Nintendo 3DS
Encyclopedia
The is a portable game console
produced by Nintendo
. The autostereoscopic
device is able to project stereoscopic 3D
effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility
with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi
software. Announcing the device in March 2010, Nintendo officially unveiled it at E3 2010
, with the company inviting attendees to use demonstration units. The console succeeds the Nintendo DS
series of handheld systems, which primarily competes with Sony
's PlayStation Portable
. It will compete with Sony
's handheld, the PlayStation Vita.
The Nintendo 3DS was released in Japan
on February 26, 2011; in Europe
on March 25, 2011; in North America
on March 27, 2011; and in Australia
on March 31, 2011. On July 28, 2011, Nintendo announced a major price drop starting August 12. In addition, as of September 2011 consumers who bought the system at its original price have access to ten Nintendo Entertainment System
games before they are available to the general public, after which the games may be updated to the versions publicly released on the Nintendo eShop
. Later the same year, ten Game Boy Advance
games will also be available to consumers who bought the system at its original price at no charge, with Nintendo stating it currently has no plans to release to the general public.
with a liquid crystal
shutter in order to make images appear to pop out of the screen, giving them a 3D effect. In 1995, Gunpei Yokoi, the creator of the Game Boy
, began developing the Virtual Boy
. The system was released much earlier than intended, so that Nintendo could allocate more resources to the then-Ultra 64
, and the Virtual Boy went on to become a commercial failure for Nintendo. Shigeru Miyamoto
was dissatisfied with the wire-frame models the console displayed and practicality of the system, feeling that the concept was ahead of its time.
The failure of the Virtual Boy left many at Nintendo doubting the viability of 3D gaming. Despite this, Nintendo continued to investigate incorporating 3D technology into other products. The Nintendo GameCube
, released in 2001, is Nintendo's second 3D capable system. Every GameCube system produced features the capability to display true stereoscopic 3D, but only the launch title Luigi's Mansion
was designed to utilise the technology. As 3D displays
were not widespread at the time and producing a compatible display was deemed prohibitively expensive to consumers, this functionality was never enabled.
Nintendo next attempted putting a display later used for the Nintendo 3DS into a Game Boy Advance SP
. However, the resolution for such a display was not sharp and precise enough at the time, and Nintendo was not satisfied with the experiment. With the development of the Nintendo DS
and at the insistence of Hiroshi Yamauchi
, the company investigated achieving 3D visuals at an exhibition at Shigureden
, a theme park. Visitors navigate around the park with the aid of guide software on a Nintendo DS system. Although nothing was produced, Nintendo was able to conduct extensive research and develop the methodology that was later used to develop the Nintendo 3DS.
On July 28, 2011, Nintendo announced the Nintendo 3DS would be getting a price cut from $250 to $169.99 in North America, €250 to €169.99 in Europe, 25,000 yen to 15,000 yen in Japan, and $349.99 to $250 in Australia.
series began to ramp up in late 2009. In mid-October, tech tabloid
Bright Side of News reported that graphics processing unit
(GPU) developer Nvidia
had won the microprocessor
contract for the device with its Nvidia Tegra system-on-a-chip series. Later that month, speaking about the future for Nintendo's portable consoles, company president Satoru Iwata
mentioned that while mobile connectivity via subscription mobile broadband
"doesn't fit Nintendo customers," he was interested in exploring an option similar to the Whispernet service for the Amazon Kindle
, in which users are not charged for the mobile connectivity, and the costs are cross-subsidized.
Though Nintendo has expressed interest in including motion-sensing capabilities in its handhelds since before the release of the original Nintendo DS, in January 2010 an alleged comment by Satoru Iwata from an interview with Asahi Shimbun
led to a minor dispute between the publication and Nintendo over whether Iwata confirmed that the successor to the Nintendo DS would incorporate a motion sensor. In February 2010, video gaming website Computer and Video Games
reported that a select "handful" of Japanese developers were in possession of software development kit
s for the Nintendo DS
successor, with The Pokémon Company
given special priority. According to their insider at an unspecified third-party development studio, the hardware features a "tilt" function that is similar to that of the iPhone
, "but does a lot more."
On March 23, 2010, Nintendo officially announced the Nintendo 3DS handheld console. According to industry analysts, the timing of Nintendo's original announcement, which had drawn attention away from the launch of the company's still-new Nintendo DSi XL handheld, was likely intended to preempt impending news leak
s about the product by the Japanese press. In April 2010, a picture of a possible development build of the internal components of the 3DS was released as part of a U.S. Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) filing by Mitsumi
. An analysis of the image showed that it was likely genuine as it featured components known to be used in the Nintendo DS
line along with features of the 3DS that had not been announced like a 5:3 top screen, and a control nub similar to those used in Sony PSP systems.
reported that according to "several developers who have experienced 3DS in its current form", the system possesses processing power that "far exceed[s] the Nintendo Wii" and with 3D shaders, they could make games that "look close to current generation visuals on the Xbox 360
and PlayStation 3
". They also cited "several developer sources" as saying that the system does not use the Nvidia Tegra mobile chipset.
The system was officially revealed at Nintendo's conference at E3 2010 on June 15, 2010. The first game revealed was Kid Icarus: Uprising
, with several other titles from third parties also announced, including Square Enix
with Kingdom Hearts
and Final Fantasy
, Konami
with Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater 3D
, Warner Bros. Interactive with a Batman title, Ubisoft
with Assassin's Creed: Lost Legacy
, Capcom
with Resident Evil Revelations and Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition
, and Activision
with DJ Hero
. Other Nintendo titles were later revealed after the conference, such as Mario Kart 7, Animal Crossing
, and remakes of Star Fox 64
and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
. The 3DS design shown at E3 was almost final, but subject to minor changes.
), Virtual Console
(including Game Boy
, Game Boy Color
, and "classic games" in 3D), a cradle for recharging the system's battery, multitasking, several included augmented reality games, an included 2 gigabyte
SD card
, and stored game data, as well as the final names for the 3DS tag modes, StreetPass and SpotPass collectively. The colors available at launch were revealed to be Aqua Blue and Cosmo Black, and the launch price in Japan was revealed to be ¥25,000. The final physical design was also revealed at this event.
On January 19, 2011, Nintendo held two simultaneous press conferences in Amsterdam
and New York City
, where they revealed all of the features of the Nintendo 3DS. In North America, the release date was confirmed as March 27, 2011 with a retail price of $249.99. In Europe, the release date was announced as March 25, 2011, though Nintendo said that pricing would be up to retailers. Most retailers have priced the handheld between £219.99 and £229.99, though some retailers, such as Amazon
, have lowered the price following Sony
's announcement of the PSP's successor on January 26, 2011, with some retailers pricing the handheld at around £200 .
In February 2011, Nintendo held four hands-on events in the UK named "Believe Your Eyes". February 5 and 6 saw simultaneous events in London
and Manchester
, while the 12th and 13th saw events in Glasgow
and Bristol
. Invitations to the events were offered first to Club Nintendo
members, then later to members of the public via an online registration form. Guests watched two brief performances and trailers, then were given time to play a selection of games on 3DS devices. Attendees were then allowed into a second room, containing further games to play (mainly augmented reality
-based) and in-device videos.
