Nintendo announces 3DS - New handheld that plays games in 3D without glasses!

I think it's the DS successor:

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2010/100323.pdf

Courtesy of @markmacd's twitter

• - New portable hardware
• - To be announced at E3
• - Backwards compatible
• - Uses 3D technology without glasses!
• - Release BEFORE March 2011

Also:

http://kotaku.com/5499697/nintendo-announces-new-hardware-the-nintendo-3ds

At a Nintendo quarterly Q&A, the exec addressed the issue with the Asahi Shimbun, asserting that the reporter stated, "The graphics for the next DS will be highly detailed and it will contain a motion sensor, right?" Iwata claims he then replied, "Those things are naturally being required. But do you think it would sell with just that?" Iwata emphasized that this last part was left completely out.

It appears that the extra element Nintendo believed was necessary to really sell the DS successor is 3D.

Basically, some places are saying it's the DS successor and could have Gamecube graphics! :o

Wow, just wow!

Yeah that's pretty crazy. Guess we'll have to wait until E3 to really see what it's capable of.

It sounds interesting, but for now I'm taking it with a grain of salt.

If it's an entirely new DS, I will get it. If it is just another upgrade, I think I will stick with my DSi and two DS Lites.

I hope that's not what they have in mind for the ds2... it would be disappointing...

It sounds interesting, but for now I'm taking it with a grain of salt.

Pixel-Perfect

And when I repeatedly said the DS was dead you guys laughed at me so now I say ha ha

This is entirly new and it sounds pretty epic. 3D without glasses and who knows what Nintendo always has tricks up their sleves. This is going to be the best E3 ever! Zelda Wii and the 3D DS ( which according to GS isn't the real name)

I tell myself I won't buy any more Nintendo products and they have to get me AGAIN! :P

The possibilities are endless. Give me some Super Mario Galaxy DS Nintendo!!!

As of right now, I dont understand how this would work. 3D has always been a grey area with me. Well see how it turns out, I trust Nintendo to do the right thing.

Hopefully this thing gets shown at E3. Right now, you can count me in on it for sure! Only things I'm worrying about atm are: Will it have a way to transfer DSi-ware games, and how much will it cost? I guess that's why I have to wait for E3... :P

GameSpot has posted an update on the front page. Japanese news source Nikkei has reported that there will be a thumbstick to control movement in a 3D plane, haptic feedback (rumble), enhanced battery life, improved network connectivity, and a screen size that's smaller than four inches.

inb4 page 2 :D. Also, I really wanna know more about the 3D thing without glasses, maybe it's not what we think it is?

While all this sounds great, I'm going to wait until they release more information about itbefore I start hyping.

Just keep in mind guys, that even though it's been announced (and it seems that Nintendo did jump the gun...) I'm sure that all of the real information will be given at E3. So those of you saying I WONT BUY IT or IM DEFINITELY GONNA GET IT, keep in mind that the information that you're getting now isn't necessarily true. Take everything with a grain of salt :D.

inb4 page 2 :D. Also, I really wanna know more about the 3D thing without glasses, maybe it's not what we think it is?

ACL0V3R

All we need to hope for is that the 3D doesn't mess up when you blink and the thumbstick is a decent size. I don't really understand the hatred of putting thumbsticks on handhelds just because the one on the PSP was too small to be properly useble.

inb4 page 2 :D. Also, I really wanna know more about the 3D thing without glasses, maybe it's not what we think it is?

ACL0V3R

[QUOTE="ACL0V3R"]

inb4 page 2 :D. Also, I really wanna know more about the 3D thing without glasses, maybe it's not what we think it is?

Sepewrath

Then why not get one? Or even a used model? I mean, by the time this "3DS" comes out, who knows, they'll probably announce a slim version of it coming 5 months after. You're never going to buy and enjoy something if you're always worried about the latest and greatest version.

http://ds.ign.com/articles/107/1079233p1.html

It looks like it will be awhile until it hits North America.

http://ds.ign.com/articles/107/1079233p1.html

It looks like it will be awhile until it hits North America.

BigFH

I can't remember where I read it before (Maybe I'm remembering incorrectly) but I could have swore that it said that the March 2011 release date was for NA, and that it would be released before then for Japan.

Let the tears flow. "But teh DS is still going strong!", "We will not see another handheld until 2013!!", "But I just bought teh XL ;( !!!"

Told you so.

Let the tears flow. "But teh DS is still going strong!", "We will not see another handheld until 2013!!", "But I just bought teh XL ;( !!!"

Told you so.

IronstaunchB

WIN. You most certainly did. :)

[QUOTE="Sepewrath"][QUOTE="ACL0V3R"]

inb4 page 2 :D. Also, I really wanna know more about the 3D thing without glasses, maybe it's not what we think it is?

