Here is the official press release about the Nintendo 3DS price cut:

An exciting message for people who own a Nintendo 3DS and those who want to:

Nintendo of America today announced plans to drop the suggested retail price of its portable Nintendo 3DS™ system to $169.99 in the United States. The new price takes effect Aug. 12 and makes an outstanding value even better.

Building on the popularity of The Legend of Zelda™: Ocarina of Time™ 3D, which launched June 19, the upcoming game calendar for Nintendo 3DS is a Who's Who of iconic video game franchises. Star Fox 64™ 3D arrives on Sept. 9, followed by Super Mario™ 3D Land in November, Mario Kart™ 7 in December and Kid Icarus™: Uprising during the holiday season.

And don't forget that Nintendo 3DS has a bunch of fun features, including Nintendo Video™, the Nintendo eShop and access to Netflix, that make it a must-have video game system.

But what about the 830,000 of you who already own a Nintendo 3DS? You're some of Nintendo's most loyal customers, and we're rewarding you for getting in on the action early with not one, not 10, but 20 free downloadable games from the Nintendo eShop! Here's how it works:

The 20 free games are available to anyone who owns a Nintendo 3DS system and uses a wireless broadband Internet signal to connect to the Nintendo eShop at least once before 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Aug. 11. These users will automatically be registered in the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador program. The program contains two elements:

1. Starting Sept. 1, Nintendo 3DS Ambassadors will be able to download 10 NES™ Virtual Console™ games at no charge and before they are available in the Nintendo eShop to the general public. These games, including Super Mario Bros.™, Donkey Kong Jr.™, Balloon Fight™, Ice Climber™ and The Legend of Zelda™, are slated to become paid downloadable games, but Ambassadors get them early for free. Once the paid versions of the games are posted to the Nintendo eShop later in the year, the updated versions will be available to Ambassadors for download at no cost.

2. By the end of 2011, Nintendo will provide Ambassadors with 10 Game Boy Advance Virtual Console games. These include games like Yoshi's Island™: Super Mario™ Advance 3, Mario Kart™: Super Circuit, Metroid™ Fusion, WarioWare™, Inc.: Mega Microgame$ and Mario vs. Donkey Kong™. These games will be available exclusively to Ambassadors, and Nintendo currently has no plans to make these 10 games available to the general public on the Nintendo 3DS in the future.

More details about this program will be announced in the future.

It's a great time to own a Nintendo 3DS!

--Your Friends at Nintendo of America

Source: Nintendo America

Nintendo will be reducing the trade price of the Nintendo 3DS to retailers by around a third from August 12, 2011.

Nintendo is cutting the price of the new 3DS console from its $250 retail price to $170 as the company misses sales targets. The announcement coincides with Nintendo’s financial reports, citing losses this 2nd quarter of 2011.

"The ultimate price to consumers is, of course, determined by retailers, however we look forward to consumers benefiting from much lower retail prices very soon," reads a statement from Nintendo.

Nintendo wants to boost sales of the 3DS, particularly in the US market. In a media release timed to the company’s latest financial reports, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said that this price reduction was unprecedented. While there had been price reductions in consoles and portable gaming systems before, “it has never happened in Nintendo’s history that a console would be reduced in price so drastically and after less than six months.”

Nintendo announced plans to offer an exclusive Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Programme to consumers who have bought the Nintendo 3DS at the original launch price.Nintendo is offering 10 free downloads of NES classic games via the 3DS eShop, as well as 10 free downloads of Game Boy Advance games, which the company hopes will compensate for the price difference.
 
To register for the Ambassador Programme, early Nintendo 3DS adopters simply need to connect to the Nintendo eShop before August 12. The free software will then be made available at a later stage. More details on the programme will be announced on the Nintendo of Europe website shortly.

Nintendo has just released a new firmware update for the 3DS.

System stability improvements and other adjustments
Further improvements to overall system stability and other minor adjustments have been made to enhance the user's experience.

You can receive automatic updates when a wireless internet connection is available. When the download is complete, you will receive a dialog on the HOME Menu detailing the steps to install the update.

STAR FOX 64 3D TO INTRODUCE A NEW GENERATION OF CLASSIC INTERSTELLAR COMBAT

Prepare for re-mastered graphics, gyro sensor controls and a whole new dimension to multiplayer modes

21st July 2011 – 14 years after Lylat Wars dashed into space to save the universe, get ready to live through the battle for the Lylat system once again as a re-worked offering for the Nintendo 3DS launches on 9th September. The game, which previously appeared on the Nintendo 64, now makes a return in Star Fox 64 3D.

With bold new 3D graphics, a faithfully restored script, fresh voiceovers, and a new multiplayer mode which uses the Nintendo 3DS camera to send you live video footage of your opponents reactions as you chase them around the skies, Star Fox 64 3D feels both comfortably familiar yet challengingly new.

Pitched in the middle of a battle for supremacy of the Lylat system, you take control of Fox McCloud’s’ signature Arwing starfighter and help pilot him through insurmountable odds as he battles to protect his home planet of Corneria and rid the entire Lylat system from the onslaught of the evil Andross. Teammates Peppy Hare, Falco Lombardi and Slippy Toad join the mission and help you to progress through levels, providing timely hints during battle about what to expect from the enemy.

