Nintendo 3DS or Nintendo's 3D House of DS

[Bullwinkle]

Nintendo to launch 3-D version of handheld console
Mar 23, 6:19 AM (ET)

By TOMOKO A. HOSAKA

TOKYO (AP) - Looking for its next big hit, Nintendo said Tuesday it would begin selling a 3-D version of its popular handheld console within a year.

The "Nintendo 3DS" will feature a 3-D display without the need for glasses. The new portable gaming device will be compatible with software made for earlier DS models, the company said.

Nintendo revealed little else in its brief statement, except to say that it would offer details in June at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles.

But the Kyoto-based company's announcement immediately lit up tech blogs and Twitter feeds as it offered a clue to mounting questions about its future. What will Nintendo do next? How will it stay ahead of rivals?

  
Like other consumer electronics makers, Nintendo is turning to 3-D as part of its answer. The company is also looking to expand on the DS's long-running success.

Although the Wii is losing market share, demand for the DS remains solid more than five years after it was launched. Sales for the handheld are gradually slowing, but the Nintendo DS topped U.S. game hardware sales in February with 613,200 units moved, beating Microsoft's Xbox 360, the Wii and Sony's PlayStation3, according to market researcher NPD Group.

The DS logged global sales of more than 125 million units since its late-2004 launch through December, Nintendo said.

Last week, a senior Nintendo video game designer told The Associated Press during a trip to London that his company plans to turn the DS into educational aids and teaching tools.

Shigeru Miyamoto, the man behind Super Mario Bros. and other popular video games, said Nintendo will being rolling out the DS system in Japanese junior high and elementary schools in April. He framed the project as part of his company's effort to broaden the audience for gaming consoles.

Tuesday's announcement comes just days before Nintendo releases the latest version of the device, the DSi XL, in North America.

Retailing for $190, the XL will have two screens like its predecessors. But as the name suggests, the device and screens will be much larger than the currently available versions. The XL is already available in Japan.

We were all expecting a new DS, but this is a surprise.  Will it be cool or a gimmick?  Let the VirtuaBoy jokes commence.

[Devil]

I'll hold off for the 3DSLite or 3DSi.

[metallicorphan]

yeah this isn't cool for those that just bought the DSiXL that came out the beginning of this month(UK anyway)..i mean seriously,bring out the next one and do it for that,don't just keep upgrading the first,not surprised the sales are 125million,kinda in the same tree as PSPgo here

[Eel Snave]

It's not coming until fiscal year 2011.  Plus, it'll more than likely have the Tegra chipset, which will allow for Gamecube-level graphics, so it's way more than just a little itty-bitty upgrade.  That's got to be a punch in the gut to Sony.

PSP3D in 5...4...3...

[metallicorphan]

It's not coming until fiscal year 2011.  Plus, it'll more than likely have the Tegra chipset, which will allow for Gamecube-level graphics, so it's way more than just a little itty-bitty upgrade.  That's got to be a punch in the gut to Sony.

PSP3D in 5...4...3...

oh,so it is more DS2 that DS redux part 6?

that certainly makes me feel better

[Eel Snave]

Correct.  According to what developers are saying, it has an accelerometer and a much stronger chipset.

Also, if you want an idea of what the 3D -might- be like, here's a video.  This is a strong candidate, since the 3DS would be using two cameras and said accelerometer.

Also, this would seem to fit in with what developers are saying.  Since none of them talked about there being 3D, I would suspect that most people who have been working on the new DS revision have just been using the upgraded power and accelerometer (man, that word doesn't get any easier to type the more you do it) and haven't been either aware or willing to discuss the 3D capability.

[Devil]

I forgot!!

Doesn't matter if it's good or bad: NiM$!!!

[CeeKay]

maybe they'll get rid of cartridges, make the screen smaller and jack the price up a 100 bucks or so 

[Eel Snave]

maybe they'll get rid of cartridges, make the screen smaller and jack the price up a 100 bucks or so 

And only put in one analog stick!

[leo8877]

I won't be purchasing one, but I'm curious to see how it looks in action.

[The Grue]

No surprise here, but IN!

[WinoMcCougarstein]

day 1!  Sounds really cool and I must say the DS is probably my most favorite handheld of all time. 

[Devil]

I'll get it, but I'm an idiot.

Also grabbing an XL this weekend too.

Praying that it can play sports games...expecting to be disappointed. 

[Farscry]

When the DS was first announced, I was skeptical and not at all excited about it. It took Fyedaddy having me give his DS a spin before I actually got interested in it. I bought one soon after.

However, with the solid track record of the DS, and the alleged massive upgrade this will be over it, color me very excited.

[WinoMcCougarstein]

I'll get it, but I'm an idiot.

Also grabbing an XL this weekend too.

Praying that it can play sports games...expecting to be disappointed. 

Well, Madden on the Gamecube looked pretty good!  I would settle for that.  But I love my DS for the original games, not the ports.

[Eel Snave]

Think about this: A Madden game where you can actually tilt the DS left and right to see your wideouts.

