Nintendo delays launch of Pokemon Bank and Poke Transporter

Nintendo and The Pokemon Company officially delayed the launch of the Pokemon Bank and Poke Transporter apps for Nintendo 3DS, citing "a large volume of traffic" affecting the stability of the Nintendo Network, in a support message today.

Originally, the applications were expected to launch on Friday, Dec. 27, but Nintendo has been experiencing "service disruptions" with its Wii U and 3DS eShop and during the creation of Nintendo Network IDs. A previous statement from Nintendo explained that "the number of users creating a Nintendo Network ID on their Nintendo 3DS and accessing the Nintendo eShop has been greater than anticipated."

The company pulled the applications from its eShop in Japan over similar issues. Nintendo has not announced a new release date for the Pokemon X and Pokemon Y-related apps.

"We truly regret the inconvenience, and wish to reassure everyone that providing a solution is our top priority," the company said. "We apologize for the delay and thank you for your continued patience."

Pokemon Bank and Poke Transporter allow players to store extra Pokemon from previous games and transfer them to Pokemon X and Y, respectively. For more on the 3DS apps, read our story about how Pokemon Bank and Poke Transporter work.