In March, Nintendo held a few events in Australia at selected Westfield stores for people try out the console, with a number of demos available.
Prior to its launch, Amazon UK announced that the system was their most pre-ordered video game system ever. Nintendo of America announced that the number of Nintendo 3DS pre-orders were double the number of pre-orders for the Wii
.
was the best selling 3DS launch title, in which 119,591 of copies were sold at launch, and it took third spot of the best selling title along with other system titles.
Nintendo announced that first day sales for the Nintendo 3DS in the US were the largest of any Nintendo handheld device in history. According to the NPD Group
, Nintendo sold just under 400,000 Nintendo 3DS units during the month of March 2011 in the US.
440,000 Nintendo 3DS units were sold in its first week of release.
In Europe, Nintendo sold 303,000 3DS units during its first two days of its release. In the UK 113,000 3DS units were sold during its opening weekend, making it Nintendo's most successful hardware launch in the country to this day.
As of March 31, 2011 the 3DS has sold 3.61 million units, short of the 4 million Nintendo was expecting.
Reports show that production costs for the Nintendo 3DS amount to US$101.
On July 14, 2011 a "Flare Red" Nintendo 3DS was released in Japan. In North America, the "Flare Red" version was released on September 9, 2011 under the name "Flame Red" to coincide with the release of Star Fox 64 3D
. "Misty Pink" and "Ice White" 3DS models have also both been announced. In Australia "Flame Red" was released on September 22, 2011, "Lavender Pink" was released on November 17, 2011 and a limited edition Zelda 25th anniversary 3DS is set to be released on December 1, 2011. In Europe "Ice White" will be bundled with Super Mario 3D Land and "Misty Pink" will be bundled with Nintendogs + Cats
, both to be released November 18, 2011.
graphics processor from a Japanese start-up Digital Media Professionals (DMP). It has two screens; the top screen is a 3.53 in (9 cm) 5:3 3D screen with a resolution of 800×240 pixels (400×240 pixels per eye, WQVGA) that is able to produce an autostereoscopic three-dimensional effect (one without 3D glasses) using a parallax barrier display, while the bottom screen is a 3.02 in (7.7 cm) 4:3 non-3D resistive touch panel
with a resolution of 320×240 pixels (QVGA). The 3DS weighs approximately 230 grams (8.1 oz) and, when closed, is 134 mm (5.3 in) wide, 74 mm (2.9 in) broad, and 21 mm (0.826771653543307 in) thick.
The system features several additions to the design of the original DS, including a slider on the side of the device that adjusts the intensity of the 3D effect, a round nub analog input called the "Circle Pad", an accelerometer
, and a gyroscope
. The 3DS has two cameras
on the outside of the device, capable of taking 3D photos, as well as a camera positioned above the top screen on the inside of the device which faces the player, capable of taking 2D photos and capturing 2D video; all cameras have a resolution of 640×480 pixels (0.3 megapixels). The system will support a 2.4 GHz 802.11 Wi-Fi connectivity with enhanced security WPA2
. An included cradle acts as a charger and allows for faster downloads and uploads via infrared port.
At launch, the Nintendo 3DS cards hold up to 2GB of game data and look almost exactly the same as those of the current DS. However, there is a small tab jutting out on the one side, which prevents 3DS cards from being inserted into a Nintendo DS.
On the issue of piracy, game developer THQ
claims that the Nintendo 3DS features sophisticated anti-piracy technology which Nintendo believes is able to significantly curb video game piracy, which had increasingly depressed the handheld market with the proliferation of cheap flash memory
and the rise in file sharing
.
The system comes in the "Aqua Blue" and "Cosmo Black" color variations, as well as "Flame Red" (named "Metallic Red" in Europe), on July 14, 2011 in Japan, September 9, 2011 in North America and September 22, 2011 in Australia. Another color is the "Misty Pink" color ("Coral Pink" in Europe), released on October 20, 2011 in Japan. . On October 6, 2011 a fifth color was announced - the "Ice White" edition was released in Japan on November 3, 2011 and is to release in the UK on 2nd December bundled along with 'Super Mario Bros 3D Land'.
games, collectively titled AR Games
are included on the 3DS with 6 paper cards that interact with the games.
, the Nintendo 3DS is incompatible with DS software that requires the use of the Game Boy Advance port. Nintendo DS and DSi software cannot be played with 3D visuals on the 3DS. The original DS resolutions are displayed in a scaled and stretched fashion due to the fact that the resolutions of the 3DS screens are larger than those of the DS. However, if the user holds down the START or SELECT buttons upon launching the DS software, the displays will be at the DS's native resolution, albeit smaller with black borders.
Service with Game Boy
, Game Boy Color
games, as well as "classic" games in 3D. At the 2011 GDC Nintendo announced that TurboGrafx 16, and Game Gear games would be available for Virtual Console. Purchases are made through the Nintendo eShop
using a cash-based system instead of a points-based system as used for the Wii and DSi. It was released on June 6 in North America and June 7, 2011 in Europe as part of a system update.
s, sending and downloading information in the background while in sleep mode
or while playing a game. In Nintendo's September 29 conference, the confirmed Western names of the SpotPass Tag Mode service would be StreetPass and SpotPass, with SpotPass being the ability for the 3DS to seek Wi-Fi signals and automatically download content while in sleep mode and StreetPass being the passive communication between 3DS systems held by users, an example being the sharing of Mii
avatars.
During the 2011 Game Developers Conference, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime announced that Nintendo has partnered with AT&T to provide free access to AT&T hotspots via the Nintendo 3DS. Users will be able to connect to these hotspots in late May.
The background connectivity allows users to exchange software content regardless of what software is currently in the console. Sharing content is stored in a "data slot" in the console. Using this data slot, Nintendo 3DS users can readily share and exchange content for multiple games at the same time, whenever they are connected, even when playing unrelated games. Using the console's background connectivity, a Nintendo 3DS in StreetPass Mode can automatically discover other 3DS units within range, establish a connection, and exchange content for mutually played games, all transparently and without requiring any user input, even when the console is dormant. For example, in Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition
, if the user passes someone with the same software, he has a battle to collect trophies from the other player.
It can be customized to fit the user's preferences, including opting out of it altogether for selected software. One application being considered is functionality to "automatically acquire magazine and newspaper articles", similar to networked e-book
reader applications. Other improvements to online functionality include how Friend Codes are implemented, with only one code necessary for each console, as opposed to the DS and Wii where individual Friend Codes are required for each piece of software.
Certain hotspots use the SpotPass to send a channel called "Nintendo Zone". In the Nintendo Zone app
users can see game trailers, game screenshots, and information on games. After you leave the hotspot the app stays.
