Nintendo 3DS launch could be good for local headquarters

Nintendo’s handheld 3D game player hits shelves this weekend. Analysts expect it to mean big things for the company, which has its U.S. headquarters in Redmond.

When Nintendo came out with the Gameboy in 1989, it was a huge hit. One reason is it was the first system you could carry around with you. Fast forward to today, and people have a lot of options for gaming on-the-go, including smartphones. Jesse Divnich, a video game analyst with EEDAR, thinks the new Nintendo 3DS will be able to beat the competition, even though it costs $250.

“The 3DS launch this weekend is probably going to be one of the largest in Nintendo’s history. People are just generally very excited about this new technology that, really, no one’s ever seen before."

The system allows users to see games in 3D without using special glasses. People who’ve played it say things don’t pop out of the screen, but you can see depth in the scenes and characters, kind of like looking out a window.   

The launch comes at a good time for the company and its more than 1200 employees in Washington. Sales of the Wii and Nintendo’s 2-D portable game players have sagged recently.