Nintendo 'moving away' from insisting on 3D to play 3DS games

[Oobgarm]

http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/24/nintendo-moving-away-from-insisting-on-3d-to-play-3ds-games-w/

Kinda makes it not much more than a gimmick, yes? I understand that not everyone can partake in 3D gaming, but why make it an option? Making the 3D a major component of game opens up a lot of possibility.

[RCM]

It's been a gimmick since it was announced. While I'll certainly buy one in a few years this "new" hardware isn't much more than what Nintendo has offered since 2004. Sure, the specs are nice, but if gamers want a high(er) powered system they can always buy a PSP.

I still can't shake the feeling that Nintendo and Sony are about to fall on their faces in comparison to previous success.

[Bojay1997]

http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/24/nintendo-moving-away-from-insisting-on-3d-to-play-3ds-games-w/

Kinda makes it not much more than a gimmick, yes? I understand that not everyone can partake in 3D gaming, but why make it an option? Making the 3D a major component of game opens up a lot of possibility.

Disagree. I think it actually insures a future for the system once people figure out glasses-free 3D gaming isn't all that great. The system itself has a larger top screen and significantly higher resolution top and bottom screens compared to the DS. More importantly, the custom GPU performs at something like 10-50 times the DS GPU depending on the type of function being performed. The CPU is a dual core and in theory should deliver many times the performance of the CPU in the DS. Overall, it's quite a powerhouse and I am excited to see what kinds of non-gimmick games appear over time.

[heybtbm]

3D is a gimmick that will never be embraced by the mainstream. This news confirms it beyond any reasonable doubt.

3D is still pretty damn cool tech...but it's laughable to think it would be something a majority of consumers would seek out. Now there is proof the $$$-guys think so too.

[Leo_A]

Good move

The 3D mandate was going to be the end of emulated classic gaming compilations since it's impossible to meet.

Edit - Just read the article and I guess it's not saying that. It's saying 3D is never going to be the only option offered in a game. There's always going to be a 2D mode the user can choose to switch to and we don't have to worry about a game mandating that the user view it in 3D.

I'm not sure how that's even newsworthy since we've known that for quite sometime now (They're not moving away from anything, like the topic title suggest). Developers have to develop their software and keep in mind that people have to have the option to view it in 2D mode. And we already knew that.

News would be an announcement that developers can choose to ignore 3D support entirely if they choose. Either because it's inappropriate or impossible to meet (Such as for a classic gaming compilation that relies upon emulation and existing code) or because they want to dedicate the processing power to rendering a single image with improved visuals rather than degrading the image in order to be able to achieve a 3D effect by rendering two different views.

[Rev. Link]

Is Nintendo forcing developers to include 3D? Did they do that with the DS, force developers to include touch controls? 'Cuz eventually games started coming out that didn't really use the touch screen.

Maybe after time we will see games that just don't use the 3D.

[Leo_A]

As far as I'm aware, 3D support is required with the only exceptions being legacy DS/DSi titles played through the backwards compatibility mode and the emulated consoles on the Virtual Console. And even there, we're seeing NES and SuperNes games be ports with added 3D support, so the lack of a 3D mandate isn't even universal on their 3DS Virtual Console.

Looks like if it's not a Game Gear or TurboGrafx-16 download, you can expect it to fully support the 3D effect so far, which is ashame since it's going to cripple the ability for companies to bring classic compilations to this service.

[badinsults]

Companies have been trying to do 3D since the 90s. I don't think it will ever be universally accepted because it makes certain people sick.

[Leo_A]

Companies have been trying to do 3D since the 90s. I don't think it will ever be universally accepted because it makes certain people sick.

Not to mention that some just can't see the effect due to vision issues.

[jammajup]

http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/24/nintendo-moving-away-from-insisting-on-3d-to-play-3ds-games-w/

Kinda makes it not much more than a gimmick,

Quite an expensive one too,but guess it sort of depends were you live.

