Sources close to French website 01.net revealed that Nintendo is revising the 3DS design to include two analogue sticks and that it is going to release the new design in 2012.
So far, 01.net has been proved to be a credible source, as it has managed to leak Wii U and PSP Vita's specs more than 6 months before the official announcement of each of them.
According to the French site, Nintendo executives believe that the greatest flaw in the 3DS design is its lack of a second analogue stick and that's why it'll be the focal point of the new design. Nintendo is also working on a new peripheral that will retail for $10 and will add a second analogue stick to the 3DS when attached. Additionally, "a select group of developers" has been tasked with the development of games designed specifically to take advantage of the dual analogue sticks.
Nintendo executives have also admitted failure to convince the market that the 3DS's glasses-less display is not harmful, and so they decided to reduce the emphasis on 3D in the new design.
The site's sources went on to reveal that the recent price cut was not meant to increase the installed base. The truth is, the 40% price cut was meant to clear stock of the old design before the new design launches.
The new design might even forgo the 3DS mantra, the report noted.
Those claims certainly seem to be far-fetched, but it is worth noting that 01.net was the first to report on the development of Wii U when it was still codenamed Project Café, and then it was the first to reveal solid details about its hardware.