If you remember the last time Nintendo revealed a new piece of hardware (the Revolution/Wii) it was ages before people got their hands on the thing. The 3DS, on the other hand, will be playable in less than three months.
Nintendo spokesman Ken Toyoda said yesterday that "We wanted to give the gaming industry a head's up about what to expect from Nintendo at E3", in response to questions why the company made such a surprise announcement.
"We'll invite people to play with the new device then".
E3 2010 will be held in Los Angeles between June 15 and June 17, which is less than three months away. We knew we'd be seeing the thing there, but for it to be in a publicly playable state is a surprise. A pleasant surprise.
Nintendo to Make 3D Version of Its DS Handheld Game [New York Times]