The Nintendo 3DS raised a few eyebrows among handheld gamers in March. The innovative portable 3-D display concept surprised everyone, but the announcement's close proximity to the Nintendo DSi XL release was also a shocker. One analyst claims Nintendo's cramped schedule may not have been entirely planned and may have been the direct result of an imminent press leak that could have stolen some thunder.
"Apparently, the Japanese press was all over it and talked with suppliers there and Nintendo just wanted to get out ahead by breaking the news to prevent a leak," M2 Research senior analyst Billy Pigeon told CNBC. "Does it clash with the DSi XL? Yes it does."
The fact that the DSi XL came out months ago in Japan may have also had an impact on Nintendo's reluctance to let the device keep the spotlight for a while before letting their 3DS news out into the wild.
"The XL is old news, however, in Japan – and Nintendo is a very Japan-centric organization," Pigeon said. "This is just the corporate parent in Japan maybe not acting in the best interest of Nintendo of America."
Without knowing his sources, it's hard to know how speculative Pigeon's comment were, but the Pacific divide between the Japanese and American markets is an important point, and the window between the XL's Japanese release last November and the 3DS press release undoubtedly looked a little more spacious than the nearly synchronized events in North America.
Were you surprised by Nintendo's decision to announced the 3DS so close to the XL's release in the U.S.? Do you buy Pigeon's theory? Share your reactions in the comment section below.