According to CVG, the Nintendo 3DS handheld will be released in October, a full six months earlier than previous reports.
The device will be unveiled at the E3 event, and CVG says “UK industry sources” have told them the handheld will hit store shelves in October, right before the holiday season.
All previous reports, including quotes from Nintendo themselves, had said only that the handheld would be launched before March of 2011.
Says one of the sources: “In my experience, you don’t launch a product that early to Christmas unless you’re confident in it - and going to spend a lot of money on it. We’re reassured that Nintendo is going to give it some decent backing in Q4.”
The 3DS, which has scant details so far, will give users a chance to enjoy “3D” software without need for glasses, and the system will be backward compatible for DS titles.
Nintendo also says the system will not just be a minor reiteration of the DS (like the DSi, and the XL) but instead a brand new console.
Result for: industry sources
The Fox blockbuster X-Men Origins: Wolverine has quietly become the year’s top selling Blu-ray release, surpassing 007: Quantum of Solace in just four weeks.
Fox would not give exact figures but industry sources and analysts have put the movie at about 850,000-900,000 units sold.
“The resounding success of Wolverine on Blu-ray reveals that the consumer still craves their movies the best way possible,” said Fox executive VP of marketing Mary Daily.
The DEG (Digital Entertainment Group) said the Blu-ray sales accounted for about 30 percent of all Wolverine physical media sales, a giant figure.
Fox also notes that Wolverine has been the top cable VOD title for most of October.
Result for: industry sources
According to industry sources, the popular online video sharing site YouTube may begin offering movie rentals by the end of the year, as parent company Google is currently in talks with the major movie studios.
The negotiations have stalled on only two issues, say the sources, which are pricing and “agreed-upon release date.”
The pricing will likely be in line with current rental models, such as those offered by iTunes, VUDU and CinemaNow which each offer the movies for between $1.99 and $3.99 USD, with 24-hour viewing periods once you have started watching the movie.
Studios very close to already signing deals are Lions Gate, Warner Bros., MGM and Sony, likely because they all currently have working revenue-sharing relationships with the streaming site.
Google declined comment on the speculation, as did the studios.
If the sources are accurate, YouTube could begin testing the rental service later this month, as a three-month “beta.” Studios would receive about 60 percent of all revenue from the rentals, but that number could vary from studio to studio, adds the sources.