A successor to Nintendo DS's PictoChat
application for the Nintendo 3DS has been announced by Nintendo via a streaming conference on October 21, 2011. The successor is called Swapnote (in North America) or Nintendo Letter Box (in Europe), and it will be available as a free download starting December 2011. This application will allow users to send 3D pictures, sound, and scribbled messages to registered friends via either StreetPass or SpotPass.
to deliver 3D movies. Trailers for DreamWorks' How to Train Your Dragon
, Warner Bros' Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, and Disney’s film Tangled were shown on the 3DS during the E3 Expo. On September 29, 2010, Nintendo of Japan announced that it will be partnering with Fuji TV and other Japanese broadcasters to distribute free 3D videos to Japanese Nintendo 3DS owners. On January 19, 2011, Nintendo of Europe announced at their press conference that they will be partnering with EuroSport
and Sky 3D
to bring content to the Nintendo 3DS at a later date in 2011. Richard Goleszowski
is also locked to bring exclusive 3D episodes of Shaun the Sheep
to European Nintendo 3DS market by the end of the year. As part of an initial firmware update for the system, Nintendo 3DS systems in North America include the 3D version of the music video for "White Knuckles
" from OK Go
. The first film to be released for the 3DS is Tekken: Blood Vengeance, which will be included with Tekken 3D: Prime Edition.
Nintendo Video launched in Australia and Europe on July 13, 2011, initial videos included Oscar's Oasis
and Magic Tricks for your Nintendo 3DS. It launched in North America on July 22nd, with the initial videos consisted of two short films (Sunday Jog and Dinosaur Office), a 3D trailer for Captain America: The First Avenger
and an introduction to Nintendo Video. Videos are expected to be pushed to the service each week, with the content ranging from different video genres, 3D movie trailers, 3D music videos and much more.
Netflix
streaming video service was released on the Nintendo 3DS in North America on July 14, 2011.
A future update in December will add the ability to record up to 10 minutes of 3D video and do stop motion
animation.
Hulu
Plus is also going to be released on the Nintendo 3DS.
was made available in system update 2.0.0 on June 6 (NA),and June 7 (AUS,JP and EP) 2011.
s are available on the system. There is a Mii Maker on the 3DS with the ability to import from the Wii
, though not vice versa due to additional character parts, and can create a Mii from a photo taken by one of the cameras. Miis can also be loaded by capturing special QR code
s with one of the cameras. There is also a StreetPass Mii Plaza to house all the Miis the player has gathered in StreetPass Mode.
where it explains that the add-on will add a second analog joystick and extra set of shoulder buttons and will be bundled with Monster Hunter 3D. The current list of titles compatible with the slide pad consists of Monster Hunter Tri G, Resident Evil Revelations, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
3D, Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy
, Dynasty Warriors VS and Kingdom Hearts 3D
.
The Circle Pad Pro will be released in Japan in December 2011, Europe in January 2012 and in North America in February 2012; release dates for other regions have yet to be announced.
has assured parents that 3D gaming in moderation would not be harmful for children. Additionally the 3DS may help in screening children before the age of 6 who have depth related vision problems according to Dr. Michael Duenas, associate director for health sciences and policy for the American Optometric Association
, and Dr. Joe Ellis, the president of the optometrists' association. Although Dr. David Hunter, a pediatric ophthalmologist affiliated with the American Academy of Ophthalmology
believes that it is largely speculative whether a child who has problems perceiving depth in real life would react to a 3DS in any way that parents would recognize as indicating any problems with depth perception. Nintendo's vague warning, that specialist believe "there is a possibility that 3-D images which send different images to the left and right eye could affect the development of vision in small children," was not specifically backed up by any scientific evidence, leading Duenas to believe it is motivated by preventing possible liability rather than safeguarding against realistic harm.
Nintendo has stated that a parental control involving a PIN
will allow parents to disable autostereoscopic effects. Playing games in 3D has caused headaches among some gamers. The dizziness experienced by some users may be explained by the headaches that watchers of 3D movies have similarly experienced, which is believed to be due to confusion caused by a lack of visual cues that humans use to perceive depth in their everyday environment.
In response to lower than anticipated sales figures, Nintendo cut the price of the 3DS worldwide by almost a third in August 2011. In addition, the company introduced the "Nintendo 3DS Ambassadors Program", through which existing 3DS owners were able to download ten NES games and ten Game Boy Advance games at no extra cost.
Handheld game console
A handheld game console is a lightweight, portable electronic device with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are run on machines of small size allowing people to carry them and play them at any time or place...
produced by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
. The autostereoscopic
Autostereoscopy
Autostereoscopy is any method of displaying stereoscopic images without the use of special headgear or glasses on the part of the viewer. Because headgear is not required, it is also called "glasses-free 3D" or "glassesless 3D"...
device is able to project stereoscopic 3D
Stereoscopy
Stereoscopy refers to a technique for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image by presenting two offset images separately to the left and right eye of the viewer. Both of these 2-D offset images are then combined in the brain to give the perception of 3-D depth...
effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility
Backward compatibility
In the context of telecommunications and computing, a device or technology is said to be backward or downward compatible if it can work with input generated by an older device...
with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi
Nintendo DSi
The is a handheld game system created by Nintendo and launched in 2008 and 2009 in Japan, North America, PAL territories, and other regions. It is the third iteration of the Nintendo DS, and its primary market rival is Sony's PlayStation Portable...
software. Announcing the device in March 2010, Nintendo officially unveiled it at E3 2010
Electronic Entertainment Expo 2010
The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2010, commonly known as E3 2010, was the 16th Electronic Entertainment Expo held. The event took place on June 14–17 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. E3 is an annual trade show for the computer and video games industry presented by the Entertainment Software...
, with the company inviting attendees to use demonstration units. The console succeeds the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
series of handheld systems, which primarily competes with Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
's PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
. It will compete with Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
's handheld, the PlayStation Vita.
The Nintendo 3DS was released in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on February 26, 2011; in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
on March 25, 2011; in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on March 27, 2011; and in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
on March 31, 2011. On July 28, 2011, Nintendo announced a major price drop starting August 12. In addition, as of September 2011 consumers who bought the system at its original price have access to ten Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
games before they are available to the general public, after which the games may be updated to the versions publicly released on the Nintendo eShop
Nintendo eShop
The Nintendo eShop is an online service for the Nintendo 3DS handheld gaming system. Launched on June 6, 2011 in North America and June 7, 2011 in Europe and Japan, the eShop was enabled by the release of a system update that added the functionality to the 3DS' Home Menu...
. Later the same year, ten Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
games will also be available to consumers who bought the system at its original price at no charge, with Nintendo stating it currently has no plans to release to the general public.
History
Nintendo had been experimenting with 3D technology since the late 1980s. Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally was the first game developed by Nintendo to take advantage of the technology, and utilized special gogglesFamicom 3D System
is an accessory for the Family Computer that was only released in Japan in 1987. The 3D system consisted of a pair of liquid crystal shutter glasses that received video signals through dual 3.5mm jacks on a special adapter. It gave compatible games the illusion of 3D depth, like the Sega Master...
with a liquid crystal
Liquid crystal
Liquid crystals are a state of matter that have properties between those of a conventional liquid and those of a solid crystal. For instance, an LC may flow like a liquid, but its molecules may be oriented in a crystal-like way. There are many different types of LC phases, which can be...
shutter in order to make images appear to pop out of the screen, giving them a 3D effect. In 1995, Gunpei Yokoi, the creator of the Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
, began developing the Virtual Boy
Virtual Boy
The was a video game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was the first video game console that was supposed to be capable of displaying "true 3D graphics" out of the box. Whereas most video games use monocular cues to achieve the illusion of three dimensions on a two-dimensional...
