The launch of Nintendo"s 3DS portable console has not gone over very well so far. The console, which allowed gamers to see 3D effects on the console"s top screen without the need of glasses, launched in Japan in February 2011 and in the US and Europe in March 2011. However the price of the console ($249) and its lack of major launch titles caused the 3DS to only sell 830,000 units in the US from its launch to July 2011. Nintendo quickly dropped the price of the 3DS down to $169 earlier this month in an attempt to boost sales.
Now there are rumors that Nintendo is prepping to announce a major tech overhaul of the 3DS console. Eurogamer reports, via a French language web site, that unnamed sources inside Nintendo claim the company is working on a detachable second circle pad for the console that will be sold as an add-on for the 3DS for $10. In addition, the story claims that Nintendo is working on a full revamp of the 3DS console that would tone down the 3D features of the current version. In fact the story suggests that the price drop of the current 3DS was made to sell out the units on store shelves and clear the decks for the new version.
In related news, Bloomberg reports that Nintendo"s stock price went up earlier this week after reports that the press have been invited to an event on September 13. Nintendo has given no info on what the event will be about.