[Swamperon]

I'm sure most developers will shove 3D in regardless as 3D is 'big' right now, just look how its invaded the film industry (a salute to Nolan who resisted pressure to make Batman 3D).

I imagine for Nintendo titles the majority of cool 3D effects will be kept to mini-games, side quests, bonus material etc.

I hope they take advantage of the AR function. I imagine a lot could be done with it, especially Pokemon.

[Icarus Moonsight]

Wii did prove waggle is not universally good. So 3D not universally good is not that much of a shocker. There are good to great DS games that don't use the touch screen at all, and much more where touch screen control is merely an option.

They gave the option to turn the 3D off totally for a reason. Not everyone is going to able to experience it or even like it if they can. It's not pigeon holed that way.

[Rev. Link]

Wii did prove waggle is not universally good. So 3D not universally good is not that much of a shocker. There are good to great DS games that don't use the touch screen at all, and much more where touch screen control is merely an option.

They gave the option to turn the 3D off totally for a reason. Not everyone is going to able to experience it or even like it if they can. It's not pigeon holed that way.

I wish more people saw it that way. I see too many people saying "I don't like 3D, I won't be buying it ever."

[kupomogli]

People seem confused on what this article is really about. Nintendo was all hell bent on how amazing their new tech is that it could do 3D without glasses and then once people actually get their hands on the system, their main opinions are about the 3D and that was Nintendo's real selling point.

So now Nintendo is basically saying that, "Yeah the 3D was just a gimmick because maybe some of you were stupid enough to buy into it, but now we'll stop hyping the 3D because we're aware of how much it's getting bashed so we hope you'll still buy it."

What they should have done is not hype the 3D up as much as they have to begin with. Because oooooo wow. It's 3D. Who really gives a shit? If they didn't even bother with the 3D and just made a successor to the DS it wouldn't have had been criticized as much as it has been.

[Bojay1997]

People seem confused on what this article is really about. Nintendo was all hell bent on how amazing their new tech is that it could do 3D without glasses and then once people actually get their hands on the system, their main opinions are about the 3D and that was Nintendo's real selling point.

So now Nintendo is basically saying that, "Yeah the 3D was just a gimmick because maybe some of you were stupid enough to buy into it, but now we'll stop hyping the 3D because we're aware of how much it's getting bashed so we hope you'll still buy it."

What they should have done is not hype the 3D up as much as they have to begin with. Because oooooo wow. It's 3D. Who really gives a shit? If they didn't even bother with the 3D and just made a successor to the DS it wouldn't have had been criticized as much as it has been.

You'll forgive most of us if we completely disregard your opinion. Yes, Nintendo hyped the 3D and yes, most of us could care less about 3D. It doesn't change the fact that this is going to be a great handheld and a huge seller on Sunday. Whether Nintendo stops pushing the 3D or not, there are going to be some amazing first and third party games released for the 3DS and I for one can't imagine not owning one just like I can't imagine not owning an NGP when it is released.

[kupomogli]

I didn't say the system was going to suck, as I'm interested in eventually getting one(due to obvious third party support,) but only that Nintendo is now backing away from their "3D is going to be the end all of everything." What did Nintendo say during the official announcement of the 3DS? We like to create products that innovate, blah blah blah, something something, complete bullshit, enhanced gameplay, etc? This announcement certainly makes that statement null and void doesn't it?

Now I don't care about 3D, but atleast keep to your word. You're going to hype something up and say you're going to do something, then do it. Don't pussy out because it's going to interfere with your bottom line. Unfortunately there's some people who wouldn't be able to experience the 3D only games, but how about make some sort of label stating the obvious. Create a game where you were able to see certain objects in 3D that you couldn't see normally, etc, like they mentioned as an example.

