|
Nintendo has dodged the release date for the Nintendo DS Lite for months. It's been available (well on sale anyway) in Japan for almost two months, but there's still no official word from NOA on a release date for the U.S. We had heard that NOA had originally planned on launching the Lite in May to conincide with New Super Mario Bros. However, due to the insane demand for the system in Japan, NOA had to wait its turn until supplies could match demand. No sense in launching the system in multiple territories just to be sold out for months on end (right Microsoft?). So, with E3 quickly approaching people start talking. 1Up's latest podcast revealed that they know the release date and that Nintendo might even make an official announcement of said release date on May 4. We've heard from numerous sources that the Nintendo DS Lite will in fact release on June 11. That's a Sunday for those frantically scrambling to look at a calendar. This date makes perfect sense. It's the anniversary of the original GBA and Nintendo likes to launch hardware on Sundays, plus it gives them more time to stockpile enough units to have a satisfactory launch. So, what can we expect? If 1Up is to be believed, expect Nintendo to officially announce the system's date next week. This will give retailers like GameStop plenty of time to open up a reserve sku for the masses wanting the system. Due to supply constraints we expect only one color to be available at launch, but it's difficult to say for certain. If only one color launches we'd bet on white. Remember, the June 11 date is currently just a rumor, but it's one that makes sense. We of course will have full details when they become available.
|
