Nintendo 3DS

Unprecedented consumer response sees Nintendo 3DS pre-orders double Wii Nintendo 3DS is Amazon.co.uk’s most pre-ordered console ever! Ground-breaking glasses free 3D entertainment system captures the imagination of the UK

Nintendo UK has today announced that, with three days to go until launch, pre-orders for the new glasses free 3D entertainment device, Nintendo 3DS, have more than doubled those achieved for Wii in 2006.

The news follows last week’s announcement by online retailer Amazon.co.uk that Nintendo 3DS has smashed its pre-order record for a games console in the UK.

When Nintendo 3DS launched in Japan on 26 February, 400,000 consoles sold in the first two days.** More than 1,200 retailers across the UK are poised to open their doors at midnight on Thursday to satisfy the demand from eager fans.

HMV’s London flagship store at 150 Oxford Street will be hosting the official UK retail launch event. The event will include a performance by BRITs Award winner Plan B and the first official customer purchase. The first 500 games enthusiasts to purchase the console will be able to claim a free 3DS game of their choice***.

“The reaction to Nintendo 3DS has exceeded our wildest expectations,” said David Yarnton, General Manager of Nintendo UK. “Glasses-free 3D entertainment has truly arrived. It’s almost certain that the number of Nintendo 3DS consoles sold on Friday will exceed the number of 3D televisions sold in the whole of 2010.

“Until now 3D has been too expensive, too clumsy and too restricted,” said David Yarnton. “With Nintendo 3DS it’s mobile. It’s affordable. It’s glasses-free. And it’s here, now.”

- ends -

For more information, please go to: www.nintendo3ds.co.uk

For all media enquiries, please contact the Nintendo Press Office on 020 7861 2868 or Nintendo@Bell-Pottinger.co.uk

* Nintendo 3DS has broken Nintendo UK’s record for UK Hardware Pre-Orders. Nintendo 3DS is Amazon.co.uk’s most pre-ordered console ever.

** Nintendo shipped just over 400,000 units into the Japanese market for day 1 and Nintendo 3DS virtually sold out, with the only available copies left at retail being those that had been pre-sold and were not yet picked up.

*** Subject to availability and whilst stocks last.

About Nintendo 3DS

Nintendo 3DS includes two screens. The bottom touch screen makes use of a telescoping stylus that is stored in the unit itself. The top screen displays 3D visuals to the naked eye. Looking at the screen is like peering through a window into a world where characters and objects have true depth. The system also has a 3D Depth Slider that lets players select the level of 3D they enjoy the most. The 3D effect can be increased up to the highest level, scaled back to a more moderate setting or even turned off completely, depending on the preference of the user.

In addition to the familiar + Control Pad and button controls found on previous Nintendo handhelds, Nintendo 3DS now also includes a Circle Pad, which provides a full 360 degrees of direction, giving it the freedom and precision needed to play games in 3D worlds. It brings the same degree of responsiveness that gamers enjoyed when Nintendo introduced an analogue control stick to navigate MarioTM through Super Mario 64TM on the Nintendo 64TM system.

A built-in motion sensor and gyro sensor can react to the motion and tilt of the system, so whether players are twisting their systems side to side or moving them up and down, their motion-compatible Nintendo 3DS games respond instantly. No other system includes so many tools for game developers to create new and fun experiences for players.

Two features will allow owners to stay connected in new ways. Both deliver bonus content to owners as they move around during their daily lives, so users might open up their systems at any moment to find new surprises. For owners who choose to activate it, the StreetPassTM feature is capable of exchanging game information with other Nintendo 3DS systems as owners pass one another during the day. Small packets of information can be exchanged using this data-transfer method, such as MiiTM character data, maps for games or high scores and custom character data for different games. The SpotPassTM feature can connect to compatible public hotspots and through a wireless broadband Internet connection at home, even if the system is in Sleep Mode. Once connected, the Nintendo 3DS system will receive new content and updates on a regular basis.

Nintendo of Europe has partnered with a number of organisations to deliver this content including Eurosport, Europe’s leading sports entertainment group, to bring engaging 3D sports video to the Nintendo 3DS and Aardman Animations to provide a series of original Shaun the Sheep short movies in 3D. Nintendo is also in discussion with partners at a country level, in the UK for instance, Nintendo has partnered with British Sky Broadcasting to provide short-form content from Sky 3D to Nintendo 3DS.

To ensure broad access to compatible public hotspots, Nintendo of Europe are in contact with a number of potential partners across Europe including tmn, METEOR, Guglielmo, Linkem, KPN, Deutsche Telekom and BTFON.