. The system was released much earlier than intended, so that Nintendo could allocate more resources to the then-Ultra 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
, and the Virtual Boy went on to become a commercial failure for Nintendo. Shigeru Miyamoto
Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
was dissatisfied with the wire-frame models the console displayed and practicality of the system, feeling that the concept was ahead of its time.
The failure of the Virtual Boy left many at Nintendo doubting the viability of 3D gaming. Despite this, Nintendo continued to investigate incorporating 3D technology into other products. The Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
, released in 2001, is Nintendo's second 3D capable system. Every GameCube system produced features the capability to display true stereoscopic 3D, but only the launch title Luigi's Mansion
Luigi's Mansion
Luigi's Mansion, known as in Japan, is an action-adventure game published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube. It was released in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in Europe on May 3, 2002. The game was a launch title for the GameCube...
was designed to utilise the technology. As 3D displays
3D television
A 3D television is a television set that employs techniques of 3D presentation, such as stereoscopic capture, multi-view capture, or 2D-plus-depth, and a 3D display – a special viewing device to project a television program into a realistic three-dimensional field.- History :In the late-1890's,...
were not widespread at the time and producing a compatible display was deemed prohibitively expensive to consumers, this functionality was never enabled.
Nintendo next attempted putting a display later used for the Nintendo 3DS into a Game Boy Advance SP
Game Boy Advance SP
The , released in February 2003, is an upgraded version of Nintendo's Game Boy Advance. The "SP" in Game Boy Advance SP stands for Special. The SP was marketed at US$99.99 at launch. In September 2004, Nintendo lowered the price to US$79.99...
. However, the resolution for such a display was not sharp and precise enough at the time, and Nintendo was not satisfied with the experiment. With the development of the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
and at the insistence of Hiroshi Yamauchi
Hiroshi Yamauchi
is a Japanese businessman. He was the third president of Nintendo, joining the company in 1949 until stepping down on May 31, 2002, to be succeeded by Satoru Iwata. Yamauchi is credited with transforming Nintendo from a small hanafuda card-making company in Japan to today's multi-billion dollar...
, the company investigated achieving 3D visuals at an exhibition at Shigureden
Shigureden
is a theme park in Kyoto, Japan.On January 27, 2006 Nintendo opened an exhibition in this park called "Ogura Hundred Poems by famed 100 poets", featuring poetry-related karuta , animated floors and interactivity through the use of special Nintendo DS.-External links:***...
, a theme park. Visitors navigate around the park with the aid of guide software on a Nintendo DS system. Although nothing was produced, Nintendo was able to conduct extensive research and develop the methodology that was later used to develop the Nintendo 3DS.
On July 28, 2011, Nintendo announced the Nintendo 3DS would be getting a price cut from $250 to $169.99 in North America, €250 to €169.99 in Europe, 25,000 yen to 15,000 yen in Japan, and $349.99 to $250 in Australia.
Background
Although it had been discussed before then, speculation about a true successor to the Nintendo DSNintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
series began to ramp up in late 2009. In mid-October, tech tabloid
Tech Tabloid
A Tech tabloid is a type of news media that mainly concentrates on technology news: science, IT, semiconductors, telecoms and related issues, but also takes on a less formal and more humorous approach than traditional technology publications such as EE Times or EDN...
Bright Side of News reported that graphics processing unit
Graphics processing unit
A graphics processing unit or GPU is a specialized circuit designed to rapidly manipulate and alter memory in such a way so as to accelerate the building of images in a frame buffer intended for output to a display...
(GPU) developer Nvidia
NVIDIA
Nvidia is an American global technology company based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is best known for its graphics processors . Nvidia and chief rival AMD Graphics Techonologies have dominated the high performance GPU market, pushing other manufacturers to smaller, niche roles...
had won the microprocessor
Microprocessor
A microprocessor incorporates the functions of a computer's central processing unit on a single integrated circuit, or at most a few integrated circuits. It is a multipurpose, programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and...
contract for the device with its Nvidia Tegra system-on-a-chip series. Later that month, speaking about the future for Nintendo's portable consoles, company president Satoru Iwata
Satoru Iwata
is the fourth president of Nintendo, succeeding the long-standing previous president of the company, Hiroshi Yamauchi in 2002. He was responsible in great part for defining Nintendo's strategy both before and during the release of its Nintendo GameCube video game console in 2001, a vision which...
mentioned that while mobile connectivity via subscription mobile broadband
Mobile Broadband
Mobile broadband is the marketing term for wireless Internet access through a portable modem, mobile phone or other mobile device.-Description:...
"doesn't fit Nintendo customers," he was interested in exploring an option similar to the Whispernet service for the Amazon Kindle
Amazon Kindle
The Amazon Kindle is an e-book reader developed by Amazon.com subsidiary Lab126 which uses wireless connectivity to enable users to shop for, download, browse, and read e-books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, and other digital media...
, in which users are not charged for the mobile connectivity, and the costs are cross-subsidized.
Though Nintendo has expressed interest in including motion-sensing capabilities in its handhelds since before the release of the original Nintendo DS, in January 2010 an alleged comment by Satoru Iwata from an interview with Asahi Shimbun
Asahi Shimbun
The is the second most circulated out of the five national newspapers in Japan. Its circulation, which was 7.96 million for its morning edition and 3.1 million for its evening edition as of June 2010, was second behind that of Yomiuri Shimbun...
led to a minor dispute between the publication and Nintendo over whether Iwata confirmed that the successor to the Nintendo DS would incorporate a motion sensor. In February 2010, video gaming website Computer and Video Games
Computer and video games
A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The word video in video game traditionally referred to a raster display device, but following popularization of the term "video game", it now implies any type of...
reported that a select "handful" of Japanese developers were in possession of software development kit
Software development kit
A software development kit is typically a set of software development tools that allows for the creation of applications for a certain software package, software framework, hardware platform, computer system, video game console, operating system, or similar platform.It may be something as simple...
s for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
successor, with The Pokémon Company
The Pokémon Company
is a corporation responsible for marketing and licensing the Pokémon franchise and is affiliated and owned by Nintendo. It began operating in 1998 and adopted the moniker "Pokémon Ltd." in 2000. The company is headquartered in the Roppongi Hills Mori Tower in Roppongi Rokuchome, Minato, Tokyo...
given special priority. According to their insider at an unspecified third-party development studio, the hardware features a "tilt" function that is similar to that of the iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
, "but does a lot more."
On March 23, 2010, Nintendo officially announced the Nintendo 3DS handheld console. According to industry analysts, the timing of Nintendo's original announcement, which had drawn attention away from the launch of the company's still-new Nintendo DSi XL handheld, was likely intended to preempt impending news leak
News leak
A news leak is a disclosure of embargoed information in advance of its official release, or the unsanctioned release of confidential information.-Types of news leaks:...
s about the product by the Japanese press. In April 2010, a picture of a possible development build of the internal components of the 3DS was released as part of a U.S. Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) filing by Mitsumi
Mitsumi
is a Japanese manufacturer of consumer electronic components, founded in 1954.-Products:One of the company's most noticeable product lines are video game console controllers...
