What games are you hoping for?

Seven weeks prior to the upcoming Japanese launch of the 3DS, Nintendo was in a position where it officially revealed the launch titles that will be released in conjunction with the console. Whilst Nintendo of Europe isn't quite ready to announce what titles will be available on 25th March, the company is confident the final line-up will be unveiled within the next week or so.

Speaking to CVG, Nintendo UK General Manager David Tarnton spoke about how close Nintendo is to finalising what games consumers will be able to choose from when they buy the 3DS system at launch:

We've still got to nail down the exact titles, because one of the big things when we look at a global launch - all of the markets in the space of four weeks - is trying to get a whole range of titles ready for launch... So we're pretty close. In the next week or so we'll be able to say "these are the exact launch titles." We're close but not quite ready to get exact titles.

When asked if Nintendo was giving itself enough time to perhaps include another big title in the mix, Yarnton said:

It's a combination of looking at third-party as well. We're launching with more titles than we probably ever have and it's a matter of trying to get that breadth but also being fair to everyone.

Incidentally, when Nintendo of Japan CEO Satoru Iwata spoke to Japanese newspapaer Nihon Keizai Shimbun earlier this month (as translated by AndriaSang), he expressed his feelings on why momentum eventually dropped for the Wii and DS consoles, and the steps Nintendo will be taking with the upcoming 3DS:

It's important that you be able to supply software with no pause... With the DS and Wii, following the titles that were released at launch, the momentum dropped when there was a gap in software releases. We're making plans so that this type of thing won't happen.

Will this "spreading out" of 3DS titles have an effect on how many first-party games we'll see on the European launch? Let's hope there will be more than there will be at the Japanese launch. Although if choice is going to be limited, we could always see what's available on the Nintendo eShop.

[source computerandvideogames.com]