We'll see Nintendo completely dropping support of the DS soon. They'll probably give some bullshit speech about how it's impossible for them to develop on the DS and 3DS at the same time. Or in six months after the 3DS release, announce a version with double battery life and stating at the time of release that it was impossible to develop the system better due to technical limitations(allusion to the DS and DS Lite screen brightness and quote.) Games like Mario 3DS will be 49.99 and never see a price drop. Maybe it'll be like the Wii and have no first party support after launch aside from a few small games here and there.

[Rev. Link]

We'll see Nintendo completely dropping support of the DS soon. They'll probably give some bullshit speech about how it's impossible for them to develop on the DS and 3DS at the same time. Or in six months after the 3DS release, announce a version with double battery life and stating at the time of release that it was impossible to develop the system better due to technical limitations(allusion to the DS and DS Lite screen brightness and quote.) Games like Mario 3DS will be 49.99 and never see a price drop. Maybe it'll be like the Wii and have no first party support after launch aside from a few small games here and there.

What exactly are you getting at here? Did you really expect Nintendo to continue to support the DS longterm after the 3DS is released? That's not the way it works. New systems come out, the old ones get phased out. It's been that way for 30 years now. And yeah, I'm sure Nintendo will eventually release a better model 3DS, but again, that's nothing new. They've done it with most of their handheld systems, dating back to the original Game Boy. We all see it coming.

Is it BS, their reasoning for not releasing the better hardware from the get go? Maybe, maybe not, but we all know they do it that way, and most of us don't seem to care, 'cuz they obviously sell a lot of systems.

And there's a reason Nintendo games don't drop in price. They keep selling! Why should Nintendo lower the price on something when people are willing to pay for it?

By the way, I got to see the 3DS in action for the first time tonight, and I thought the 3D was really cool! Pilotwings looked amazing, and SSFIV was really good too. Even the 3D effects on the system menu were well done. It's a gimmick, yes, but it is a cool one.

[Graham Mitchell]

Just about every 3ds thread on here is started and perpetuated by people who hate the idea of it and criticize it. Even if theyre interested in it, they all think theyre clever by waiting for a price drop or system revision. Is anybody excited for this? I am. I'm picking it up tomorrow.

I dont understand why everybody is talking so much shit about a system theyre going to end up obsessively collecting for in 5 years. (jaguar/3do anyone?)

End rant.

[kupomogli]

Did you really expect Nintendo to continue to support the DS longterm after the 3DS is released? That's not the way it works. New systems come out, the old ones get phased out.

And in Nintendo's case, the old ones get phased out almost instantly. So much that any games they may be developing on their prior systems make the jump to their next systems. I wonder what games may have been in development for the DS that were cancelled and ported to the 3DS instead.


better model 3DS, but again, that's nothing new. They've done it with most of their handheld systems, dating back to the original Game Boy. We all see it coming.

Yeah but when they did it back then they didn't make a comment like. "It wasn't possible with the current technology."


And there's a reason Nintendo games don't drop in price. They keep selling! Why should Nintendo lower the price on something when people are willing to pay for it?

Because Microsoft and Sony don't have franchises that sell well. Please tell me more oh wise Nintendo fanboy.


By the way, I got to see the 3DS in action for the first time tonight, and I thought the 3D was really cool!


Pilotwings looked amazing,

For an N64 game. Makes you wonder if this was in development for the DS.

[Graham Mitchell]

Because Microsoft and Sony don't have franchises that sell well. Please tell me more oh wise Nintendo fanboy.



.
This is not a nintendo-exclusive phenomenon. Halo 3 and call of duty 4 were at the $60 mark for almost 3 years. Even after world at war came out, cod4 was still at launch price. I never bought it because of this.

[kupomogli]

Super Mario 64 DS $30, Super Mario Galaxy $50, Twilight Princess $50, etc. Yeah. It is a Nintendo exclusive phenomenon. Nintendo just doesn't drop prices at all. With other developers you know that you can atleast wait it out. With Nintendo you need to hope that there's a sale or the game is clearanced out if you're interested in getting it for less than MSRP.

