A post on the NeoGAF message boards and a picture said to be of Sunday's issue of the German tabloid Bild suggest that the handheld will be released on 11 November 2010.

The biggest news in gaming this week is expected to come out of Nintendo's Japanese press conference to reveal launch details of the 3DS. However, the headline from that conference may have already been leaked.

According to the picture, Bild reported that Nintendo will launch the 3DS in Japan on 11 November, with a German launch to follow next year. That information is in keeping with what has been said all along about the system. When Nintendo first announced the handheld, it said it would launch it during the fiscal year ending March 2011. A report in the Japanese business daily Nikkei on the same day pegged the 3DS as arriving this year in Japan.

The Bild report spends much of its space recapping the basic functionality of the machine and offering praise like the underscored, "Der 3D-Effect ist sensationell!" However, it also mentions a price point of sorts, saying the system will cost nearly 200 (AU$281). Though it's worth noting that gaming hardware prices between Europe and Australia often ignore currency conversions. For example, the DSi XL sells in Australia for AU$299.95, even though its European price tag of 165 would convert directly to about AU$232.

"Nintendo does not comment on rumours or speculation," said a Nintendo representative.

According to Aussie-Gamer, the official date of release is due to be announced at 2pm on 28 September, Tokyo time (3pm EST).

The D-pad on the new controller in its raised configuration. (Credit: Microsoft)

The former complaint has largely been addressed with extended warranties and newly redesigned Xbox 360 systems. The latter one could also have a solution on the way, as Xbox Live director of programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb has revealed that a newly redesigned Xbox 360 controller will be released later this year.

"We've heard from the community that you're not big fans of the D-pad, so the engineers went back into the laboratory and came up with this ingenious solution," Nelson explained in a YouTube video introducing the controller.

The solution is a patented D-pad that switches from a disc configuration to a raised plus sign by twisting the pad around. The new pad will also feature a revised colour scheme with buttons in shades of grey instead of the candy-coloured gems Microsoft has used since the debut of the original Xbox. Hryb said the pad also boasts other improvements, though he didn't specify what those were.

The pursuit of precision comes with a price, as the new controller will only be available bundled with Microsoft's play-and-charge controller kit for US$65. The new controller will be available in the US on 9 November, with a European debut expected sometime in February. It's currently unknown on when it will hit Australian shores.

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Sony’s interest in stereoscopic 3D gaming on the PlayStation 3 was first rumoured late in 2007, and tomorrow the company will finally take its first steps into the third dimension.

The console maker today revealed that it will offer three stereoscopic 3D versions of previously released games on the PlayStation Network tomorrow, as well as a demo of a fourth.

Wipeout HD (above) and Super Stardust HD will be Sony’s first fully stereoscopic 3D games on the PS3. (Credit: Sony)

The first three games receiving the stereoscopic treatment are the downloadable exclusives Wipeout HD, Super Stardust HD and PAIN. The first two games will be entirely in 3D, while PAIN’s 3D content will be limited to the default downtown level and tutorial area. The game will feature three game modes supporting 3D, two of which were newly created with the technology in mind.

The fourth 3D offering is a demo of MotorStorm: Pacific Rift, Evolution Studios’ 2008 racing sequel. Sony gave no indication on when (or if) the full retail version of the game will receive a stereoscopic 3D overhaul.

Sony is also offering a cross-promotional incentive involving the 3D games, giving purchasers of new Bravia 3D TVs vouchers to download the titles for free. As for the future, Sony announced that at least one of the upcoming PlayStation Move games - The Fight: Lights Out - will feature 3D support.

Sony has announced a second update for 3D Blu-ray movies will be available sometime later in the year.

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Late Nirvana frontman to appear alongside Smells Like Teen Spirit and Lithium in Activision's upcoming rhythm game.

(Credit: Activision)

With Guitar Hero 5 arriving in stores on 16 September, Activision is making its last big publicity push for the launch. The publisher has been announcing a steady stream of stars who will appear in-game, from Johnny Cash and Carlos Santanna to Garbage's Shirley Manson and Maroon 5's Adam Levine.

Today, Activision capped off that list with the announcement that Nirvana singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain will be playable in Guitar Hero 5, performing the band's breakthrough hit Smells Like Teen Spirit and a live version of another single from the album Nevermind, Lithium.

Guitar Hero 5 will feature 85 songs pulled from a number of genres, including Stevie Wonder's Superstition, Megadeth's Sweating Bullets, and Bob Dylan's All Along the Watchtower. Activision is also running a promotion for the game where players who purchase specially marked copies of Guitar Hero 5 will get the upcoming Guitar Hero: Van Halen for free.

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Time to party
(Credit: Electronic Arts)

The open-ended life simulator originally had a 20 February launch date. However, EA pushed the game back to its new release date so it could invest additional time and effort to make the marketing campaign for the game more innovative.

The Sims 3 offers players the ability to customise individual sims by allotting them five unique character traits, from a choice of brave, artistic, kleptomaniac, clumsy, paranoid and romantic. Other new features packed into Sims 3 include a Create a Sim mode and short- and long-term goals.

The Sims 3 will be available for $99.95 in stores or through digital distribution. Die-hard fans can also purchase the $119.95 collector's edition from retailers, which includes The Sims 3, a Sims Plumbob 2GB USB Drive, an exclusive in-game Italian-style sports car, a cheats guide, and The Sims 3 Plumbob stickers pack.

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