Nintendo, in 3D!

Since last year's release of Avatar, 3d technology has exploded into various areas of the entertainment industry. First appearing on the big screen, and quickly moving into the living room. But with the latest addition to its long line of portable gaming systems Nintendo hopes to take 3d entertainment to the portable console arena. Not long ago at E3, Nintendo announced a new version of the popular Nintendo DS.

The 3DS is built similarly to the DS except with a larger top screen, the addition of a camera, and motion sensing capabilities. While it doesn't take a rocket scientist to recognize the potential of this system, things could easily backfire if the quality of the content doesn't live up to its hype. This device draws many parallels with the Wii, which was initially successful, but quickly became forgotten in many homes. Their biggest mistake with the Wii was the lack of quality 3^rd party games. This led to the Wii being used for only a few native titles. However, the Wii did have its fair share of successes and it still does own a major part of the market.

That being said, Nintendo has already been very successful in demonstrating the potential of this device at E3 earlier this year. Unlike other 3d systems the 3DS uses a different 3d technology that eliminates the need for glasses, allowing the user to enjoy the games more comfortably. They also include a slider that allows you to alter the depth of the 3d picture or just change it to 2d, for those that just want a classic gaming experience. The camera and motion sensors are also sure to be a major part of gameplay.

The 3DS is sure to be an instant success among kids and even among an older audience. However its biggest obstacle will be withstanding the test of time as other companies join the race. But if this platform can stay popular for just a year, Nintendo will have reached another milestone in gaming. Personally I have faith that this time Nintendo will pull through and possibly even regain some of their foothold in the gaming industry.