Nintendo Installing 6,000 3DS Kiosks At U.S. Retail

Glasses-free stereoscopic 3D is the selling point of Nintendo's upcoming 3DS, but that feature is extremely difficult to convey through advertising and marketing materials. In order to get the 3DS in potential buyers' hands so they can see the effect for themselves, Nintendo of America said Monday it plans on installing over 6,000 3DS demo kiosks at U.S. retailers over the next couple of months. The 3DS officially launches in the U.S. on March 27 for $250. It debuts in Europe on March 25 and has been available in Japan since late February. Nintendo also said it is planning an official U.S. 3DS midnight launch event that starts on March 26 at 9 p.m. ET at the Best Buy store in New York City's Union Square. Other Best Buy stores in the U.S. and other retailers will be holding U.S. midnight launches. In the UK, Nintendo said over 1,200 stores will participate in midnight launch events across the region. "With over 1,000 stores opening across the UK at midnight to launch the console, this has the potential to be one of our biggest launches ever in the UK," said Nintendo UK general manager David Yarnton in a statement.