Let's not forget that Twilight Princess was a launch title and it's still full MSRP. Not only did Gamecube owners had to wait for a whole year and a half of delays due to the Wii announcement, but they had to wait an additional month unless they purchased a Wii. Nintendo goes all out with the douchebag sales tactics.

I won't bother saying anything else about it. Everyone already knows that Nintendo is my least favorite as a gaming company. They have good console and handheld systems, but the company itself sucks.

[PapaStu]

I think you all are forgetting how Nintendo handled the DS launch. Everything was 'Touch'. All games are going to have massive touch screen controls/activities and it will be the wave. What did we get? Some games have no touching at all, others were purely gimmick and some did it with style and finesse.

This will be no different.

Besides, the DS isn't going to disapear overnight. The GBA was still getting games for a good while longer. The DS will too. However if you do look at the upcoming games, you can see that there are fewer in the pipeline than there used to be at this time. It's how this business works.

[Enigmus]

Just about every 3ds thread on here is started and perpetuated by people who hate the idea of it and criticize it. Even if theyre interested in it, they all think theyre clever by waiting for a price drop or system revision. Is anybody excited for this? I am. I'm picking it up tomorrow.

I dont understand why everybody is talking so much shit about a system theyre going to end up obsessively collecting for in 5 years. (jaguar/3do anyone?)

End rant.

This.

The anti-Nintendo fanboyism levels are a bit high. I've never seen any actual "fanboys" in this thread, yet people keep calling them out. That, and a "DS pushing multimedia" comment in another thread helped to tip me off to the Sony raging going on (Hint: DS did it in 2008, PSP in 2005.) As for me, I'm staying out of it for right now.

Can't we all just play our systems and be happy already?

Oh, and please calm down, kupo. Civility is key.

[Leo_A]

Nintendo is going to now cease DS development because of the 3DS?

Seems like that happened for the most part well in advance of this. There's been precious little game development going on for this platform from major publishers for quite sometime now.

All I can think of from Nintendo over all of 2010 for the DS have been Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem, 2-3 Pokemon games, Art Academy, and WarioWare D.I.Y.

We're not losing a whole ton just because the 3DS is being released in a few hours. Consumers, developers, publishers, and Nintendo themselves have all been moving on for quite sometime now and seem ready to leave the DS behind.

[Rev. Link]

And in Nintendo's case, the old ones get phased out almost instantly. So much that any games they may be developing on their prior systems make the jump to their next systems. I wonder what games may have been in development for the DS that were cancelled and ported to the 3DS instead.

That's an exaggeration, GBA games still came out after the DS was released. Hell, NES games came out for a good three years after the SNES. But you can't expect a company to continue supporting old hardware when it wants customers to buy the new hardware. Sony, Microsoft, and Sega all did the same thing.




Yeah but when they did it back then they didn't make a comment like. "It wasn't possible with the current technology."


Sure they did. They've done that since the original Game Boy. That's why they said it took almost ten years to make a handheld that could do color, or have a light.



Because Microsoft and Sony don't have franchises that sell well. Please tell me more oh wise Nintendo fanboy.


Oh, please! I didn't come at you with names, don't throw that fanboy bs at me. I'm not even that big of a Nintendo supporter anymore, the Wii is my least favorite system of this generation. But you can't deny that Nintendo games continue to sell at full price, which, btw, you'll notice is cheaper than the other two systems' full price by $10. If they didn't sell, they would drop, but they don't have to.

Yes, Zelda is still a $50 game, but you can't compare it to something like Call of Duty, which throws a new title out every year regardless of quality.

[Leo_A]

Much of that is because there are so few games that interest consumers on the platform. It's not hard for Nintendo to keep games at the $50 mark for years when there is little threat from 3rd parties on the platform challenging sales of something like Mario Kart Wii with their own software.

