Nintendo has confirmed that in spite of Friday's tragic events Europe and America can still look forward to the release of the 3DS.

While we're sure everyone would understand if the launch of the 3DS in America and Europe, due at the end of this month, were affected by Friday's earthquake and tsunami in Japan fans will undoubtedly be pleased to hear that the launches have not been affected.

Nintendo issued a statement to Gamesindustry.biz today. "Business operations, including future product shipments, have not been affected," according to the statement. "Our thoughts and best wishes are with everyone who has friends and family members who may have been affected by the earthquake or tsunami."

Presumably the units have already been shipped and hopefully future stock will not be affected but as Japan is still discovering the true extent of the damage and making plans for the future we will have to wait and see. However, Nintendo will no doubt want to ensure supply is kept high so that it can benefit the Japanese economy at this time.