Gamestation poster hints at March 1st UK 3DS release date

Up till now all we've known about the release date for the 3DS was that it would be before the end of March. If Gamestation is to be believed the 3DS will arrive as far from the end of March, while remaining within the month of March, as it's possible to be: the 1st of March.

The rumour – for it is a rumour – arises from a picture submitted to 3DS Buzz showing a poster in the window of a branch of UK shop chain Gamestation. The poster says, "Released: 1st March 2011". The Gamestation website lists the same date, though it also says, "TBC".

Amazon, meanwhile, lists no date, and Game – which owns Gamestation – lists March 2011.

It's possible that Gamestation has got its facts wrong. Release dates have been listed incorrectly on retail websites before. Lending some evidence to the case for March 1st, on the other hand, is the fact that Gamestation actually had posters printed up. We'll have to see.

Inside Games, meanwhile, has learned that "around 10 titles or so" will be available at the 3DS's Japanese launch on February 26th, with specific details to be announced later this month at Nintendo World in Japan. Publishers will then scatter their releases between February and March, meaning that the western 3DS launch should be more generously populated.

3DS games will also be relatively expensive, according to the site, coming in at 1,000 yen (about £7.75 / $12) more than DS games.

This information, like the 3DS UK launch date, is unconfirmed by Nintendo of any official source. We should know more for certain after this weekend's Nintendo World event.