On the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, there is a ton of software competition that forces prices to keep pace since something greater is going to be right around the corner that captures the attention of the people spending $60 a game. On the Wii, that generally doesn't happen. So the positions of something like Super Mario Galaxy 2, Twilight Princess, and Mario Kart Wii is never endangered with their consumer base.

Prices get reduced quick because of competition, not some general sign of development on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 being of lesser quality than Nintendo's. If 3rd parties paid more attention to the Wii, I bet we'd see prices be reduced if Nintendo had more than token competition from other software publishers on their platform.

[Rev. Link]

Prices get reduced quick because of competition, not some general sign of development on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 being of lesser quality than Nintendo's. If 3rd parties paid more attention to the Wii, I bet we'd see prices be reduced if Nintendo had more than token competition from other software publishers on their platform.

This is true, certainly. But if Nintendo pumped out a Zelda title every year the way Activision does with Call of Duty, they'd drop in price quicker. But they don't, they take the time to polish their games and can afford to keep them at a higher price longer.

This isn't a slam on the PS3 or the 360, more on publishers like Activision who milk their titles.

[j_factor]

I think you all are forgetting how Nintendo handled the DS launch. Everything was 'Touch'. All games are going to have massive touch screen controls/activities and it will be the wave. What did we get? Some games have no touching at all, others were purely gimmick and some did it with style and finesse.

This will be no different.

I see a big difference in that the touch capability actually adds something to at least some games. That is to say, games tangibly benefit from it. Whereas the fact that you can turn 3D off at any time kind of relegates it to strictly eye candy, because developers can't make their games depend on it in any way.

[buzz_n64]

Whereas the fact that you can turn 3D off at any time kind of relegates it to strictly eye candy, because developers can't make their games depend on it in any way.

They might make games or parts of a game that only display in that view angle or something similar where 3D is necessary. Put it this way, it's like stereo sound, they can possibly manipulate the channels in certain games if they wish, and mono sound won't do it for you anymore.

[Leo_A]

I see a big difference in that the touch capability actually adds something to at least some games. That is to say, games tangibly benefit from it. Whereas the fact that you can turn 3D off at any time kind of relegates it to strictly eye candy, because developers can't make their games depend on it in any way.

That doesn't make any sense.

Some individuals are talking about how the optional 3D effect helps them do things like judge landings in Pilotwings Resort. So it can be beneficial to the experience in some games, not to mention the additional immersion it adds for some individuals.

If some popular games come out for the NGP launch that utilize the touch screen, but provide the option of not utilizing the touch controls if desired, do you want someone to say the same thing about the NGP's touch screens? After all, the developer isn't forcing it on us if they did.

I sure can't see the difference between the two. Just how would a game ever need dependence on the 3D effect, anyways? I can't imagine a scenario where a 3D game wouldn't be possible to be enjoyed in 2D.

Just because it can be turned off, the 3D effect in something like Super Mario 3DS that they claim will make jumps in 3D platformers easier to judge, automatically doesn't count as a benefit to you just because the user can select to view it in 2D?


They might make games or parts of a game that only display in that view angle or something similar where 3D is necessary. Put it this way, it's like stereo sound, they can possibly manipulate the channels in certain games if they wish, and mono sound won't do it for you anymore.

Didn't you read the article this topic was about? Despite the poor selection of a title for the article that makes the reader think Nintendo has suddenly changed their position on this, they just reiterated that the consumer can expect to always have a 2D option available in 3DS software. And that's what they've said all along. So it's hard to imagine it happening.

And just like I asked j factor, what sort of scenario would force the developer to force the 3D viewpoint? What sort of thing that's possible to portray in 3D mode on the 3DS screen couldn't be displayed in 2D?

[j_factor]

Just how would a game ever need dependence on the 3D effect, anyways? I can't imagine a scenario where a 3D game wouldn't be possible to be enjoyed in 2D.

That's my point. Whereas the touch screen was vital for some DS games, including relatively early ones. A good example is Pac-Pix. That's a game that needed touch. No game needs 3D.