. An analysis of the image showed that it was likely genuine as it featured components known to be used in the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
line along with features of the 3DS that had not been announced like a 5:3 top screen, and a control nub similar to those used in Sony PSP systems.
E3 2010 Unveiling
In June 2010, video gaming website IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
reported that according to "several developers who have experienced 3DS in its current form", the system possesses processing power that "far exceed[s] the Nintendo Wii" and with 3D shaders, they could make games that "look close to current generation visuals on the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
". They also cited "several developer sources" as saying that the system does not use the Nvidia Tegra mobile chipset.
The system was officially revealed at Nintendo's conference at E3 2010 on June 15, 2010. The first game revealed was Kid Icarus: Uprising
Kid Icarus: Uprising
Kid Icarus: Uprising, known in Japan as , is an upcoming title for the Nintendo 3DS video game system, developed by Project Sora and to be published by Nintendo. It is the third game in the Kid Icarus series and the first since 1991's Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters, a nineteen-year wait...
, with several other titles from third parties also announced, including Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
with Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts 3D
, is an upcoming game developed and published by Square Enix exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS, revealed at E3 2010. It is being created by the same development team that worked on Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, currently part of Square Enix's 1st Production Department. The game will be an entirely...
and Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
, Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
with Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater 3D
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
is an award-winning stealth action video game directed by Hideo Kojima. Snake Eater was developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and published by Konami for the PlayStation 2, and was released on November 17, 2004 in North America; December 16, 2004 in Japan; March 4, 2005 in Europe; and on...
, Warner Bros. Interactive with a Batman title, Ubisoft
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
with Assassin's Creed: Lost Legacy
Assassin's Creed: Lost Legacy
Assassin's Creed: Lost Legacy is a cancelled video game that was being developed only for the Nintendo 3DS. It was first announced during Nintendo's E3 2010 press conference....
, Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
with Resident Evil Revelations and Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition
Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition
Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition is a fighting video game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo 3DS handheld game console. It was released as a launch game in all continents, but in Japan first on 26 February 2011...
, and Activision
Activision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
with DJ Hero
DJ Hero
DJ Hero is a music video game, developed by FreeStyleGames and published by Activision as a rhythm game spin-off of the Guitar Hero franchise. It was released on October 27, 2009 in North America and on October 29, 2009 in Europe...
. Other Nintendo titles were later revealed after the conference, such as Mario Kart 7, Animal Crossing
Animal Crossing (3DS)
Animal Crossing 3DS is an upcoming video game for the Nintendo 3DS console that will be released in 2012. It is the latest game in the Animal Crossing series, where the player character lives in a rural village populated with anthropomorphic animals...
, and remakes of Star Fox 64
Star Fox 64 3D
is a video game for the Nintendo 3DS and is a remake of Star Fox 64. It was co-developed between Nintendo EAD and Q-Games, and was published by Nintendo...
and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is an action-adventure video game co-developed by Grezzo and Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS handheld console. The game was released on June 16, 2011 in Japan, June 17, 2011 in Europe, June 19, 2011 in North America and June 30, 2011 in Australia; however, it...
. The 3DS design shown at E3 was almost final, but subject to minor changes.
Pre-launch events
On September 29, 2010, Nintendo of Japan announced the release date of the Nintendo 3DS in Japan to be on February 26, 2011. Furthermore, several additional features were announced: the inclusion of a Mii Maker (similar to the Mii Channel on the WiiWii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
), Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
(including Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
, Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
, and "classic games" in 3D), a cradle for recharging the system's battery, multitasking, several included augmented reality games, an included 2 gigabyte
Gigabyte
The gigabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage. The prefix giga means 109 in the International System of Units , therefore 1 gigabyte is...
SD card
Secure Digital
Secure Digital is a non-volatile memory card format developed by the SD Card Association for use in portable devices. The SD technology is used by more than 400 brands across dozens of product categories and more than 8,000 models, and is considered the de-facto industry standard.Secure Digital...
, and stored game data, as well as the final names for the 3DS tag modes, StreetPass and SpotPass collectively. The colors available at launch were revealed to be Aqua Blue and Cosmo Black, and the launch price in Japan was revealed to be ¥25,000. The final physical design was also revealed at this event.
On January 19, 2011, Nintendo held two simultaneous press conferences in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where they revealed all of the features of the Nintendo 3DS. In North America, the release date was confirmed as March 27, 2011 with a retail price of $249.99. In Europe, the release date was announced as March 25, 2011, though Nintendo said that pricing would be up to retailers. Most retailers have priced the handheld between £219.99 and £229.99, though some retailers, such as Amazon
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
, have lowered the price following Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
's announcement of the PSP's successor on January 26, 2011, with some retailers pricing the handheld at around £200 .
In February 2011, Nintendo held four hands-on events in the UK named "Believe Your Eyes". February 5 and 6 saw simultaneous events in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, while the 12th and 13th saw events in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. Invitations to the events were offered first to Club Nintendo
Club Nintendo
Club Nintendo is the name of several publications and a more well-known customer loyalty program provided by Nintendo. The loyalty program is free to join and is committed to providing rewards in exchange for consumer feedback and loyalty to purchasing official Nintendo products...
members, then later to members of the public via an online registration form. Guests watched two brief performances and trailers, then were given time to play a selection of games on 3DS devices. Attendees were then allowed into a second room, containing further games to play (mainly augmented reality
Augmented reality
Augmented reality is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is...
-based) and in-device videos.
In March, Nintendo held a few events in Australia at selected Westfield stores for people try out the console, with a number of demos available.
Prior to its launch, Amazon UK announced that the system was their most pre-ordered video game system ever. Nintendo of America announced that the number of Nintendo 3DS pre-orders were double the number of pre-orders for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
.
Release
Nintendo sold its entire allotment of 400,000 Nintendo 3DS units during its February 2011 release in Japan amid reports of lines and pre-order sellouts. The 3DS sold 374,764 units during the launch weekend of 26 February. Professor Layton and the Mask of MiracleProfessor Layton and the Mask of Miracle
is a puzzle adventure video game and one of the Nintendo 3DS' launch titles in Japan. It is the fifth game in the Professor Layton series, but the third story chronologically...
was the best selling 3DS launch title, in which 119,591 of copies were sold at launch, and it took third spot of the best selling title along with other system titles.
Nintendo announced that first day sales for the Nintendo 3DS in the US were the largest of any Nintendo handheld device in history. According to the NPD Group
NPD Group
The NPD Group, Inc. is a leading North American market research company. The NPD Group consistently ranks among the top 25 market research companies in the independent Honomichl Top 50 report, which the media and the research industry acknowledge as a credible source of information on the market...
, Nintendo sold just under 400,000 Nintendo 3DS units during the month of March 2011 in the US.
440,000 Nintendo 3DS units were sold in its first week of release.
In Europe, Nintendo sold 303,000 3DS units during its first two days of its release. In the UK 113,000 3DS units were sold during its opening weekend, making it Nintendo's most successful hardware launch in the country to this day.
As of March 31, 2011 the 3DS has sold 3.61 million units, short of the 4 million Nintendo was expecting.
Reports show that production costs for the Nintendo 3DS amount to US$101.
