While the big name developers have had their hands on Nintendo 3DS kits for a while now, the independent developers haven’t been as lucky. But that’s all going to change. Speaking to Develop Online, unnamed developers have told them that kits will be on the way early in the new year.

The Nintendo 3DS is out in Japan in February and everywhere else in the world in March. More confirmed and final dates are set to be revealed allegedly on January 19.

This move will allow smaller developers to get cranking on 3DS titles as soon as possible and while their games won’t make it for launch, it’ll fill that nice ’post-release’ drought nicely.