HMV to host official 3DS launch

The official 3DS launch will take place at HMV’s flagship Oxford Street store at midnight on March 25th.

Nintendo has partnered with the High Street entertainment retailer to open a total of 100 stores at midnight, while a separate VIP event – complete with a HMV pop-up shop – will take place on the night at Old Billingsgate.

Comedian Russell Kane and musicians Plan B, Hadouken, DJ Yoda and Parade will perform at the VIP event which will hold 2,000 guests. Consumers can attend by responding to an email sent to UK Club Nintendo members later today or entering competitions with XFM or Metro.

Members of HMV’s loyalty programme PureHMV will have the chance to win one of fifty pairs of tickets.

The separate launch at Oxford Street will offer the first 500 customers in the queue who purchase a 3DS a free game. There will be a launch pack handed out with goodies including a limited edition T-shirt and a copy of Official Nintendo Magazine.

Customers will also be able to play games of Street Fighter IV 3D and Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D on stage.

HMV’s Liverpool One superstore will host the major regional 3DS launch outside of London.

Entry to the launches at the Oxford Street and Liverpool One stores will be via wristband. These will be handed to people in the queue on a first-come-first-served basis.

The full list of midnight openings can be found on the HMV website.

In the way Wii brought families together, Nintendo 3DS will bring people together, and we’re delighted to be working alongside HMV to make this our biggest launch ever in the UK,” said Nintendo’s UK general manager David Yarnton.

HMV’s head of games Tim Ellis added: We’ve already been seeing huge interest for the 3DS through pre-orders in-store and online at hmv.com, and on release we expect many thousands more gamers to turn up to midnight events around the country.”