Nintendo delays 3D game launch

Japanese video games giant Nintendo slashed its profit forecasts after it confirmed its new 3D handheld console will not be released before Christmas.

The company said it had hoped to launch the Nintendo 3DS, which creates a 3D effect without the need for glasses, by the end of the year but will not produce enough units to achieve that goal.

The 3DS will go on sale in the UK and the rest of Europe in March, missing the pre-Christmas shopping rush. It will be released in its home country in February. Nintendo subsequently cut its profit forecasts from £1.5 billion to £681 million for the year to March 2011.

At a press conference in Tokyo, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said: "At first we thought it would be desirable to launch the 3DS within the year, so we made our forecasts on that basis. At this point it is clear that if we launch within the year, we will not be able to supply enough units."

Nintendo also blamed the strong yen for poor sales of its existing handheld DS and Wii console, which also impacted profit forecasts. Rivals Sony and Microsoft will both launch new motion-controlled gaming accessories in time for Christmas.

The 3DS will cost £190 in Japan, where it will hit stores on February 26. Specific dates for Europe and the US will be revealed later.

The portable machine, revealed at the E3 game conference in Los Angeles earlier this year, looks much like the DS machines now on sale, and has two panels, with the top panel showing 3D imagery.