[WinoMcCougarstein]

Rumor has it, 3DS WILL have a control stick!!!!  Hopefully it's better than the PSP nub.

[Chaz]

This announcement doesn't change my plan to get the XL.  I have a ton of DS games to catch up on, and the new one doesn't come out for quite a while anyway.  I'll be quite happy with my giant DS screens, and wait to see what shakes out with later models of the 3d thing.

[denoginizer]

It's Nintendo.

They'll sell bazillions of these.

I'll probably buy one and I don't even want it.

[Turtle]

Love the DS, but I'll hold out for a PSP2, which I hope Sony will be smart enough to make now that the leadership is changed hands.

[Ridah]

The 3D tech in the video looks incredible! Even though I've only owned one game for my DS Lite since I bought it and almost never use it, I know I'll end up buying a 3DS on launch day.

[Bullwinkle]

The 3D tech in the video looks incredible! Even though I've only owned one game for my DS Lite since I bought it and almost never use it, I know I'll end up buying a 3DS on launch day.

That video is for a game on the DSi.  They'll just need to use something more reliable than the camera for low-light playing, etc.

However, there are rumors that a 3D screen will actually be in place.  In other words, it won't be popping in so much as popping out of the screen.

[denoginizer]

Think about this: A Madden game where you can actually tilt the DS left and right to see your wideouts.

Actually that sounds terrible.

[Scraper]

Can we please get TWO analog sticks!

[WinoMcCougarstein]

Can we please get TWO analog sticks!

I would love that.  I would think it is almost necessary if they are planning on having 3D games.

[Eel Snave]

This could be how the 3DS' tech works too.

[warning]

Think about this: A Madden game where you can actually tilt the DS left and right to see your wideouts.

Actually that sounds terrible.

A Madden game?   

[Autistic Angel]

Can we please get TWO analog sticks!

I would love that.  I would think it is almost necessary if they are planning on having 3D games.

Thirded.  The PSP is technologically capable of doing some great third-person games, but camera control in Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters, GTA Stories or Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines is terribly hamstrung by the lack of a second analog stick.  It must be miserable for developers to toil away on work-arounds for such an arbitrary design limitation, and I really hope future portables don't make the same mistake....

-Autistic Angel

[Bob]

Virtual Boy 2011?

[WinoMcCougarstein]

Virtual Boy 2011?

It doesn't sound anything like the Virtual Boy at all at this point.

[kronovan]

Coming from a conservative company that only manufactures and develops games and gaming systems, this IMO legitimizes 3D as at least a viable technology for handheld gaming. In terms of a 2nd analog stick, if the new rumored stick is controllable with 1 finger then I could make do with the stylus as the 2nd. I used the stylus for my entire playthough of MP Hunters and it worked well enough for me.

I haven't found a need to replace my aging DS Lite yet, so the 3DS will be my next Nintendo handheld purchase.

[Bob]

Virtual Boy 2011?

It doesn't sound anything like the Virtual Boy at all at this point.

I'm not convinced that the entire 1st 3D generation won't be a complete failure.

Seems like every company is pushing 3D on us, and I'm just not sure the demand is there yet to support it.  I got an ad the other day for a 3D laptop.  I just don't think it's something people are willing to pay a premium for or willing to upgrade to yet.

[Eel Snave]

Exactly, and Nintendo knows this.  Have they ever released a system that had an outrageous price tag?  People want 3D, they just don't want to pay piles of money to get it or have it be inconvenient.  Nintendo will probably aim for the DSiXL price point to start with, and are also mitigating the inconvenience by not needing glasses.

[WinoMcCougarstein]

I'm going to go on record and say I haven't been this excited about new hardware in quite some time.  Not just because I love the DS but because this is something so incredibly neat sounding.  3D without glasses is something straight out of the sci-fi movies I grew up watching.  I'm incredibly excited just to see what it looks like.  Yes, it may suck as a gaming platform and eventually bust, but still, it's something new and exciting.  I can't wait for E3!

[Ridah]

I'm going to go on record and say I haven't been this excited about new hardware in quite some time.  Not just because I love the DS but because this is something so incredibly neat sounding.  3D without glasses is something straight out of the sci-fi movies I grew up watching.  I'm incredibly excited just to see what it looks like.  Yes, it may suck as a gaming platform and eventually bust, but still, it's something new and exciting.  I can't wait for E3!

When it comes to portables, Nintendo never fails. This thing is gonna be incredible, I get goosebumps just thinking of how cool the Nintendo franchises are going to be on this.

[Devil]

At this point I think Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville's "Don't Know Much" should be playing in the background of this thread.

Soooooo much love!!

 

[WinoMcCougarstein]

At this point I think Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville's "Don't Know Much" should be playing in the background of this thread.

Soooooo much love!!

 

Cool.

[warning]

At this point I think Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville's "Don't Know Much" should be playing in the background of this thread.

Soooooo much love!!

 

I'm just embarrassed for you that you know a duet by Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville.

[Eel Snave]

I'm more embarrassed that I know exactly which song that is.

[The Grue]

I'm more embarrassed that I know exactly which song that is.

And that may be all I need to know.