Amazon and Nintendo are set to launch new ebook stores in Japan over the next month, and both companies will be hoping they can overcome the general lack of interest that Japanese consumers have exhibited for ebooks to date.
Amazon’s Japanese launch was originally set for September, but Reuters quotes the Nikkei newspaper as stating that various operational problems have delayed the launch until October. There is reportedly a need to change the format of titles provided by some Japanese publishers, and the launch could slip further, but Amazon is apparently determined to get a wide range of titles on the market in time for the end of year sales season.
Nintendo, meanwhile, is reportedly planning a bookstore called eBookstore Anywhere, which will offer a variety of titles to be read on the Nintendo 3DS. While some might question the usefulness of the 3DS as an ebook reader, Nintendo’s plans could yet prove to be successful, especially if Japanese consumers prefer to use their existing devices rather than buying Kindles or Kobo devices.
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