On July 14, 2011 a "Flare Red" Nintendo 3DS was released in Japan. In North America, the "Flare Red" version was released on September 9, 2011 under the name "Flame Red" to coincide with the release of Star Fox 64 3D
Star Fox 64 3D
is a video game for the Nintendo 3DS and is a remake of Star Fox 64. It was co-developed between Nintendo EAD and Q-Games, and was published by Nintendo...
. "Misty Pink" and "Ice White" 3DS models have also both been announced. In Australia "Flame Red" was released on September 22, 2011, "Lavender Pink" was released on November 17, 2011 and a limited edition Zelda 25th anniversary 3DS is set to be released on December 1, 2011. In Europe "Ice White" will be bundled with Super Mario 3D Land and "Misty Pink" will be bundled with Nintendogs + Cats
Nintendogs + Cats
is a real-time pet simulation video game for the Nintendo 3DS. It is a sequel to the Nintendogs games for the Nintendo DS systems. It was announced alongside the 3DS during Nintendo's E3 press conference, and is a launch title, being released February 26, 2011 in Japan, March 25, 2011 in Europe...
, both to be released November 18, 2011.
Hardware
The Nintendo 3DS is based on a custom PICA200PICA200
PICA200 is a graphics processing unit for embedded devices designed by Digital Media Professionals Inc. , a Japanese GPU design company. It was announced at SIGGRAPH 2005, and presented on SIGGRAPH 2006 conference. PICA is DMP's brand of graphics processors for embedded devices, scalable from...
graphics processor from a Japanese start-up Digital Media Professionals (DMP). It has two screens; the top screen is a 3.53 in (9 cm) 5:3 3D screen with a resolution of 800×240 pixels (400×240 pixels per eye, WQVGA) that is able to produce an autostereoscopic three-dimensional effect (one without 3D glasses) using a parallax barrier display, while the bottom screen is a 3.02 in (7.7 cm) 4:3 non-3D resistive touch panel
Resistive touchscreen
In electrical engineering, resistive touchscreens are touch-sensitive computer displays composed of two flexible sheets coated with a resistive material and separated by an air gap or microdots. There are two different types of metallic layers. The first one is Matrix, which is a striped electrodes...
with a resolution of 320×240 pixels (QVGA). The 3DS weighs approximately 230 grams (8.1 oz) and, when closed, is 134 mm (5.3 in) wide, 74 mm (2.9 in) broad, and 21 mm (0.826771653543307 in) thick.
The system features several additions to the design of the original DS, including a slider on the side of the device that adjusts the intensity of the 3D effect, a round nub analog input called the "Circle Pad", an accelerometer
Accelerometer
An accelerometer is a device that measures proper acceleration, also called the four-acceleration. This is not necessarily the same as the coordinate acceleration , but is rather the type of acceleration associated with the phenomenon of weight experienced by a test mass that resides in the frame...
, and a gyroscope
Gyroscope
A gyroscope is a device for measuring or maintaining orientation, based on the principles of angular momentum. In essence, a mechanical gyroscope is a spinning wheel or disk whose axle is free to take any orientation...
. The 3DS has two cameras
Stereo camera
A stereo camera is a type of camera with two or more lenses with a separate image sensor or film frame for each lens. This allows the camera to simulate human binocular vision, and therefore gives it the ability to capture three-dimensional images, a process known as stereo photography. Stereo...
on the outside of the device, capable of taking 3D photos, as well as a camera positioned above the top screen on the inside of the device which faces the player, capable of taking 2D photos and capturing 2D video; all cameras have a resolution of 640×480 pixels (0.3 megapixels). The system will support a 2.4 GHz 802.11 Wi-Fi connectivity with enhanced security WPA2
Wi-Fi Protected Access
Wi-Fi Protected Access and Wi-Fi Protected Access II are two security protocols and security certification programs developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance to secure wireless computer networks...
. An included cradle acts as a charger and allows for faster downloads and uploads via infrared port.
At launch, the Nintendo 3DS cards hold up to 2GB of game data and look almost exactly the same as those of the current DS. However, there is a small tab jutting out on the one side, which prevents 3DS cards from being inserted into a Nintendo DS.
On the issue of piracy, game developer THQ
THQ
THQ Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989 in the United States, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices...
claims that the Nintendo 3DS features sophisticated anti-piracy technology which Nintendo believes is able to significantly curb video game piracy, which had increasingly depressed the handheld market with the proliferation of cheap flash memory
Flash memory
Flash memory is a non-volatile computer storage chip that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. It was developed from EEPROM and must be erased in fairly large blocks before these can be rewritten with new data...
and the rise in file sharing
File sharing
File sharing is the practice of distributing or providing access to digitally stored information, such as computer programs, multimedia , documents, or electronic books. It may be implemented through a variety of ways...
.
The system comes in the "Aqua Blue" and "Cosmo Black" color variations, as well as "Flame Red" (named "Metallic Red" in Europe), on July 14, 2011 in Japan, September 9, 2011 in North America and September 22, 2011 in Australia. Another color is the "Misty Pink" color ("Coral Pink" in Europe), released on October 20, 2011 in Japan. . On October 6, 2011 a fifth color was announced - the "Ice White" edition was released in Japan on November 3, 2011 and is to release in the UK on 2nd December bundled along with 'Super Mario Bros 3D Land'.
Activity Log
The Activity Log tracks game play and keeps a record of which games have been played and for how long, as well as physical activity, counting every step taken while carrying a 3DS. The feature encourages walking more every day to earn Play Coins, at a max of 10 each day to a total of 300, which can be used with compatible games and applications to acquire special content and a variety of other benefits. Play Coins cannot be used in the Nintendo eShop.Augmented reality
Several augmented realityAugmented reality
Augmented reality is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is...
games, collectively titled AR Games
AR Games
AR Games is a 3D augmented reality video game developed by Nintendo, and is preloaded on all Nintendo 3DS systems.-Overview:AR Games is a pre-loaded app that consist of numerous augmented reality games. The Nintendo 3DS is bundled with six AR cards. Five of the six cards have a picture of a...
are included on the 3DS with 6 paper cards that interact with the games.
Backward compatibility
In addition to its own software, the Nintendo 3DS is backward compatible with Nintendo DS software, including DSi software. However, like the Nintendo DSiNintendo DSi
The is a handheld game system created by Nintendo and launched in 2008 and 2009 in Japan, North America, PAL territories, and other regions. It is the third iteration of the Nintendo DS, and its primary market rival is Sony's PlayStation Portable...
, the Nintendo 3DS is incompatible with DS software that requires the use of the Game Boy Advance port. Nintendo DS and DSi software cannot be played with 3D visuals on the 3DS. The original DS resolutions are displayed in a scaled and stretched fashion due to the fact that the resolutions of the 3DS screens are larger than those of the DS. However, if the user holds down the START or SELECT buttons upon launching the DS software, the displays will be at the DS's native resolution, albeit smaller with black borders.
