Didn't they say this ages ago?
I seem to remember Nintendo saying the 3DS would be launched in March when it was first announced. That's certainly the month I've had in my head since I found out about it.
Nintendo's upcoming 3D handheld console, the 3DS, won't debut until next year, the videogames pioneer has admitted. Result: a lot of kids will get 'old' tech as presents this Christmas. Nintendo's global roll-out kicks off on 26 February with the Japanese launch, with the gadget arriving in the US and Europe early in March - …
They would have rushed it out anyway, not worrying about it not working, and having it's featureset slashed, and then spend the next 5 years patching it up.
Sony/Nintendo do it properly and are Engineering driven and products are released when they are finished, Microsoft are marketing driven and deliver when people want to buy them, regardless of the state of the product.