 3DS, won't debut until next year, the videogames pioneer has admitted.

Result: a lot of kids will get 'old' tech as presents this Christmas.

Nintendo's global roll-out kicks off on 26 February with the Japanese launch, with the gadget arriving in the US and Europe early in March - as yet, specific dates haven't been announced for these territories.

Japanese buyers will pay ¥25,000 (£189). Given the January VAT increase to 20 per cent, we reckon UK consumers will be paying £230-250 at retail.

The 3DS displays 3D without the need for special spectacles, using half of its 3.53in, 800 x 240 display to show the left-eye image and the rest for the right-eye picture, making for a combined 400 x 240 image.

The 3DS' secondary screen is a 3in 320 x 240 touchscreen.

It also contains three 0.3Mp cameras, one front-facing and two pointing outwards and together capable of taking 3D stills - plus 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, and a gyro sensor and a motion sensor.

Nintendo has already announced 3DS-specific versions of the Mario Kart, Nintendogs and StarFox 64 franchises, along with Kid Icarus, PilotWings Resort, Animal Crossing, Steel Diver and Paper Mario.

Other publishers will get in on the act too: Activision with DJ Hero 3D, EA with Sims 3, Capcom with Resident Evil: Revelations and Street Fighter IV, Square Enix with Final Fantasy, Namco Bandai with Ridge Racer, Ubisoft with Tom Clancy games, and more. ®

Good job it's not Microsoft making it.

They would have rushed it out anyway, not worrying about it not working, and having it's featureset slashed, and then spend the next 5 years patching it up.

Sony/Nintendo do it properly and are Engineering driven and products are released when they are finished, Microsoft are marketing driven and deliver when people want to buy them, regardless of the state of the product.

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NOT FAIR WAHH HAAA OOWW!

This kid is gunna be crying into his beer! Not fair! Want it now!

I want to play games in 3D for 15 minuets and then turn the 3D off due to headaches and never use it again, NOW!

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Same price as a PS3.

for a crappy little handheld.

Are they for real?

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Too expensive

For the children's market given current freezes on spending. >£200 is in to big boys territory. Who wants to spent that on a child Xmas/Birthday present? (apart from those who are desperate to increase the size of their debt)

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Star Fox/Wing

Ah, will it require the 3DS to have a "Super FX" chip in it like the SNES needed?

Why is there no nostalgia icon? :o( Troll doll, cos their nostalgic.

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