Report: 3DS eShop, browser coming in day-one firmware update

by JC Fletcher on Jan 21st 2011 4:40PM

One of the most baffling, disappointing news items from the recent 3DS event is the absence of the "eShop" online store at launch. According to a statement from Nintendo to Eurogamer, the 3DS eShop won't ship with 3DS systems on the launch day -- but the firmware will be "updated on day one" with the eShop functionality and a web browser.

Europe's launch date is March 25, two days before the system will be available in North America, so it stands to reason that if Europe's shop is ready, North America's will be too. Nonetheless, we've asked Nintendo of America for confirmation.

If this report is true, that would neatly solve the problems caused by a missing eShop -- any prospective user would have to connect to the internet if they wanted to download any games anyway, meaning anyone affected would be able to download the update right away.

Update: Nintendo of America's senior director of corporate communications, Charlie Scibetta, says "Games and services offered by Nintendo can vary by region. Nintendo of America will release additional information about Nintendo eShop, including timing, content and pricing, at a later date."

Source: Eurogamer

Tags: 3ds, ds, eshop, europe, nintendo

Reader Comments (41)

Whoop whoop!

Hardly as baffling and disappointing as the prices for the system and retail games.

@sparkster So far the biggest draw of the system is to play games that we've played already… and people are eating it up.

@Calatia

The biggest draw is that it is from Nintendo and there is a Kid Icarus game.

@Anticrawl I'm not sure if any of you remember, but Kid Icarus for the NES wasn't a particularly good game.

It's also possible you're romanticizing the past and thinking of how awesome Pit was in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Oh shit it's Link's Awakening DX, the first game I ever owned.

That building is a library and inside it you can knock down a book with the pegasus boots and it'll tell you how to get to the color dungeon.

...let's just say I wasn't like the kids in the picture when I was young.

@Acosta02 That was the first game that I got emotionally attached to story. I miss you, Wind Fish.

@Acosta02

This was my first zelda game and I have many fond memories. I will probably end up getting it. I never played the "DX" version though, I had the original version.

@Acosta02 Color dungeon? You youngster.

hmm... it's tiresome enough to turn on the system and link it to my WIFI connection but now i gotta wait longer to download firmware that should've been on there the 1st time around? if the price of the thing don't kill me than the wait to enjoy my purchase to its fullest right away will!!!

/sarcasm of course lol

^ phew almost believed you for a second

Well, that's good to hear. It kinda would of been disappointing if the e-shop wasnt available Day 1.

Great news the 3ds has topped the amazon best seller's list

This is pretty smart. There are already rumors about flashcarts developed using that stolen 3DS, so this update would immediately block those

...Day one 3DS VC?

That ALMOST makes up for the system's many reported failings. Almost.

Day 2 firmware hacked and the race begins

Gameboy Virtual Console = %50 reason for buying.

The only quality games I ever bought for both the GBC and the GBA were Pokemon games; I had never heard of Mario, but my friend had Zelda which I borrowed a number of times.

Also, I own Metroid & Super Metroid on VC so it'll be nice to own the missing slice of the trilogy.

I'm still sore over the £220 price point, but if Nintendo slaps a nice little £3 "App Store" levels of pricing for these GB titles then I'm all for it. Finally I can play Pokemon Pinball without the bizarre levels of eye strain.

Holy freakin hell.

I nostalgia'd SO HARD on that Mario bros image. That was a regular part of my life some 15 or so odd years ago.

It's only "baffling and disappointing" if you don't understand how system launches work. The factories start producing hardware WAY before the software is finalized.

For instance, the PS3 required a day-one firmware update to make the PSN available. Online multiplayer was added a month later in another update.

The Wii similarly launched without its network channels (forecast / news / Internet) and required firmware updates to add them.

And many of us probably remember that the DS didn't even have online multiplayer until Nov 2005, a year after system launch.

So where is the problem again? I love you Joystiq but quit making up controversy where there is none.

@Bighouse It's their Blog, they can post somebody shitting in the toilet while playing smb on the GBA and considering it News..

@Bighouse

^THIS^

pretty much, they must manufacture a lot of time ahead to make sure to ship as many units as they can (or an expected ammount to cover demand), so by the time they started with the manufacture, eShop wasn't ready, but they keep developing and testing it to get it ready ASAP

and wtf, it will be available @ day 1 anyways!

