Analyst: 3DS U.S. launch in April, to cost $250
Although Nintendo says that it plans to release its 3DS portable, Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter said in a recent interview that April is more likely.
Nintendo says it will release its 3DS portable gaming device to U.S. and Europe in March, but Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter isn't convinced.
Speaking in an interview with gaming blog Joystiq, Pachter said that based on "how Nintendo does things," he doesn't believe it's "remotely possible they're launching [the 3DS in the] first half of March."
"I'm getting it gets delayed until April in Europe and U.S.," Pachter said.
Pachter also isn't convinced that the 3DS, which allows gamers to play in 3D without requiring 3D glasses, will be sold in the U.S. and Europe for the $300 price tag Nintendo plans for the Japanese market. In fact, he believes Nintendo will charge $50 less for the device in Western markets.
"I know people who haven't played a handheld in forever--I'm talking guys who play Halo and Call of Duty 24/7 and nothing else--and they all want one," Pachter told Joystiq. "I think Nintendo will charge $250 and people will pay it."
Pachter said Nintendo will likely sell 3DS titles for $34.99.
So far, Nintendo has been relatively tight-lipped on key details about the U.S. and Europe 3DS launch. The company announced yesterday that the device will be available at the end of February in Japan for $300, and it plans to launch it in the U.S. and European markets in March. It didn't provide an exact release date or a launch price.