Nintendo 3DS price is $250 confirmed. Full details on final design, StreetPass tag mode, Mii Studio creator, SpotPass 3D TV and videos, Augmented Reality Games revealed

29 September 2010

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Posted by:Josh

Nintendo 3DS price = $249.99 or $250 / €249 / £179.

New 3DS details including a $250 price point and the 3DS release date confirmation (March 2011), were revealed at the N 2010 Conference in Japan; which sought to bring concrete details for the upcoming system to bear.

The Japanese price of the system is 25,000 yen which converts directly to $298 / €219 / £189. So when Nintendo decides the regional prices for the system, it would make a whole lot of sense to round that price to $250 to make it on-par with the original launch price of their Wii console (and the original PSP) as we correctly estimated in our 2006 Nintendo announces Japanese Wii price article. And of course, the system will come pre-loaded with Apps and demos for you to play around with, including a 2GB SD Card that will be packaged with the system along with Mii Studio and AR Games Apps.

In addition to the price there were lots of other new, solid details for the 3DS announced.

Most of this was already known but we did learn expanded information on many of the systems features. Here is a video that shows off all of the new features of the 3DS as explained below in greater detail, including StreetPass, AR Games and Mii Studio.

StreetPass
StreetPass is the final name of the previously revealed wireless “Tag Mode”. Basically, the 3DS will automatically exchange data with any other 3DS systems around you while in Sleep Mode. This is done without you having to press buttons, activate the mode, or anything. Information will automatically be sent to update your game with info from someone else’s game, and the same game doesn’t even have to be in the cartridge slot! This info is stored in system memory and will be there when you boot up your game next time. The Street Pass communication light is located on the right-hand side of the 3DS system. You can keep track of what new pieces of data you’ve received from others in the “Notification Applet” area of the system menu.

SpotPass
SpotPass is the English name for the 3DS feature known in Japanese as “Itsunoma no Tsuushin”. Similar to the StreetPass, SpotPass allows the 3DS to communicate automatically with wireless hotspots in order to have new data transferred to your system! Likewise, this happens when the system is in Sleep Mode. You can preset what types of data you want transferred, and it can include automatic downloading of new rankings, ghost data, free software, news, notifications and even new pieces of downloadable content! It’s unknown exactly how this will work in the West, but in Japan current DS stations will be converted into “Nintendo Zone” 3DS services and NTT East and NTT West are teaming up with Nintendo to serve 3DS customers by providing additional WiFi access points throughout the Japanese islands at over 2,000 locations including train stations, airports, restaurants, etc. These are being specifically built in partnership with Nintendo to serve 3DS customers.

Stereoscopic 3D movies, TV and Video
Nintendo is going to be pushing video content stronger than ever before with the 3DS. In a partnership with Fuji Television and Nippon Television, access to free stereoscopic 3D videos will be offered via SpotPass (as explained above)! I imagine that this will include downloadable episodes of TV shows, news, and other sorts of video content. “We are hoping that it will be one of the solutions to tackle the chicken and the egg problem and become the trigger for the 3D footage business to emerge on Nintendo 3DS.” Exciting stuff! How this will work in the West is also up in the air . . . but considering the HUGE success of NetFlix for all three consoles, it’s not too hard to imagine what they could do with this in the West . . . Hopefully we’ll learn more soon at a Western Nintendo conference.

Mii Studio
Mii Studio is the Japanese name of an all-new 3DS Mii feature and creation studio! Although the name may change for the Western release. Mii Studio allows players to create their Mii, just like on the Wii, but with all new parts for more customization than ever before. Although you can also use your existing Miis for your 3DS profile as well if you want. You can also have the system automatically create a Mii for you based on a picture you’ve taken with the system’s cameras, it’ll use your facial data to create an “accurate” Mii that looks like your picture based on that data. You can also convert your Mii’s to QR form code that can allow you to send Mii picture data to your friends and transfer it via an SD Card.

StreetPass Mii Plaza
As you can probably guess, this feature allows Mii characters to be exchanged with others as you are walking by them via StreetPass while your 3DS is in Sleep Mode. New Mii’s will then join your Plaza (just like on the Wii). Additional info will also be available when Mii’s are exchanged, including what game that person was previously playing and how many people that person has exchanged Mii data with via StreetPass.

AR Games
The Nintendo 3DS will come pre-loaded with some “Augmented Reality” 3DS games via the “AR Games” section and special physical AR Games cards. These games take advantage of the 3DS camera to let you play games with virtual objects/items overlayed over a real video image taken from the 3DS cameras. The 3DS, as previously reported, includes two cameras that allow for real stereoscopic 3D pictures to be taken. A variety of additional sound and camera functions will be build in just like on the DSi, including the ability to take pictures of faces using both the inside and outside cameras and merge them into one creepy looking photo!

Final 3DS System Design
The 3DS system design has gone through a few changes to give us the FINAL design! The new Home Button has been added and like with the Wii, a quick press will bring up the Home Menu. You can use it to access additional hardware features while playing a game without having to exit the game like on the DSi (just like you see on the PS3 and Xbox 360). The Analog Pad has also been changed in color and the design of the stylus has been altered.