With Fox McCloud heroically at the helm, Star Fox 64 3D allows you to use the in-built gyro sensor of the Nintendo 3DS to plot your way through battles more instinctively. You will also be able to choose the more conventional controls if that suits your style.

Boasting sumptuous graphics, which have been given a fresh makeover for Nintendo 3DS, playing in 3D allows you to better judge distances and avoid oncoming enemies, attacks and asteroids. Cut scenes are now more cinematic and the inclusion of 3D visuals will make for a more immersive experience.

If the battle for the Lylat system isn’t enough for you, then take advantage of the multiplayer mode via the Download Play option. Play against up to three friends and take part in soaring dogfights above environments based on locations in the main single-player game. A range of game modes have been developed for the multiplayer option to increase competition amongst friends. In Survival mode players must fight each other and compete to be the last pilot remaining. Point Battle mode will see pilots receive a point for each rival they destroy and the first to a set total will be declared the winner. Time Battle mode pits you against the clock to take down your friends as many times as possible in the allotted time given.

Unique to Nintendo 3DS, you will be able to use the Nintendo 3DS camera to stream live video of your friends within the game – watch their faces react in real-time while you chase and shoot at them! Enjoy the moment when you take a friend out of the game and marvel at your own image when you top the leader board at the end of each multiplayer game.

In a first for Lylat Wars, the game has been localised into five languages – German, French, Spanish, Italian and English, meaning players who could not play the game previously in their native language can now enjoy the full experience on their Nintendo 3DS.

For fans old and new to Star Fox 64 3D, get ready for a fast-paced space-bound action game that will absorb you in single-player mode and entice you to play with friends in multiplayer mode when it is released on the 9th September exclusively for Nintendo 3DS.

This is the Flare Red version of the Nintendo 3DS, to be available on July 14th (along with Star Fox 64 3D) in Japan. So far, Nintendo did not confirm if the Flare Red version will also be available in the US and other countries.

Nintendo updated the 3DS virtual console by adding Mario's Picross. You can download now Mario's Picross for 4 euros. Also you can watch the introduction of the recent E3 press conference from Nintendo. In the four and a half minute video you can see the orchestral concert with the most beautiful scenes of the Zelda series.


 


Here is the content that is available from today

Virtual Console
Mario's Picross (Game Boy)

DSiWare
Jewel Keepers: Easter Iceland
Airport Mania: Non-Stop Flights

Videos
Zelda Orchestra
Mario's Picross
Kirby TV Channel Trailer
Kirby Mass Attack Trailer
Kirby Wii Trailer

The 3DS is the first console in the world that allows us to enjoy three-dimensional images without additional glasses - and from 13 July is also for the animation, documentaries and other video content. Then the free software Nintendo ™ video appears in the Nintendo eShop with which users can access a wide range of new and exclusive videos, 2D and 3D.

The application software can cartoons, music videos and many other films in 2D and 3D are seen. Thanks to the perfect spot function is this simple. right spot is a true revolution when it comes to mobile access to content: The Nintendo 3DS may automatically receive free content over wireless - even if it is in standby mode. The only requirement is that a wireless connection to the Internet.  

The users find their freshly downloaded videos in the HOME menu, then the console, where they remain stored for a limited time and can be played as often. To ensure broad availability, Nintendo has made with different hotspot providers in partnerships across Europe. Nintendo ™ video works but of course with the home wireless network.

Right from the start on 13 Nintendo ™ video in July, offering a comprehensive program. These include selected episodes from Oscar's Oasis: The cult cartoon series of TeamTO & TUBA will be first shown to be in full 3D.

From the bag of tricks 3D specialists D4D is the serial Magic Tricks. The classic card tricks and optical illusions are entertained every Nintendo fan 3DS and amaze.

Exclusive in Germany will open the gates of ZDF.archive. The short 3D documentation in areas such as science, nature, wildlife and travel destinations provide insights never before seen and entice the audience with spectacular images of places like the Taj Mahal, the pyramids of Egypt or the Great Wall.

Nintendo ™ video music lovers granted a peek behind the scenes of the Fantastic Four: The fans enjoy excerpts from the recent tour of the popular German hip hop group that are otherwise reserved only to insiders.

This is of course not all of 2D and 3D content, because Nintendo ™ video is growing steadily. Owner of the Nintendo 3DS can already look forward to movie trailers, classic music concerts, children's activities and much more - all in full 3D glory!

At a recent shareholders' Q&A session, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said:

"At a past shareholders' meeting, we received the opinion that Nintendo should improve the design of its digital software distribution shop, and I think that we made measurable progress with Nintendo eShop. Additionally, when Nintendo would like to ask users to try a specific new game, we should deliver it to their Nintendo 3DS, and possibly Wii U, with their prior consent and recommend that they just try it and, if they like it, they can pay for it. In this way, we need to introduce users to unknown products. Consumers are likely to be convinced to pay about 5,000 yen for a well-established franchise product, but not all the people are willing to pay a certain amount of money for an innovative but unknown product. Now is the time to prepare for these situations."

Source: Nintendo Japan