3DS Launches in Japan to Quick Sellouts
System sees initial shipment of 400,000 units. More units on the way at major retailers.
It would be accurate to say that the 3DS is sold out throughout Japan. However, this is one system that won't be totally impossible to find for long. Following the system's launch Saturday morning, we found one retailer that was expecting a new shipment as early as Sunday!
The system did sell out quickly upon release, however. Most shops were pre-order only, but the ones that did have same day units drew lines of up to 1,000. Stock depleted quickly, and in most cases if you hadn't lined up by 9:00, you were out of luck.
The line outside Yodobashi Camera in Akihabara started forming around 10:00 the night before.
Japanese lines tend to be very well behaved and organized. At Yodobashi Camera in Akihabara, a clerk walks the line collecting garbage.
Nintendo has officially said that it will have 1.5 million systems shipped to Japanese shops by the end of this fiscal term (March 31). Nikkei has confirmed an initial shipment of just above 400,000 units, a figure that's in line with initial shipments for the Wii and original DS.
Launch titles included Nintendogs + cats (available in three versions), Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask, Combat of Giants Dinosaur 3D, Ridge Racer 3D, Samurai Warriors Chronicle, Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition, Winning Eleven 3D and Puzzle Bobble 3D. One major shop in Tokyo told Japanese gaming site Famitsu.com that Ridge Racer, Winning Eleven, Street Fighter and Layton were particularly popular.
Retailers throughout Tokyo have been adding a big 3DS presence to their game areas in the build up to the system's launch. In most cases, displays consist of demo kiosks allowing users to sample the system's launch titles.
The Yodobashi Camera in Shinjuku, which has been known to draw lines of up to 5,000 for some launches, was pre-order only this time, so the launch was pretty quiet.
One retailer, the large Tsutaya outlet in Tokyo's Shibuya ward (it's on top of the Starbucks at that famous intersection) had a more official demo event on launch day, with Nintendo companion girls standing outside the shop and inviting passersby to sample the system's 3D output on 3DS systems that were attached to them (this brought back memories of the system's E3 debut). This Tsutaya had somewhat of a surprise: the shop would be getting a new shipment of systems on Sunday morning!
Other shops list new shipment time frames as TBA.
http://ds.ign.com/articles/115/1152289p1.html
So excited!