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In a video address on Nintendo's Japanese website, company president Satoru Iwata announced a January event that will allow the public to getits hands on the 3DS for the first time.
Iwata said it's impossible to convey the feeling of seeing a 3D image on the handheld without experiencing it for yourself, and that seeing 3DS images on a PC monitor just isn't the same.
Taking advantage of what is a 3-day weekend in Japan, Iwata announced that the event will take place at the Makuhari Messe conference center about an hour away from Tokyo, the same venue as TGS, on January 8, 9, and 10 of next year. The event will be the first time the 3DS will be made playable to the public.
While the DS has become synonymous with gaming in Japan, the high 25,000 yen (about $275) price point on the new machine may be off putting to some consumers. Nintendo hopes that actually experiencing what the system has to offer will help move units... not that the 3DS is in danger of not selling out on day one.
The event is also a chance to get the 3DS brand out in front of thosewho don't follow the gaming scene closely. Game related events at Makuhari Messe are often a weekend event for families in Tokyo and the surrounding area.