[Icarus Moonsight]

I don't know... I can imagine a Pac-Pix type of game played on a Super Nintendo and you use the Mario Paint mouse to draw the elements needed to play. Touch screen isn't required for input of that type, it's just the best/easiest method in some cases. Just like the 3D/2D trade-off.

[Leo_A]

That's my point. Whereas the touch screen was vital for some DS games, including relatively early ones. A good example is Pac-Pix. That's a game that needed touch. No game needs 3D.

I don't see how that supports your point that just because it isn't necessary, that it isn't beneficial.

Playing your Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 in HD isn't vital. Are you trying to tell us that our experience isn't benefited from playing with the increased resolution because we could still play our games at 480i?

Whatever the point is that you're trying to make, it's lost on me.

[buzz_n64]

Even if Nintendo doesn't want to force the 3D necessity on people, they are talking about themselves. What's to stop 3rd party publishers from doing it? Nothing.

[kupomogli]

They might make games or parts of a game that only display in that view angle or something similar where 3D is necessary. Put it this way, it's like stereo sound, they can possibly manipulate the channels in certain games if they wish, and mono sound won't do it for you anymore.

This. Nintendo mentioned something like the ability to see something while in 3d but not able to see it in 2d when they were discussing the features of it and how it could be incorporated into games. If they make games based on strictly 2d, that feature will not be available, atleast to first party Nintendo games.

[Icarus Moonsight]

So where's the problem? Every game doesn't have to use every system feature. No console or handheld has. Dedicated machines, yes. Because anything not used on such a device is wasted. I guess I'm as confounded as Leo.

Nintendo hyped Mode 7... I guess all the non-Mode 7 SNES games were fake, or something?

[j_factor]

I don't see how that supports your point that just because it isn't necessary, that it isn't beneficial.

Honestly when I said that, I hadn't thought of what you said about judging depth in 3D games. I played all the 3DS games available (in 3D) and that sort of thing didn't even cross my mind while playing. That's just me though. So, I guess it can be a little beneficial.

But my point is that the 3D doesn't really "do" anything. A touch screen does.


Playing your Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 in HD isn't vital. Are you trying to tell us that our experience isn't benefited from playing with the increased resolution because we could still play our games at 480i?

I was responding to a post comparing the 3D screen to the original DS's touch screen, by distinguishing the two. I'm not saying that better graphics, etc. don't matter at all. I'm saying that better graphics aren't the same thing as a new control method. When Xbox 360 came out, would you have compared its use of HD graphics to the DS's touch screen? That doesn't make any sense, and it doesn't make any more sense for 3D display.

[Graham Mitchell]

So after spending a couple hours with the machine, here's what I have to say...

The 3D effect is probably not going to allow for much in the way of "seeing stuff you can't see in 2D". This is because the viewing angle for the 3D effect is extremely narrow. You're not able to move you head to "see around" an object or anything like that. In fact, if you move your head too much, you start seeing 2 images and the whole thing kind of becomes a mess. This is a problem playing Ridge Racer 3D. A lot can happen while your view is obstructed for a couple seconds.

Also, the way the 3D effect works is that it just assigns certain objects on the screen to a "plane". For example, in pilotwings the scorebar/menu items appear closest to your eyes. The airplane appears a bit off in the distance and the landscape appears in the farthest plane. Nothing earth-shattering, but it's a cool effect. It looks like there's a little world inside your DS! But as j_factor has been pointing out, it doesn't affect gameplay in the slightest.

Also, all games offer 2D because all you have to do is turn the 3D slider to the "off" position. The LED that says "3D" turns off and the top screen displays a single flat image. That's it. The packaging recommends ages 7+ only for the 3D mode, and you can disable the 3D entirely via parental controls.

