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3DS eShop update actually available in May worldwide

by JC Fletcher on Jan 28th 2011 3:00PM

Nintendo of Europe previously said that the 3DS firmware update containing the web browser and eShop functionality would be released as a day one patch -- which would suggest March 25, for Europe. But in the latest investor briefing released today, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata offered a different timeline.

"The first system update is scheduled for late May," he said, "at almost the same time around the world." Iwata specified that this first update would add the eShop, web browser, and the DSi and 3DS software transfer function (which uses the eShop). Maybe Nintendo of Europe meant to say "day sixty-one"?

The eShop, he clarified, will offer not only DSiWare, downloadable 3DS software and Game Boy Virtual Console titles, but "trailers and demo versions like Nintendo Channel on Wii," as well as "3D Classics" -- updated retro games like the version of Xevious shown at E3.

Source: Nintendo

Tags: 3ds, ds, eshop, nintendo, satoru-iwata

Reader Comments (31)

Damn it.

@yoshi95

I assume eShop will replace Wii Shop when the Wii 2 gets announced as well.

Alright... I think I'm going to hold off until E3 to make a decision on these handhelds now. I was really interested in playing Game Boy Virtual Console games on the 3DS at launch...

This whole NGP vs. 3DS situation is making choosing really difficult...

@dfnj123 nah, it's easy. Early adopters get the shaft, every single time. So the answer is, WAIT. Eventually both will have better libraries, revised hardware, budget priced games on the shelf, and a price drop or two.

Patience has its rewards, and there are still PLENTY of games left to play on PSP 1 and DS/i :)

@JasonGW but my fanboy "douchebaggery" keeps on telling me I need to get it before any of my friends so I can brag about it for a few months... =/

decisions decisions...

@dfnj123

Just get both. Unless it's priced just way too ridiculously putting $5 away every week should give you enough for a NGP by the time it comes out. That;s not too bad, is it?

@A Sandwich Yeah, I'm actually starting a job in a few days... something like that is the plan...

Thank goodness I've resolved never to be an early adopter again :)

This console was soooo rushed, it had to be 'money' people (thats what I like to call board members, finance people and shareholders) that rushed this out. It doesn't feel like a Nintendo release at all. WTF!

As I had a Gameboy, the eShop was a major selling point to replay classics long since played. This won't affect me as I've got reasons why I'll not be an early adapter (university work, and also past experience has shown if I wait a little while, then games will be a little cheaper and there'll be a better variety of carry cases available etc).

Blugh, I wish they would've just waited until everything was ready. March isn't exactly the month where everyone's going to be rushing out shopping, especially for a $250 handheld with no - good - games at launch and won't even have full functionality until a few months later.

@Ombre
There's a ton of software built into the 3DS:
AR games
3DS Camera
3DS Sound
Activity Log
Pedometer

Surely you can't have fun with the AR games? :)

@Ombre Super Street Fighter 4 isn't a good game?! We are talking about VIDEO games right?

This way the install base will be much larger when they do get ready to release all the cool games and stuff.

BOoooooo-urns

@VeeDeeVee I was saying Boo-urns....

I think, given they have played it, Nintendo is simply betting on the fact that the 3DS experience is so 'new' and awesome that even without everything ready the earlier in the market the better. They are betting that by me owning one, thrilled with and showing it to friends etc, that the hype machine will be impossible to stop.

I knew it, Nintendo does have a plan. Eeeesh I was starting to doubt them for a while, how silly of me.

Would someone explain to me why Nintendo is insisting on launching in March without any decent first-party titles, no online store, and no big holiday to fuel purchases?

@ddrussianinja
It's a Nintendo handheld. It'd sell if the box was a vault and only opened on your 89th birthday.

@ddrussianinja
Hey now, Nintendogs is cool. Pilotwings Resort looks just like that flying game in Wii Sports Resort (only more fleshed out).

