No European DS launch details before January

The price point and release date for the forthcoming Nintendo DS handheld console in Europe won't be unveiled until early in the New Year, according to comments made by Nintendo UK general manager David Yarnton last night.

Speaking at an event held in London to introduce the console to the media following its launch in North America, Yarnton told the assembled press to look forward to an announcement of launch details in early January.

Speculation about the price point for the DS has pegged it at around UKP 129.99, which has not been commented on by Nintendo but has attracted criticism from some quarters for being significantly more expensive than the US price point.

Software prices for the unit, meanwhile, are expected to come in at around UKP 25 at launch - significantly lower than the price of Game Boy Advance titles, and notably, also lower than any of the price points being discussed by Sony for PSP software.

In his speech last night, Yarnton acknowledged that "there's a bit more competition in the market this time around," but alluded to Nintendo's history in the handheld console market, which has seen the company successfully repelling almost ten serious challenges on its dominance of the sector.

He also couldn't resist taking a veiled swipe at the PlayStation Portable's widely reported battery life problems - commenting that not only is the Nintendo DS ideal for train journeys, but that its battery will actually last for an entire journey as well.

Nintendo DS launched in North America earlier this week, and will appear in Japan next week, with over three million pre-orders thought to have been placed by customers in those territories. The firm expects to sell through four million units of the DS by the end of its financial year in March 2005.