Nintendo will release 3DS, its latest handheld gaming device, on Sunday in hopes of taking back some of the mobile gaming market the company has lost over the past couple years to cheap phone games. Helping drive pre-order sales at retailers such as Amazon.com are deals designed to expire as soon as 3DS hits store shelves.
Amazon’s 3DS pre-order deal is offering a $25 game credit toward the purchase of a 3DS launch game with a pre-order commitment for either the Cosmic Black or Aqua Blue 3DS device. With 3DS games costing $40 each, this deal pays for than half of a buyer’s first 3DS game.
Click here to pre-order a Nintendo 3DS before Sunday and earn a $25 game credit at Amazon.com.
Nintendo’s 3DS was not in the top of Amazon’s video game bestsellers chart – updated hourly – when this deal went live. The Cosmic Black device was in the 5 spot while the recently released Pokemon DS games sat comfortably in the 1 and 2 spots.
Since the deal at Amazon, both 3DS devices have climbed the chart and now occupy the top spot on the eve before their release. How long they’ll stay there after Sunday when various retailer deals expire is unknown. Stock is limited and there’s a strong chance one or both 3DS skus could be sold out within days of its release.