Virtual Console service
It was announced at the Nintendo of Japan press event on September 29, 2010 that the 3DS will have a Virtual ConsoleVirtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
Service with Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
, Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
games, as well as "classic" games in 3D. At the 2011 GDC Nintendo announced that TurboGrafx 16, and Game Gear games would be available for Virtual Console. Purchases are made through the Nintendo eShop
Nintendo eShop
The Nintendo eShop is an online service for the Nintendo 3DS handheld gaming system. Launched on June 6, 2011 in North America and June 7, 2011 in Europe and Japan, the eShop was enabled by the release of a system update that added the functionality to the 3DS' Home Menu...
using a cash-based system instead of a points-based system as used for the Wii and DSi. It was released on June 6 in North America and June 7, 2011 in Europe as part of a system update.
StreetPass and SpotPass Mode
The system supports multiplayer gameplay via a local wireless connection or over the Internet. Expanding upon the connectivity of the Nintendo DS, the Nintendo 3DS features an "always on" background connectivity system that trademarks suggested was named "CrossPass", which can automatically seek and connect to wireless network nodes such as Wi-Fi hotspotHotspot (Wi-Fi)
A hotspot is a site that offers Internet access over a wireless local area network through the use of a router connected to a link to an Internet service provider...
s, sending and downloading information in the background while in sleep mode
Sleep mode
Sleep mode refers to a low power mode for electronic devices such as computers, televisions, and remote controlled devices. These modes save significant electrical consumption compared to leaving a device fully on and idle, but allow the user to avoid having to reset programming codes or wait for a...
or while playing a game. In Nintendo's September 29 conference, the confirmed Western names of the SpotPass Tag Mode service would be StreetPass and SpotPass, with SpotPass being the ability for the 3DS to seek Wi-Fi signals and automatically download content while in sleep mode and StreetPass being the passive communication between 3DS systems held by users, an example being the sharing of Mii
Mii
A is a digital avatar used in Nintendo's Wii and Nintendo 3DS gaming consoles. They allow users to capture a likeness of themselves and others. After creating one using the Wii's Mii Channel or the Nintendo 3DS's Mii Maker, they can be used as playable characters in various titles for the...
avatars.
During the 2011 Game Developers Conference, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime announced that Nintendo has partnered with AT&T to provide free access to AT&T hotspots via the Nintendo 3DS. Users will be able to connect to these hotspots in late May.
The background connectivity allows users to exchange software content regardless of what software is currently in the console. Sharing content is stored in a "data slot" in the console. Using this data slot, Nintendo 3DS users can readily share and exchange content for multiple games at the same time, whenever they are connected, even when playing unrelated games. Using the console's background connectivity, a Nintendo 3DS in StreetPass Mode can automatically discover other 3DS units within range, establish a connection, and exchange content for mutually played games, all transparently and without requiring any user input, even when the console is dormant. For example, in Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition
Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition
Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition is a fighting video game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo 3DS handheld game console. It was released as a launch game in all continents, but in Japan first on 26 February 2011...
, if the user passes someone with the same software, he has a battle to collect trophies from the other player.
It can be customized to fit the user's preferences, including opting out of it altogether for selected software. One application being considered is functionality to "automatically acquire magazine and newspaper articles", similar to networked e-book
E-book
An electronic book is a book-length publication in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, and produced on, published through, and readable on computers or other electronic devices. Sometimes the equivalent of a conventional printed book, e-books can also be born digital...
reader applications. Other improvements to online functionality include how Friend Codes are implemented, with only one code necessary for each console, as opposed to the DS and Wii where individual Friend Codes are required for each piece of software.
Certain hotspots use the SpotPass to send a channel called "Nintendo Zone". In the Nintendo Zone app
Application
Application may refer to:* Application for employment* Application software* Function application in mathematics and computer science...
users can see game trailers, game screenshots, and information on games. After you leave the hotspot the app stays.
A successor to Nintendo DS's PictoChat
PictoChat
PictoChat is a communication utility that comes pre-installed on the Nintendo DS, Nintendo DS Lite and Nintendo DSi consoles. Up to sixteen people can paint chat with each other using it, connected wirelessly through a system-to-system wireless connection. It allows for simple input of keyboard...
application for the Nintendo 3DS has been announced by Nintendo via a streaming conference on October 21, 2011. The successor is called Swapnote (in North America) or Nintendo Letter Box (in Europe), and it will be available as a free download starting December 2011. This application will allow users to send 3D pictures, sound, and scribbled messages to registered friends via either StreetPass or SpotPass.
Video content
The system also has 3D movie and video playback capability. Nintendo has made deals with Warner Bros, Disney, and DreamWorksDreamWorks
DreamWorks Pictures, also known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC, DreamWorks Studios or DW Studios, LLC, is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming...
to deliver 3D movies. Trailers for DreamWorks' How to Train Your Dragon
How to Train Your Dragon (film)
How to Train Your Dragon is a 2010 3D computer-animated action fantasy film by DreamWorks Animation loosely based on the 2003 book of the same name. The film stars the voices of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, T.J. Miller, Kristen Wiig, and Christopher...
, Warner Bros' Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, and Disney’s film Tangled were shown on the 3DS during the E3 Expo. On September 29, 2010, Nintendo of Japan announced that it will be partnering with Fuji TV and other Japanese broadcasters to distribute free 3D videos to Japanese Nintendo 3DS owners. On January 19, 2011, Nintendo of Europe announced at their press conference that they will be partnering with EuroSport
Eurosport
Eurosport is a pan-European television sport network operated by French broadcaster TF1 Group. The network of channels are available in 59 countries, in 20 different languages providing viewers with European and international sporting events...
and Sky 3D
Sky 3D
Sky 3D is a 3DTV channel on the Sky platform, that launched on 3 April 2010 with the Manchester United vs Chelsea football match being broadcast in over a thousand pubs across England in 3D. On 1 October 2010, Sky 3D became available to residential subscribers...
to bring content to the Nintendo 3DS at a later date in 2011. Richard Goleszowski
Richard Goleszowski
Richard Goleszowski is an English animator.Goleszowski was born in Suffolk and grew up in Ipswich, attending Northgate Grammar School...
is also locked to bring exclusive 3D episodes of Shaun the Sheep
Shaun the Sheep
Shaun the Sheep is a British stop-motion animated children's television series produced by Aardman Animations, and commissioned by the BBC and the WDR. It first aired in the UK on CBBC in March 2007...
to European Nintendo 3DS market by the end of the year. As part of an initial firmware update for the system, Nintendo 3DS systems in North America include the 3D version of the music video for "White Knuckles
White Knuckles
"White Knuckles" is an alternative rock song by OK Go from the album Of the Blue Colour of the Sky.-Song:Fans of the song were given the opportunity to create a remix of "White Knuckles" for inclusion in the Rock Band music video game series through the Rock Band Network...
" from OK Go
OK Go
OK Go is a rock band originally from Chicago, Illinois, USA, now residing in Los Angeles, California, USA. The band is composed of Damian Kulash , Tim Nordwind , Dan Konopka and Andy Ross , who joined them in 2005, replacing Andy Duncan...
. The first film to be released for the 3DS is Tekken: Blood Vengeance, which will be included with Tekken 3D: Prime Edition.
