Nintendo 3DS eShop launch pushed back to June 6

By Adam Rosenberg May 12, 2011

The Nintendo 3DS is a sweet, little portable gaming device that has yet to see its full potential realized. This is common with new gaming hardware launches, but it is particularly true in the case of the 3DS. It launched in the United States on March 27, but key features such as the built-in web browser and online marketplace have yet to be implemented. An update was pegged for release later this month, but the news today is that Nintendo has pushed it back into early June.

The update, which will add the 3DS eShop, the web browser and “a number of new features and enhancements” (according to a press release), is coming on June 6 for users in the U.S. and Japan and one day later for users in Europe. A posting on Nintendo’s website reveals that North American users can expect to see the update on “the evening of June 6 Pacific time.”

E3, arguably the biggest of the annual gaming trade shows, is set to kick off the next day in Los Angeles, Calif. That is also the day Nintendo will be holding its E3 presentation; the eShop will presumably be pretty barebones to start with, at least until the company makes its big announcements.

It is unfortunate that 3DS early adopters continue to wait for features that were originally believed to be coming at launch. There are few marquee games available for the handheld, and those that are coming won’t start trickling in until summer has arrived.

Only one detail has been revealed so far regarding the eShop launch: Mega Man Legends 3 Prototype will be available on day one, an early version of a future full game release that Capcom hopes will be informed by feedback gleaned from those who download the prototype.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…

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