Nintendo: 3DS out by March 2011, more expensive than DS, design not final

Nintendo’s global presidents, Satoru Iwata in Japan and Reggie Fils-Aime in America, have revealed some new information regarding the 3DS’s impending release in post E3 interviews.

Speaking with innovation website VentureBeat, Iwata said that the 3DS, “in terms of the production costs, will cost more than the costs for the Nintendo DS today.” We already knew that though, because 3D LCD screens cost significantly more than their 2D counterparts.

“We do not think we have to sell the products below cost,” Iwata continues. Some manufacturers, such as Microsoft with the Xbox, have had to sell products at a loss because of high production costs. Iwata thinks they’ll be making a profit from day one.

And if production costs are higher than DS, but Nintendo won't undercut themselves, then we can safely say that the 3DS will be more than the Nintendo DS.

In an interview with Industry Gamers, Nintendo of America boss Fils-Aime revealed that the 3DS’s design isn’t final, and the feedback from journalists at the event will help shape the final product. “The depth slider, the buttons, the sliding pad. These are things that we’re looking to get reaction to, including the overall button placement. When we get all that feedback, then we’ll finalise the design.”

The reason for no formal release date during Nintendo’s E3 press conference was a mix of individual country marketing decisions and wanting to get feedback from gamers first. “The one thing, for sure,” says Fils-Aime, “is that we will launch in all of our major markets by March 31, 2011.”