Plus we've got these other games to look forward to:
- Street Fighter 4 (so now you can play the console game on the go!)
- Dead or Alive (on a handheld for the first time)
- Ocarina of Time (the N64 classic in portable form)
- Mario Kart 3DS (it's Mario, on a kart. I hear the people love this)
- Paper Mario (nuff said)
Kingdom Hearts 3D (meh)
- Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
- RE: Mercenaries 3D
- RE: Revelations
- Metal Gear Solid 3

The only game that looks like complete crap (to me) is Steel Diver.

And I'll bet that Capcom ports MM Legends 3 over to the NGP/PSP2.

@ddrussianinja
One advantage of an early release is that the install base will be higher for when the good games launch and of course for christmas, it's not like your 3ds becomes useless forever if you have to wait a couple months to get the major first part games.

I really hope the eShop will offer older system classics like NES and SNES... that would be great.

Since none of the launch titles quite stuck out to me, I was planning on downloading Cave Story instead. Guess I really won't have any games for a few months...

Will they have Neo Geo Pocket virtual console games, too?

@The Only Girl
Game Gear? (Nintendo's only true handheld rival before the PSP)
Turbo Express?
Atari Lynx? (LMAO, yeah like anyone remembers that thing!)
N-Gage? (kidding kidding!)

@The Only Girl I don't think they've said anything about this, yet. It would be awesome to have Neo Geo Pocket games and SEGA Game Gear games on the VC.

It's not the new shop that displeases me, I actually think it's a good idea to combine Nintendo channel with Shop channel. And hopefully we'll get games that is released for Wii Succesor and 3DS at the same time.
What bothers me us that I will be sitting with my 3DS and not being able to use all the cool features for two months.

Real demos and a fair number of them, please? Not just like.. the same 3 for 8 months?

Touting features for an unreleased device and then not having it there are launch? Nintendo is turning into Sony....

Sorry but they should wait and ship with That built in already....

@yoshi95 that was supposed to be @Co =S
Also, *is, not us.

Meh, when I bought my 360 the first thing I didn't do was check out the marketplace.
I'll be contempt with my 3DS games.

Breaking News

3DS eShop update actually available in May worldwide

Reader Comments (31)

Posted: Jan 28th 2011 3:03PM yoshi95 said

Posted: Jan 28th 2011 4:58PM Co said

Posted: Jan 28th 2011 3:06PM dfnj123 said

Posted: Jan 28th 2011 3:10PM JasonGW said

Posted: Jan 28th 2011 3:15PM dfnj123 said

Posted: Jan 28th 2011 3:30PM A Sandwich said

Posted: Jan 28th 2011 3:45PM dfnj123 said

Posted: Jan 28th 2011 3:08PM JasonGW said

Posted: Jan 28th 2011 3:14PM LaughPlayLive said

Posted: Jan 28th 2011 3:23PM mrmobius said

Posted: Jan 28th 2011 3:28PM Ombre said

Posted: Jan 28th 2011 5:06PM tendoboy1984 said

Posted: Jan 28th 2011 9:57PM LittleMofreaky said

Posted: Jan 29th 2011 12:57AM KaBob799 said

Posted: Jan 28th 2011 3:30PM VeeDeeVee said

Posted: Jan 28th 2011 7:30PM therandomizer said

Posted: Jan 28th 2011 3:35PM LaughPlayLive said

Posted: Jan 28th 2011 3:46PM ddrussianinja said

Posted: Jan 28th 2011 4:05PM VeeDeeVee said

Posted: Jan 28th 2011 5:02PM tendoboy1984 said

Posted: Jan 29th 2011 1:02AM KaBob799 said

Posted: Jan 28th 2011 4:12PM xTetheredWingsX said

Posted: Jan 28th 2011 4:16PM Fuzunga said

Posted: Jan 28th 2011 4:44PM The Only Girl said

Posted: Jan 28th 2011 5:04PM tendoboy1984 said

Posted: Jan 28th 2011 5:05PM MV93 said

Posted: Jan 28th 2011 6:21PM yoshi95 said

Posted: Jan 28th 2011 5:18PM The Pumpkinmancer said

Posted: Jan 28th 2011 5:59PM Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi said

Posted: Jan 28th 2011 6:33PM yoshi95 said

Posted: Jan 30th 2011 4:21PM mcnichoj said

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