GameStop sets American 3DS game pricing at $40 - $50, reveals possibly-made-up release dates

GameStop may know a bit more than we do about the 3DS launch details, but does it knowenough to declare game prices and release dates now? We're skeptical, but in order to start collecting pre-orders, we suppose GameStop had to set some sort of price. And that price is $40 for most titles, and $50 for some of the more high-profile ones.

GameStop.com still doesn't have an official 3DS section, but there are several 3DS games available, jammed into the site's DS category. Nintendo did finallyreveal the system's price and launch date(March 25th in Europe, and 27th in North America)earlier this month but important details are missing, like individual game release dates.

GameStop apparently also knows when the earliest 3DS titles will be available. Here's a list being sent to pre-orderers, which a reader submitted toKotaku:

March 15

Dead or Alive Dimensions $49.99
Samurai Warriors Chronicles $49.99

March 22

Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars $39.99

March 27

Madden NFL Football $39.99
Sims 3 $39.99
Nintendogs %26amp; Cats $39.99
Steel Diver $39.99
Pilotwings Resort $39.99
Super Street Fighter IV $39.99

April 2

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Shadow $39.99
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell $39.99
Asphalt $39.99
Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs $39.99
Rabbids Travel in Time $39.99

June 1

Cartoon Network SuperToon Rumble $39.99

June 2

Animal Crossing 3D $39.99
Mario Kart 3D $39.99
Paper Mario 3D $39.99
Dream Trigger $39.99
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D $39.99
Kid Icarus: Uprising $39.99
Star Fox 64 3D $39.99
Super Monkey Ball $39.99

July 6

Resident Evil: Mercenaries $39.99

Sept. 2

Face Kart: Photo Finish $39.99
Pet Zombies in 3D $39.99

Again, we have no clue where GameStop got these dates. This list has games coming out on Tuesdays, Sundays, Saturdays, Wednesdays... even two that appear to be launching weeks before the 3DS is even available.

Honestly, we could probably fling a bunch of darts at a calendar to get a more accurate release date schedule, but it is what it is. Also, if you're apprehensive about ordering a game that doesn't actually have an official price, GameStop does ensure, "if the price drops before the release date, you will be charged the lower price." But if the price goes up, you'll still get the advertised price.

So GameStop has a reason to put up prices that are higher than it reasonably expects, and for that reason alone these prices should be taken with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, there were some people sitting down in GameStop's corporate offices who probably spent more than a few minutes in a meeting trying to guesstimate this information, and they probably have a bit more insider information than we do,so maybe it's at least worth looking at.

Jan 24, 2011