We are now two weeks away from Japan’s Nintendo DSi launch …
And online import shops like NCSX, PlayAsia, and YesAsia still aren’t taking DSi preorders, which leaves me agonizing over these two concerns:
- Will we be able to purchase and receive a DSi within a couple weeks after Nintendo releases the new hardware to the Japanese public? Or will we have to wait a couple months?
- How much will we have to pay to import a DSi? I paid $198 ($170+$28 shipping) to buy the newly released DS Lite in March 2006. I expect to spend $20-$50 more, depending on system availability, considering the DSi’s heftier price.
Maybe it’s because I never bought a PSP, but paying $250 for a handheld sounds totally banoodles to me. For that kind of cash, you can actually get an Xbox 360 Arcade system — a significantly bigger and more powerful console — along with a copy of Sega Superstars Tennis, and you would still have $50 left over to play with.
This is assuming that there will even be enough systems available for more than a few dozen of us to import. I suppose all of that would depend on how many homeless people and Chinese nationals these online shops manage to cram into Japan’s launch lines this November 1st.
Expected DSi launch windows for the rest of the world:
- North America: After April 2009
- Europe: Spring 2009
- Australia: Fall 2009
See more: Our previous Nintendo DSi coverage
tags / preorder / import / dsi / ec
