Announcing a new handheld a few days before your next one is scheduled to launch doesn’t make a lot of sense, as Nintendo did with the 3DS last week shortly before releasing the DSi XL. But the uncanny maneuver wasn’t planned, it was forced, reports CNBC.
“Apparently, the Japanese press was all over it and talked with suppliers there and Nintendo just wanted to get out ahead by breaking the news to prevent a leak,” says Billy Pigeon, senior analyst with M2 Research. “Does it clash with the DSi XL? Yes it does. But the XL is old news in Japan.”
Great for fans. Not so great for prospective XL sales.