Nintendo shows off 3DS Shopping Channel

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has unveiled a digital marketplace destined for the company’s upcoming goggle-free 3D handheld, the 3DS.

The interface enables gamers to purchase content like retro Game Boy games, download free content such as demos, and view trailers for upcoming games. Every game has its own page, and you can also check out what other players think, rate games and make recommendations.

The aim is to throw commerce and promotion into one handy app, allowing potential purchases to 'window shop' for new content and hopefully raise sales in the process. The store is heavily graphical, with tiles of clickable icons, plenty of screenshots, and hubs for certain types of downloads.

Closing off the Japanese presentation during which he unveiled the 3DS Shopping Channel, Iwata noted that gamers and the general public will get their hands on 3DS demo pods, in Japan, from early January 2011.