Games industry hoping 3DS pulls market out of its year-long slump

Gaming industry vets are excited over Nintendo 3DS, and are hoping the handheld's release will help pull the market out of the slump it's been in for the past year.

According to different industry heads, the focus this year is going to be on "innovation", and 3DS seems to be the shot-in-the-arm publishers and developers are banking on.

“Nothing excites and ignites the games market more than a new hardware launch, and Nintendo 3DS is set to be the hottest product of 2011,” Andrew Thompson, Asda’s head of games told MCV.

“It’s time for the market to regroup around innovation, designed by the best gaming minds the planet has to offer," added Koch Media MD Craig McNicol.

Nintendo’s UK MD David Yarnton called the handheld "another example of how innovative Nintendo", and believes it will "provide people [with] features and benefits that will not only enhance their gaming experience, but provide them with a portable platform that will be used everyday, everywhere, by everyone."

Innovation is also a top priority for publishers and developers, and THQ CEO Brian Farrell predicts the year will " be defined as a watershed year"  thanks to "breakout creative talents, forward-thinking business models" and "rule-breaking gameplay".

3DS is slated for retail shelves outside of Japan in March, and specs for the system as well as the handheld's launch line-up got a full reveal during Nintendo World 2011 today.