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Soundwave on 29 January 2015
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spemanig said:
Soundwave said:

Well they might be planning to release the handheld (at least in Japan) before E3 2016, so that moves E3 2016 out. 

It has to be this June's show if they're planning to launch around spring 2016 for Japan. 

Unveiling in November really isn't Nintendo's style because it would take away all the attention from their holiday lineup to say "hey look at this thing we're launching next year". 

It would also basically be a similar time line to the 3DS unveil ... they announced the 3DS in March 2010 I think, the same month they released the DSi XL in North America. Then they unveiled the 3DS with playable demos at E3 2010. The system launched in Japan about eight months later, and about a year later in the US. 

I really honestly don't think the New 3DS really means much more to Nintendo than the DSi XL did -- it's just a last gasp revision, nothing more, nothing less. With its built-in Amiibo functionality it will be stocked in stores for a few more years no matter what, as a cheaper/low end market option when the next-gen Nintendo portable comes out. So New 3DS still has a role. It just may not be the one some people have mistakenly dreamt up for it. 


Lol, they pretty much did that with the N3DS in the West.

I think it's much more the DSi than the DSi XL. I agree that it's a last gasp revision, but I think they're trying to hold that gasp out much longer than you do. I think it's a huge foreshadowing as to how the next handheld will be designed, though.

Every added feature to the N3DS is one that I predicted like last year would be on the 3DS's official successor, so I think it's more of a bridge. Dual analog above the ABXY buttons (only they couldn't fit a real circle pad on this one because of how the 3DS is designed) and 2 added bumpers that look like the bumpers on the wii classic controller. The one thing I absolutely didn't predict was the improved 3D screen, which definitively confirmes to me that it's staying for the successor system. I see the successor looking a LOT like the N3DS. Just with more power and the true start of Nintendo's unified OS platform.

I don't think we'll see the next iteration until after E3 next year. (though the sooner, the better if you ask me) If they've only just merged their two divisions late last year, I simply don't see them ready push out any must have software out at the system's launch if it's just Spring 2016. Again, the sooner, the better in my opinion, but I just don't see it. I think they'll want that 6 months of extra buffer.

Whatever they do, definitely I don't see them actuall releasing the thing out this year.


Well they kinda had to show the New 3DS because it was launching in Japan for holiday 2014. If it was launch until spring 2015, I think they probably wouldn't have shown it until after the holidays. 

I suspect you will get a sneak peak at the new Nintendo portable at this E3, kinda like how they unveiled the Wii U over a year before launch. Maybe just the casing design. 

They've been working on it for a long time though I think, New 3DS is more of a side project thing for their R&D most likely, Miyamoto mentioned Nintendo's next portable like way back in 2012 (right when the 3DS XL was unveiled), that he had some ideas for it. 

Iwata also said last year that they had a "new definition of video games" (IMO this means the Fusion iPad-iPhone type concept) but it would take two years to come to market (or something to that effect). That was in spring 2014. Add two years to spring 2014 and (voila) you get spring 2016. 

They simply may not have anything else to give the New 3DS either. I mean really, they've thrown every one of their big IP at the 3DS, redesigned it several times ... it just isn't able to carry Nintendo's business going forward, I don't think 9 million 3DS' this fiscal year alone is making Nintendo very happy, 6-7 million would really hurt them. 

Kids are abandoning Nintendo's handhelds in droves for tablets/smartphones. If Nintendo was concerned enough about the PSP in 2004 to cut the GBA's lifecycle to only 3 years, they should probably be a hell of a lot more worried right now.