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3DS sells out by noon on Saturday in Japan

Inevitable queues and hacking

3DS sells out by noon on Saturday in Japan
As is customary at any major new product launch, queues for Nintendo’s latest gizmo the 3DS were reportedly snaking around the block over the weekend across Japan.

The much anticipated successor to the best-selling handheld console to date (and second overall only to Sony’s PlayStation 2) went on sale in Nintendo’s domestic market on Saturday morning for ¥25,000 and promptly sold out by noon.

Not altogether unsurprisingly, the initial stock of 400,000 units was swallowed up in treble quick-time on opening day, as many of the glasses-free gaming sets passed into the hands of gleeful pre-order customers.

Second wind

According to reporters and bloggers on the ground, though, a second wave of 3DS devices was already making its way to retailers on Sunday, ensuring disappointed punters who’d missed out first time around could grab a slice of the 3D gaming action the following day.

This follows on from a promise by Nintendo’s president Saturo Iwata that a continuous supply to stores would prevent the large scale shortage evidenced at previous DS launches.

Nintendo expects to shift 1.5 million 3DS machines in total in its home country by the end of March, with the company predicting 4 million shipments worldwide in the same timeframe.

Pirates of the Far East

And despite Nintendo’s 'best anti-piracy technology yet', another familiar presence in the immediate aftermath of a product launch has reared its ugly head once more.

In a YouTube video posted mere hours after the first 3DS left a Japanese shelf, two hackers demonstrate a DS version of New Super Mario Bros being played on a 3DS via the infamous R4 card.

The 3DS itself will be released in Europe on March 25th - at prices determined by individual retailers - and be available in US shops two days later for $249.99.

[sources: Andriasang/PCMag]

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