Nintendo 3DS Launch: San Francisco

Just minutes before the Powell Street GameStop in San Francisco opened their doors for the midnight launch of the Nintendo 3DS, we spoke with the first three people waiting in line to see what they thought of the new handheld device.

While Nintendo 3DS launch lines on the East Coast saw masses of gamers bundled up against the bitter March cold, the relatively small, patient crowd waiting outside of the Powell Street GameStop in Downtown San Francisco didn't even look chilled in the city's trademark mid-range weather. As the GameStop employees briefly shut the front grate of the store at about 11:50 p.m., random onlookers walked past the line of 50 people, wondering aloud "what new game" everyone was waiting for.

At fifteen minutes before midnight, the line at the Powell Street GameStop in Downtown San Francisco numbered about 50 people.

Kyle Tillisch, 21, didn't even have to arrive early, as he was the first to start waiting in line at 9:30 in the evening for his Cosmos Black 3DS. "Street Fighter IV looks really cool, especially with the dynamic view," Kyle said of his desired 3DS launch title. He also noted that he didn't feel the need to wait for the next version of the 3DS. "I felt that with the amount of money [Nintendo] is putting towards it and the amount of money they're charging for it, they won't be coming out with a new one any time soon. They've already gone through the 'XL' phase and the 'Lite' phase. They saw that it didn't really work out that well, and they actually ended up losing profit on some of that."

Brian Chow, 20, who arrived next after 10 in the evening, demoed the 3DS during a previous Nintendo event at San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, and walked away impressed by the visual depth. "I pre-ordered Street Fighter and Pilotwings, and I already have Ridge Racer," Chow remarked, adding that he regularly doesn't line up for new gaming systems. "This is my first time buying a new console on my own, actually. Usually my mom will pay for it, but now I actually get to buy it."

Brian also commented that he found the found the 3D visuals to be exhausting. "When I was trying the demo, the 3D can be really intense, so I figure I'll just play for an hour, rest my eyes and play the next day."

Kyle Tillisch (third from left) was the first to purchase a 3DS, arriving to wait in line just at 9:30 p.m.

Chow's twin brother, Allan, 20, wasn't even there to pick up a 3DS, instead claiming to prefer waiting for the Sony NGP. "There's not that many games I want on the DS line at the moment -- the most interesting one is Metal Gear Solid, but that's not out yet. I'm more interested in the NGP at the moment," he stated. Of the NGP's titles, Allan said he's looking forward to Uncharted and Killzone. "I think the NGP has more potential to last longer because the graphics are better. It's got more ground to compete with Apple products."

Allan also remarked that he'd wait until the NGP's price was announced before deciding to line up for it. "If the NGP's above 450 dollars, I might not get it, but then anything below that, probably."

Leading up to the 3DS' launch, Nintendo kicked off a series of attention grabbing demos, appearances, and media blitzes, including formal announcements back in March, a memorable showing at E3 2010 (complete with the infamous 3DS-tethered models), and even capping off recently with Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aime demoing the 3DS on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. According to various sources, the 3DS pre-orders hit higher numbers than the Nintendo Wii, and looks to sell incredibly well based on the strength of its 3D technology.