Oh, and the eye strain is negligible. I don't notice much of it all. However, it may be a bit more comfortable to reduce the intensity on the 3D slider. This moves the images a little closer together so your eyes can relax a bit, though this does reduce the intensity of the effect. I played it with the 3D bar cranked for an hour. It took about 2 seconds to readjust my eyes after turning it off. Not a big deal at all. Maybe after 5 hours of play I can see there may be a problem. Just take breaks.

[Leo_A]

Thanks j factor, I understand what you were getting at now. In fact I actually agree with the point you were trying to make now that I understand what you were getting at.

[Nature Boy]

I was able to try a 3DS at the mall near work just a couple of weeks ago and I have to say the 3D graphics impressed me. Not that it changed my mind about getting a 3DS in the near future (much like with the Kinect, which I've also been impressed with once seen in action)

I need to see a plethora of games worth playing before I spend the dough. In both cases they need to be games I can't play anywhere else, although I imagine the 3DS has the advantage in that it just has to be a game not made available for DS/PSP, as opposed to Kinect which has to be a motion controlled game in some way/shape/form.

[gepeto]

My impressions after picking it up and playing. I like it. IMO the 3d does add somethings to the games. Like street fighter 4 it really looked sweet. The controls are another thing but the over all look is nice. I also like the mini stuff cameras and games.

I didn't know what to expect with all the drama the past month about the 3ds. Considering the hype a year ago. When I played pilot wings in the store I was like meh. I was tall and really couldn't see the wow factor.

So far I have played 5 of the launch titles and enjoyed the 3d effect and I think this thing will do really well once people play at home. The only hold back IMO would be price. Are moms going to spend the money?


After a couple of hours of play my eyes weren't hurting. Overall build quality seems excellent.

[WanganRunner]

Nintendo not mandating it does *not* make it a gimmick, IMO.

Every game doesn't have to use every feature of the system. Not ever DS title uses the microphone, and not every N64 title used the Rumble Pak.

To FORCE every hardware feature on every game is idiotic.

Nintendo and the better developers will still see 3D as an asset and will utilize it. The 3D feature is BRILLIANT in Pilotwings, it will be BRILLIANT in Mario, et cetera.



But yeah, anyway, where's my DSware Pikmin game where I can download a new mission every day for a year?

[Graham Mitchell]

But yeah, anyway, where's my DSware Pikmin game where I can download a new mission every day for a year?

The eshop won't be available until may, unfortunately. It sounds like they want to redesign the whole concept of it, which is good because the dsi shop is really shitty for a variety of reasons.

It sounds like it's gonna be great, though. Gb, gbc and gba games updated for 3d? Might even be better than using a gameboy player on the gamecube. Well see...

[Leo_A]

Nintendo not mandating it does *not* make it a gimmick, IMO.

Some of you still seem confused. Nintendo isn't "not mandating" anything.

Every 3DS game has to support the 3D effect while also having to be able to be turned off by use of the 3D slider. They aren't allowing developers to ignore the 3D effect and they're not allowing developers to not allow their games to be viewed in 2D.

2D/3D support is mandated by Nintendo.

[StoneAgeGamer]

My impressions after picking it up and playing. I like it. IMO the 3d does add somethings to the games. Like street fighter 4 it really looked sweet. The controls are another thing but the over all look is nice. I also like the mini stuff cameras and games.

I didn't know what to expect with all the drama the past month about the 3ds. Considering the hype a year ago. When I played pilot wings in the store I was like meh. I was tall and really couldn't see the wow factor.

So far I have played 5 of the launch titles and enjoyed the 3d effect and I think this thing will do really well once people play at home. The only hold back IMO would be price. Are moms going to spend the money?


After a couple of hours of play my eyes weren't hurting. Overall build quality seems excellent.

I agree I thought the 3D was going to suck and I would have it turned off most of the time. However, I find it really does add to the games I got and works really well without hurting my eyes. Honestly after playing it with 3D on, if I turn 3D off it bugs me and I have to turn it back on.