It’s almost beyond cliche, but you suspect that the 3DS is one of those devices that truly have to be seen to be believed. And now, thanks to Nintendo, you’ll be able to make that happen – with two public demos of the 3DS being planned in Melbourne and Sydney this Thursday.
As you’d expect the public events are being held in Myer’s Nintendo Connection booth in Sydney, and at the Nintendo Experience in EB Games in Melbourne. Expect a crowd of Oprah Winfrey standards at both venues, but sadly no Hugh Jackman launching head first into a Nintendo 3DS pod.
Nintendo Experience
EB Games, 67 Swanston Street, Melbourne
Thursday, February 10 from 6.00pm to 9.00pm
Nintendo Connection
Myer Sydney City, 6th floor, 436 George Street, Sydney
Thursday, February 10 from 6.00pm to 9.00pm
Nintendo are also holding a major, press only, 3DS event tomorrow evening where we assume we’ll be told the Australian details for the 3DS launch. We’re still expecting a $399.95 price point and a release date of March 31, but we’ll know for sure tomorrow night.
Stay tuned folks.
Thanks to Vooks for the heads up.
MrBS
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 2:34 PMWe’ll see. My bet is on $450 or $449.whatever to be exact.
Mark Serrels
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 2:38 PMNintendo would probably be carpetbombed if they launched at that price!
[disclaimer: I do not condone or approve of carpetbombing.]
MrBS
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 2:49 PMThat’s actually what I’m really betting on. Nintendo Australia caring. Ha.
Alinos
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 3:16 PMBut I do :P
Tom
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 2:38 PMCool! Might have a wonder down after work on Thursday. Definitely want to see the tech in action.
Ray
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 2:47 PMBREAKING: EDITOR OF CHILDREN-HATING WAR GAME VIDEO SITE KOTAKU APPROVES AND ENCOURAGES ‘CARPETBOMBING’ AGAINST SHOPPING CENTRE SALES CLERKS. RUMOURS ABOUND USE OF POPULAR TONIC ‘BUCKFAST’ WAS ALSO ENCOURAGED. AUSTRALIAN CHRISTIAN LOBBY TO COMMENT. (CUE FOOTAGE OF ‘NO RUSSIAN’ LEVEL)
Mark Serrels
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 2:54 PMI almost spat my irn bru all over the screen when I read that!
Fenixius
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 2:51 PMYay, I live in Perth… Nintendo has no love for me.
u__u
Ben J
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 2:54 PMI can tell that the first time I get to play with one is once it’s released at target or something. It sucks living in Tassie :(
James Confessore
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 2:55 PMDamn Nintendo – AUSTRALIA IS A BIG COUNTRY U KNO, I CANT JUST WALK DOWN TO MELBOURNE AT LUNCH FROM BRISBANE
Alinos
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 3:19 PMThere afraid they’ll cause another natural disaster curse if they enter QLD
James Mac
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 3:34 PMIf I’m reading the weather maps right… you could probably swim.
Too soon?
welbot
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 3:02 PMYer typical.. no Brisbane again.. bastards! I’d love to see one of these in person. I’m pretty sold on the whole thing already, but I do so love to get hands on prior to purchase!
Michael Winters
Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at 11:08 AMJust remember, most people outside Australia don’t realize there is more to Australia than Sydney and Melbourne. Hell, most people from Sydney and Melbourne don’t even realize that.
Daniel
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 3:08 PMDon’t worry I’m sure Nintendo will do events or like promo dealies around the country at some point before the end of March.
They know you HAVE to see this thing to sell it to people.
Ray
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 3:51 PMI’ll jump on the VIDEO GAMES IGNORE BRISBANE bandwagon.
And no, a game-themed bar full of drunkards don’t count. I like video games. Not people.
James Mac
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 3:53 PMY’now what really grinds my gears?
I loved Starfox… like in a way that was probably unnatural.
But I’ll be arsed if I’m going to pay $400 plus dollars, for a handheld console whose primary gimmic,3d, is something that I physically cannot take advantage of.
Peter Richards
Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at 2:37 AMThat is a bummer JM. I can see your point. I’d probably be annoyed if I had no colour vision that companies didn’t make cheaper B&W LCD screens so I didn’t have to pay through the nose for colour ones. But I personally love the 3D effect, and get no headaches or eyestrain from viewing it, so I am personally quite excited by the 3DS.
Tommy Fullerton
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 3:59 PMPicking my 3DS up from HMV Shibuya on the 26th. Enjoy NOT playing 3D Love Plus on your PAL region handheld. Loosers.