Foxh0und666

Then why not get one? Or even a used model? I mean, by the time this "3DS" comes out, who knows, they'll probably announce a slim version of it coming 5 months after. You're never going to buy and enjoy something if you're always worried about the latest and greatest version.

hmm...im assuming it will still have touch screen considering its backwards compatible

What does it even mean to play it in 3D? How would that work?juden41

It means you have depth perception. Kinda like with those 3D movies. But in this case they're probably using a device called a "parallax barrier" to forgo the glasses.

Let the tears flow. "But teh DS is still going strong!", "We will not see another handheld until 2013!!", "But I just bought teh XL ;( !!!"

Told you so.

IronstaunchB

[QUOTE="IronstaunchB"]

Let the tears flow. "But teh DS is still going strong!", "We will not see another handheld until 2013!!", "But I just bought teh XL ;( !!!"

Told you so.

BrunoBRS

It still very much is a new gen because there has never been a digital distrubution channel for the DS platform or for any nintendo handheld, and the DSiWare games are only capable of being done on the DSi and not on DS due to either the new ehancements of Internal Storage, more RAM/CPU clock speed, or the Camera gameplay

Additionally a majority of the games on DSiWare would never make it to DS retail, i don't see any way we can't call it a new platform.

Is it a new platform as satisfying and deep as others? Not really no. But it still can't be done on any other DS.

That'd be like if the Wii only played WiiWare and nothing but GCN games. Sure, it'd not have as many good games BUT due to enhancements the Wii has over GCN WiiWare alone makes it a new console over the GCN despite its hardware being a small upgrade (ala DSi/DS)

Infact, without the DSi would nintendo have implemented as many new things in the 3DS? Probably not. I also think we have a lot of thanks due to Apple for pushing nintendo to step their game up with the DSi and 3DS. BTW the nintendo statement said the 3DS plays Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi games. So even nintendo see's it as a new platform, including the fact that the DSi has a dev kit of its own. The only reason why they wouldn't say DSi is a new platform in the press is coz it would kill DS Lite sales, and despite 16.4 million DSi's sold in year one they just weren't ready to commit enough to it on store shelves to kill off any remaining DS lite sales by saying the DSL is inferior. But they're investing a lot in the 3DS. So they're willing to make the DSL and DSi seem like the little siblings without the new bells and whistles.

on topic: I'm terribly excited for the 3DS. Gamecube graphics is a great addition. Does it use Tegra 2? I hope so . i'm thinking it'll cost no more than $199

Big questions: 320x240 or 480x320 screens? Nintendo is gonna catch a lot of flack if its the former. Wireless N or 3G? So many questions, all i want is pictures!

The question I want to know is how good the actual graphics are going to be? I'm expecting them to be at least more powerful than the PSP at this stage, and I hope that they don't completely forsake the production of 2D games. Because those have always been the forte of Nintendo's handhelds.

The question I want to know is how good the actual graphics are going to be? I'm expecting them to be at least more powerful than the PSP at this stage, and I hope that they don't completely forsake the production of 2D games. Because those have always been the forte of Nintendo's handhelds.

lillan2967

Supposedly it will be comparable to the Gamecube. That would be significantly above the PSP if true.

We already have 3D on the DSi though. Checkout the DSiWare game called 3D Hidden Picture. It uses the camera in the DSi and clever graphics to emulate 3D.

Here's a youtube vid of it in action

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWAg1s7xfz0&feature=player_embedded

We already have 3D on the DSi though. Checkout the DSiWare game called 3D Hidden Picture. It uses the camera in the DSi and clever graphics to emulate 3D.

Here's a youtube vid of it in action

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWAg1s7xfz0&feature=player_embedded

Chickan_117

That is a nifty perspective trick, but it's not 3D. And by that I mean there is still no sensation of depth. The announcement suggest they are using some form of autostereoscopic display technology. Something that has already been deployed on several cell phones and laptops in the Asian markets.

How can they do 3D with no glasses?

How can they do 3D with no glasses?

Supaman222

Basically there is an optical device of some sort placed on top of the screen which allows half the pixels to be seen by one eye, half by the other. Currently this technology only works within a very narrow viewing angle, but that isn't really an issue for a handheld.

[QUOTE="Supaman222"]

How can they do 3D with no glasses?

ThePlothole

Basically there is an optical device of some sort placed on top of the screen which allows half the pixels to be seen by one eye, half by the other. Currently this technology only works within a very narrow viewing angle, but that isn't really an issue for a handheld.

You're really going to get tired of explaining that.

Nintendo hopefully gets demo 3DSs out soon to show it off so people understanding

sounds cool. im anxious to see how the 3d works, and im anxious to get some decent handheld zelda games!!!

[QUOTE="lillan2967"]

The question I want to know is how good the actual graphics are going to be? I'm expecting them to be at least more powerful than the PSP at this stage, and I hope that they don't completely forsake the production of 2D games. Because those have always been the forte of Nintendo's handhelds.

ThePlothole

Supposedly it will be comparable to the Gamecube. That would be significantly above the PSP if true.