Nintendo: 3DS did not release too soon

With its slim launch line up and lack of an online store, many critics have suggested that Nintendo let the 3DS out of the door before it was ready. Not so, argues Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aime.

Speaking to Kotaku, Fils-Aime conceded that both a lack of a killer first-party IP and the delay in getting the eShop online were the two main reasons why consumers were staying away from the under-performing handheld. However, he refuted the suggestion that Nintendo should have waited until both were ready to go before taking the machine to market.

"The system did not launch earlier than planned," he stated. "We thought there would have been a tighter gap between launch and the first network update."

In any case, he argued, both issues should no longer be a concern for potential customers.

"When we launched, we had a fantastic day one and a very strong week one," he explained.

"We talked to consumers. Consumers were highly satisfied with the device. They loved the built-in applications. They loved the game experiences. We had high levels of awareness. We had high levels of intent-to-purchase.

"But when we started talking to consumers who were aware or interested, but hadn't yet bought, they told us two things: first, I need a big Nintendo franchise for our purchase. The second thing was I need the network to be up. I need the connected experiences to be there.

"So now we jump to where we are," he continued. "We're going to be launching Ocarina. We're going to follow with a steady drumbeat of Star Fox and Kid Icarus and two Mario titles and the Luigi title. I think we've got that issue not only identified but addressed."

He went on to claim that, what with the impending software line-up and the eShop finally going online earlier this month, the handheld should now pick up "strong momentum".