http://www.examiner.com/console-gaming-in-national/nintendo-confirms-second-analog-stick-attachment-for-3ds

An early look at the at an accessory to add a second analog stick/circle pad to the Nintendo 3DS hit late last night and now Nintendo confirms that this is a real thing.

"We can confirm that Nintendo does plan to release the attachment but that any further announcements on the attachment will be made at some later time by Nintendo,” the games maker said in a statement.

The attachment acts like a cradle that the Nintendo 3DS will sit in to add not only the second control stick but also what appears to be two additional shoulder buttons which would bring the 3DS up to a total of four. This puts it on par with pretty much every other gaming device and appears to indicate that Nintendo intends to support traditional gaming more heavily with the device.

Unfortunately, there is simply no way to add all of this to the Nintendo 3DS as an attachment without significantly increasing its size. The images revealed in Famitsu appear to add almost an inch to the right side and an inch to the underside of the handheld device.

Obviously Nintendo will be coming with a presumably more sleeker hardware revision of the 3DS later.

Hmmm. I don't think it's a smart move. Now new will be software will be divided between those who have the attachment and those who don't.

TBH this confirmation doesn't tell us much, but I thought it deserved its own thread.

The thing looks horrible. I still hope that Nintendo haven't lost it totally and that this won't lead to a redesign.

I remember a few people saying it looked photo shopped, well that disproves that now

still looks ugly, I'll wait until the inevitable 3DS redesign before I consider buying one now

Feels like we will be playing 3DS with a normal controller, albeit a little bit bigger.

3DS is doomz!!!

...But seriously, I'm glad I didn't buy a 3DS yet, since... redesign...

Take that Sony "Only Portable with dual analogue sticks" my ass!!!

Wow, Nintendo have officially lost their minds.

Of course this will lead to a redesign. It was probably one of their initial designs that they scrapped. However don't expect the redesign till earliest 2013. I mean Nintendo will be launching WiiU next year and they aren't going to launch a redesign at the exact same time as WiiU. It would be a very foolish business decision because their loyal user base won't have money to buy both WiiU and 3DS.

If a new model was coming anytime soon it would be announced for the spring. But a launch simultaneously with WiiU would be disastrous the two console would cannibalize each other.

My bet is that this new peripheral is being introduced to avoid a new model and buy Nintendo time. Obviously developers wanted these new revisions and Nintendo knew that consumers would be pissed if they introduced them in a new model anytime soon.

So Nintendo did the most logical thing. They released the peripheral so that developers could make the games they wanted and consumers hopefully won't be as pissed off as if they released another model. Also with Nintendo loosing money on each unit a new model with only two new triggers and another analog stick would not be enough. Nintendo knows they need to improve the hardware likely battery life etc...etc...

I'm guessing once the parts get cheaper and Nintendo is able to manufacture 3DS at less of a loss. Then and only then will Nintendo release a new model. However rest assured that this new addition will be default controls in the new model. Just don't expect the new model for at least another year. Unless Nintendo is very stupid, but I still have faith they aren't!