3DS to lead Nintendo's 3D video initiative in Japan

Last night, Nintendo narrowed the launch window of its 3DS handheld to February 26 in Japan and sometime in March for North America and Europe. It also priced the console at ¥25,000, which works out to nearly $300 because of the weak US dollar. No official US or European price has been announced.

One thing Japanese gamers will get for free in exchange for that price point is 3D video content from two of the country's biggest television networks, Nippon and Fuji. The two networks will produce original 3D films and shows, which will be loaded onto the 3DS via SpotPass, the handheld's passive Wi-Fi download mode.

Though promising, the 3D video initiative is currently limited to Japan, and even there it will be conducted on an "experimental basis" in the weeks after launch. During a presentation earlier today in Japan, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata was optimistic, however. "We are hoping that it will be one of the solutions to tackle the chicken and the egg problem and become the trigger for the 3D footage business to emerge on Nintendo 3DS," he said.

The 3DS' 3D video initiative is the latest multimedia effort from Nintendo, which once eschewed non-gaming functions in its devices. Last November, it announced another Japan-only program, Wii no Ma, which would allow Wii owners to download video and transfer it to their DSi handhelds.