Nintendo Video launched in Australia and Europe on July 13, 2011, initial videos included Oscar's Oasis
Oscar's Oasis
Oscar's Oasis is a is non-verbal animated cartoon produced by TeamTO and Tuba Entertainment in association with Cake Entertainment based on the original show broadcast on Disney Channel Asia...
and Magic Tricks for your Nintendo 3DS. It launched in North America on July 22nd, with the initial videos consisted of two short films (Sunday Jog and Dinosaur Office), a 3D trailer for Captain America: The First Avenger
Captain America: The First Avenger
Captain America: The First Avenger is a 2011 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Captain America. It is the fifth installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe...
and an introduction to Nintendo Video. Videos are expected to be pushed to the service each week, with the content ranging from different video genres, 3D movie trailers, 3D music videos and much more.
Netflix
Netflix
Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
streaming video service was released on the Nintendo 3DS in North America on July 14, 2011.
A future update in December will add the ability to record up to 10 minutes of 3D video and do stop motion
Stop motion
Stop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence...
animation.
Hulu
Hulu
Hulu is a website and over-the-top subscription service offering ad-supported on-demand streaming video of TV shows, movies, webisodes and other new media, trailers, clips, and behind-the-scenes footage from NBC, Fox, ABC, and Obstacle on October 20th 2011 Nickelodeon and CBS and many other...
Plus is also going to be released on the Nintendo 3DS.
Web browser
The Nintendo 3DS Internet BrowserNintendo 3DS Internet Browser
The Nintendo 3DS Internet Browser is an internet browser designed for the Nintendo 3DS system. It was released via firmware update on June 6, 2011 in North America and June 7, 2011 in Europe and Japan.- Features :...
was made available in system update 2.0.0 on June 6 (NA),and June 7 (AUS,JP and EP) 2011.
Mii
MiiMii
A is a digital avatar used in Nintendo's Wii and Nintendo 3DS gaming consoles. They allow users to capture a likeness of themselves and others. After creating one using the Wii's Mii Channel or the Nintendo 3DS's Mii Maker, they can be used as playable characters in various titles for the...
s are available on the system. There is a Mii Maker on the 3DS with the ability to import from the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
, though not vice versa due to additional character parts, and can create a Mii from a photo taken by one of the cameras. Miis can also be loaded by capturing special QR code
QR code
A QR code is a type of matrix barcode first designed for the automotive industry. More recently, the system has become popular outside of the industry due to its fast readability and comparatively large storage capacity. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white...
s with one of the cameras. There is also a StreetPass Mii Plaza to house all the Miis the player has gathered in StreetPass Mode.
Circle Pad Pro
Pictures of the device first appeared in FamitsuFamitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
where it explains that the add-on will add a second analog joystick and extra set of shoulder buttons and will be bundled with Monster Hunter 3D. The current list of titles compatible with the slide pad consists of Monster Hunter Tri G, Resident Evil Revelations, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
is an award-winning stealth action video game directed by Hideo Kojima. Snake Eater was developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and published by Konami for the PlayStation 2, and was released on November 17, 2004 in North America; December 16, 2004 in Japan; March 4, 2005 in Europe; and on...
3D, Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy is a action video game for the Nintendo 3DS which is developed by Project Aces and published by Namco Bandai Games...
, Dynasty Warriors VS and Kingdom Hearts 3D
Kingdom Hearts 3D
, is an upcoming game developed and published by Square Enix exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS, revealed at E3 2010. It is being created by the same development team that worked on Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, currently part of Square Enix's 1st Production Department. The game will be an entirely...
.
The Circle Pad Pro will be released in Japan in December 2011, Europe in January 2012 and in North America in February 2012; release dates for other regions have yet to be announced.
Possible health risks
Nintendo has publicly stated that the 3D mode of the 3DS is not intended for use by children ages six and younger, citing possible harm to their vision. Nintendo suggests that younger players use the device's 2D mode instead, although the American Optometric AssociationAmerican Optometric Association
The American Optometric Association represents optometrists nationally in the USA. It consists of State Optometric Associations, which are made up of local optometric societies.-AOA mission:...
has assured parents that 3D gaming in moderation would not be harmful for children. Additionally the 3DS may help in screening children before the age of 6 who have depth related vision problems according to Dr. Michael Duenas, associate director for health sciences and policy for the American Optometric Association
American Optometric Association
The American Optometric Association represents optometrists nationally in the USA. It consists of State Optometric Associations, which are made up of local optometric societies.-AOA mission:...
, and Dr. Joe Ellis, the president of the optometrists' association. Although Dr. David Hunter, a pediatric ophthalmologist affiliated with the American Academy of Ophthalmology
American Academy of Ophthalmology
The American Academy of Ophthalmology is the largest national membership medical association of ophthalmologists–medical doctors specializing in eye care and surgery including medical, surgical and optical care. More than 90 percent of practicing U.S. Eye M.D.s are Academy members, and the...
believes that it is largely speculative whether a child who has problems perceiving depth in real life would react to a 3DS in any way that parents would recognize as indicating any problems with depth perception. Nintendo's vague warning, that specialist believe "there is a possibility that 3-D images which send different images to the left and right eye could affect the development of vision in small children," was not specifically backed up by any scientific evidence, leading Duenas to believe it is motivated by preventing possible liability rather than safeguarding against realistic harm.
Nintendo has stated that a parental control involving a PIN
Personal identification number
A personal identification number is a secret numeric password shared between a user and a system that can be used to authenticate the user to the system. Typically, the user is required to provide a non-confidential user identifier or token and a confidential PIN to gain access to the system...
will allow parents to disable autostereoscopic effects. Playing games in 3D has caused headaches among some gamers. The dizziness experienced by some users may be explained by the headaches that watchers of 3D movies have similarly experienced, which is believed to be due to confusion caused by a lack of visual cues that humans use to perceive depth in their everyday environment.
Reception
The Nintendo 3DS hardware received positive reviews at launch. IGN called its hardware design a "natural evolution of the Nintendo DSi system." CNET praised the device's 3D effect, while IGN called it "impressively sharp and clean", and impressively superior to its predecessors, although it was noted that the 3D effect only worked if the system was held at the right distance and angle. A common complaint was the 3DS's battery life; Engadget reported to get 3 hours of battery life from the system, while IGN reported 2 to 4.5 hours of play.In response to lower than anticipated sales figures, Nintendo cut the price of the 3DS worldwide by almost a third in August 2011. In addition, the company introduced the "Nintendo 3DS Ambassadors Program", through which existing 3DS owners were able to download ten NES games and ten Game Boy Advance games at no extra cost.
Sales
| Date | Japan | America | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-06-30 | 1.27 | 1.43 | 1.63 | 4.32 |
| 2011-09-30 | 2.13 | 2.13 | 2.42 | 6.68 |
See also
- List of Nintendo 3DS games
- Nintendo 3DS system softwareNintendo 3DS system softwareNintendo 3DS system software is a set of updatable firmware versions and software frontend on the Nintendo 3DS video game console. Updates, which are downloaded via the system's Internet connection allow Nintendo to add and remove features and software....
- Virtual BoyVirtual BoyThe was a video game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was the first video game console that was supposed to be capable of displaying "true 3D graphics" out of the box. Whereas most video games use monocular cues to achieve the illusion of three dimensions on a two-dimensional...
, Nintendo's previous stereoscopic 3D gaming console