@GiantGamer The lowest those games go for is £8 (about $15) on eBay, with some charging up to $50 for the Oracle games. Either way, any pricing Nintendo chooses will seem like a bargain in comparison.

oh man, 3DS Virtrual Console stuff? This actually makes me want to buy it day 1. when before I was like "I'll eventually... get it"

i think they are doing this because they want people connected to the nitendo servers downloading stuff and sending them info to someway nintendo can prevent piracy

DRAGON WARRIOR MONSTERS?????

Hope this means we get Metroid II, which I haven't played in ages.

Does anyone else hope they have an option to switch between "B&W" classic mode and GBC/Super Game Boy mode? That'd kick ass.

Also, we don't know if the console will support GBA games. I'm sure the system is powerful enough, but let's not jump the gun just yet.

@Red Runner

I wanna play the Gameboy games in that terrible yellow tint. No that isn't sarcasm I really am excited.

@Red Runner
Hopefully they include the GBC feature where holding certain button combinations on start up changed the coloring.

This is awesome but, eShop?

Is it 1999 again?

@Papytendo

We all know where the "e" trend got Strong Bad.

http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail164.html

I played the two Mario Lands to death, but would still love to play them without having to wait for a solar flare to be able to see a Gameboy screen (remember those days where you had to sit facing a window for the screen to be bright enough?) so will be re-buying.

@mrmobius

I had one of these for my Gameboy so I didn't need to surface of the sun to see

http://www.retro-gameshop.nl/gameboy/gameboyclassichandyboyspeakers.jpg

Also one of these:

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/JXYTheGreat/CAGBlog/magnifier.jpg

Ahh nostalgia.

@mrmobius
I actually picked up a silver GameBoy Light back then. When I got it back then I actually thought it was some sort of knock-off because of the Japanese only manual and box. Only years later I found out what I bought.

Link's Awakening might just be my favorite Zelda game.

This is lost on me if old GB games forces me to use the A/B buttons instead of B/Y. Playing GBA games on the DS is absolutely worthless since A & B buttons are angled more like a snes controller rather than an NES, or even a GBA SP layout.

Anyone know the details about which network encryptions the 3DS supports? I can't use my DS online because my home has a WPA2 wireless encryption and the DS only supports WEP.

"Games and services offered by Nintendo can vary by region."

Sigh...so Japan's getting the Mother games and we're getting shafted, aren't we?

@False

You do know Nintendo is content to keep ignoring the US Mother/EarthBound fanbase, right? And besides, with Mother 3, well...as we've seen companies don't bother to translate import text for VC games, so that'd make it unplayable on 3DS.

Still, this is pretty awesome. Zelda, Metroid, Pokemon, Mario Land...

...and am I the only one hoping this also means Capcom will put the GB Mega Man I-V on there?

I wonder if the browser will have 3D support. There could be some fun...3D sites...giggity. I hope there is a way to sideload 3D movies as well.

Having said that, I'm reconsidering my pre-order. There aren't any games coming on launch day that I want to play. Then again, there are some within the launch window, and it may be sold out until after then. Mmm.... why couldn't Ocarina of Time or Metal Gear Solid have been a launch title?

I actually still own both those games, and they still work! though I wonder what will be on the eshop...

Report: 3DS eShop, browser coming in day-one firmware update

Reader Comments (41)

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 4:55PM NetOperator Wibby said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 4:55PM sparkster said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 5:06PM Calatia said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 5:28PM Anticrawl said

Posted: Jan 22nd 2011 1:17AM Calatia said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 4:56PM Acosta02 said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 5:45PM MrCheeks said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 6:26PM Poor Tom said

Posted: Jan 22nd 2011 9:47AM bm111 said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 4:57PM 12thSAGEofGAMING said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 5:00PM darkheartlessriku said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 5:01PM MLC said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 5:05PM Airdemon said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 5:07PM Unvrfd said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 5:08PM Red Runner said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 5:12PM C1 said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 5:13PM MasterBalls said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 5:13PM KWiP said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 5:14PM Bighouse said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 5:24PM Xupmatoih said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 7:27PM DarkSonata said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 5:14PM MasterBalls said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 5:17PM iPear said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 5:18PM Cazamalos said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 5:21PM Rizraz said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 5:23PM False said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 5:23PM Red Runner said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 5:31PM Anticrawl said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 5:47PM KaBob799 said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 5:32PM Papytendo said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 5:47PM False said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 5:34PM mrmobius said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 5:46PM Anticrawl said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 6:20PM sparkster said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 5:56PM Levi said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 6:24PM DangerMouse001 said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 6:28PM Poor Tom said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 6:51PM False said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 7:20PM Red Runner said

Posted: Jan 21st 2011 7:15PM BananaBoat said

Posted: Jan 22nd 2011 12:53AM Jing2487 said

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