Each Nintendo 3DS system comes pre-loaded with a variety of fun games, applications and features, such as Nintendo 3DS Camera. Nintendo 3DS has three cameras. One camera points at the user, while two additional cameras point outward. These two outer cameras take photos in 3D. The fun, built-in game Face RaidersTM asks users to shoot at funny depictions of their own faces. Nintendo 3DS, when put into Sleep Mode, can act as a pedometer, while letting users earn Play Coins for the steps they take that can then be traded in for additional content in compatible games and applications. By accessing the Activity Log, users can check their steps as well as their play time. With Nintendo 3DS Sound, users can enjoy sound-manipulation tools or enjoy listening to their MP3 or AAC music files. An upgraded Internet browser will also be available via a system update.

The Mii MakerTM application gives users new tools to create MiiTM characters even more easily: Users can either import Mii characters from their Wii systems using an SD Memory Card or use the camera to take a picture of a person and have an automatic Mii character created. Users can even save their Mii characters to an SD Memory Card as pictures, which enables them to be used any way a digital photo would for personal use, such as a profile picture on social-networking sites.

The Nintendo eShop, through a system update, will offer access to downloadable games, including Nintendo DSiWareTM and ones specifically made for Nintendo 3DS. Also, just as the Virtual Console service on Wii makes retro games available for download, the Virtual Console games on 3DS will be pulled from classic Game BoyTM and Game Boy Color games. Players can view game videos, download demos for select games and see how other players rate the games. The Nintendo eShop will use a cash-based system. Users can either input credit card info in the shop or purchase a Nintendo 3DS e-Shop card at retail locations.

Nintendo 3DS comes with six augmented-reality cards, called AR cards. When the two outer cameras are pointed at the cards, they read the cards and superimpose images and animations onto the scene. So users shouldn’t be surprised if they see a dragon popping out of their kitchen tables. Developers can also use this technology to add creative new experiences to their games.

Built-in parental controls can be used to limit Internet access or some of the wireless functions. By using a PIN code, parents also can turn off the 3D function altogether, or limit the ratings of the games that their kids can play.

Fans of online play will be happy to learn that the friend codes for Nintendo 3DS are specific to each Nintendo 3DS system, not each game. Once friends trade hardware codes, at any time they can check their friends list to see which of their friends are online and what they are playing.

Nintendo 3DS can also play Nintendo DS game cards with their original 2D visuals. The system also includes a slot for an SD Memory Card. To help users get started, every system comes with a 2GB SD Memory Card (though owners can provide whatever size they like). Using a service that will be provided after the hardware’s launch, Nintendo DSiTM and Nintendo DSi XLTM owners will be able to transfer games downloaded from the Nintendo DSi Shop onto their new Nintendo 3DS systems.

During the launch window (between the March 25 launch date and the E3 Expo in early June) more than 30 games will be available to Nintendo 3DS owners. These include Nintendo-created games like Pilotwings ResortTM, which has players soaring acrobatically over iconic Wuhu Island; nintendogsTM + cats, a new version of the Nintendo DS classic with a feline enhancement; and Steel DiverTM, a side-scrolling submarine adventure that gives the illusion that the player is peering into an aquarium. Other Nintendo 3DS games in the works include The Legend of ZeldaTM: Ocarina of TimeTM 3D, Star Fox 64TM 3D, Kid IcarusTM: Uprising and new installments in the Mario KartTM, Animal CrossingTM and Paper MarioTM series.

Nintendo 3DS also enjoys some of the strongest third-party support of any system launch. A partial list of titles coming soon to Nintendo 3DS includes Super Street Fighter® IV 3D Edition and Resident Evil®: The Mercenaries 3D Edition from Capcom; The SimsTM 3 and Madden NFL Football from Electronic Arts; PES 2011 3D – Pro Evolution Soccer from Konami; LEGO® Star WarsTM III The Clone WarsTM from LucasArtsTM; Ridge RacerTM 3D from Namco Bandai; Super Monkey BallTM 3D, CrushTM 3D, ThorTM : God of Thunder, from SEGA; Puzzle Bobble UniverseTM from Square Enix, Co., Ltd; Samurai Warriors: Chronicles and DEAD OR ALIVE® Dimensions from Tecmo Koei.Europe Ltd.; Tom Clancy’ sTM Ghost Recon® Shadow Wars, Tom Clancy’ s Splinter Cell ® 3D, Rayman® 3D, AsphaltTM 3D, Combat of GiantsTM Dinosaurs 3D, James Noir’ s Hollywood CrimesTM, Driver® Renegade and Rabbids® 3D from Ubisoft.

Look out for more information, titles and release dates as they become available via the official Nintendo website at: www.nintendo3ds.co.uk.

About Nintendo

The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™ home console and Nintendo DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.5 billion video games and more than 577 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi™ XL, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance™, Super NES™, Nintendo 64® and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of Europe, based in Grossostheim, Germany, was established in 1990 and serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in Europe.