MrBS
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 4:33 PMI salute your love plus plus++ 3D plus playing ways sir!
Sergei
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 5:38 PMLove+ 3D is ONE 3DS game I want to see in action. Damn you all to hell!
Michael Barnes
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 4:00 PM“We want everyone to try the 3DS before launch.”
BS. Buy me a plane ticket to Melbourne and Sydney then.
bennie
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 4:49 PM$399.95?!?!? Tell ‘em they’re dreaming!
Tasos Chrysostomou
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 4:51 PMWould trade my left nut to have 3DS preview event in adelaide ;D
Man Jello
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 8:53 PMYou and me both, brother!
Ben3
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 5:24 PMIs this exclusive to press? Or can I casually walk in and line up for a test of the 3DS.
Mark Serrels
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 5:27 PMYou can randomly walk in and fight off thousands to play a 3DS!
Steven Bogos
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 5:26 PMI’ll go down to have a look but i’ll be damed if i’m buying it for more than $300.
It’s going on sale for $250 in the US, which given the exchange rate ATM is $246 AUD (yes, you read right, the AUD is worth more than the USD now). You’d have to actually have a mental illness if you didn’t import.
This just in: Anyone who is stupid enough to buy this at retail in Australia, just pay me the extra $150 you would have spent and I’ll import you one.
Tasos Chrysostomou
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 5:39 PMImporting would be good but some sellers or sites tend to slug aussies a fair bit of ph. I preordered mine with a $50 deposit. If the rrp is $400 then I will cancel and get it from zavvi. UK region so will work with aus. Its $352 aus delivered and has a carry case with it. Decent?
Ollie
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 10:14 PMRegion locked. Unless you plan to buy every game from overseas and never be able to properly sync it, then this may not be the best idea…
Steve0410
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 11:03 PMThat’s all well and good, but with a release of this calibre, you’ll have to spend at least an agonising week before it arrives at your door.
Michael Barnes
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 11:28 PMProblems.
If I import one from the US I will constantly need to have a power transformer plugged in at the wall since the 3DS only lasts 3-5 hours. I don’t know if this is very good for them and if it eventually conks it I will need to buy another one to run use the handheld. They can be pretty expensive things.
If I did buy a US 3DS it would be from Amazon. While I know I can get the US 3DS shipped to me sellers are picky and I might not be able to get some games shipped to Australia for it.
US 3DS games on Play asia are about $63 with postage which is almost how much we pay here anyway.
However OZgameshop sells PAL 3DS games pretty cheap at $47-53. Even though they have the 3DS console listed they might not actually end up selling it, as the same thing happened with the Kinect.
Plus you might not be able to access the Nintendo store on an imported console.
So I have a huge dilemma over what console to buy. I agree paying an extra $150 is crud but for all the hassles it saves… I dunno. Its just BS that they decided on this region thing in the first place.
Peter Richards
Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at 2:44 AMThe games are region locked, so importing from the US could be problematic down the track, as could link-play.
To be fair, at USD$250 that would make it AUD$275 with GST, and that is excluding the fact that we are a smaller market, and that our minimum wage is $!5 vs $7 in the US, and our retail rents are generally higher as well, and we pay workers comp, super, our employees get twice as many weeks holiday etc.
Still, Nintendo should be able to sell it here for $349 even taking all that into account, and I’m hoping that will be where the price-point is, and not at $399 where I suspect it will be.
Peter Richards
Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at 2:52 AMI meant $15, not $!5… I need some sleep.
Powalen
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 6:15 PMI think I’ll wait until they unleash units in all Target/JB-Hifi/etc. I don’t really want to travel 2 hours just for this. I’d rather stand around, pretending to shop, until the kids’ parents move them along and swoop on the in-store model. >:]
Karl Smart
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 6:15 PM3 hours… Well I see no point in going into the city to try and see this thing. The line is going to be so long that you’d want to be in there before 3pm, and even then you’ll probably only got to try it for like 5 minutes… If that.
Nathan Holmes
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 11:10 PMsigh Adelaide
Wisp
Monday, February 7, 2011 at 11:58 PMwhat about Perth damn it. We are small, but we matter DX
Peter Richards
Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at 2:32 AMFark it, I want to see this damn thing, so I’m making a road trip to Sydney.
It is only a four hour drive, I reckon that will pale in comparison to the wait time in line anyway.
madaussie
Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at 4:04 PMWell I’ll give you $500 for the actual display model with the display game. Not only would I have the 3gs first, you would likely beat your own personal best sprinting record getting away from all the mall cops.