Nintendo’s much anticipated 3DS has been launched, but the reception is proving mixed – a great many users are reporting using the 3D mode for any length of time hurts their eyes, whilst Nintendo has issued an unprecedented advisory to “take a 15 minute break every 30 minutes of 3D play.”
Some 3DS players report eye strain in as little as 5 minutes of play, and there are a great many such reports. Just what size proportion of players is actually experiencing problems is as yet not clear, however. Nintendo fans will doubtless be hoping this is just a very vocal minority, as well it could be.
This is rather at odds with Nintendo’s official health advisory though – Nintendo urges a 10-15 minute break every hour for normal non-3D play, and an unheard of 10-15 minute break every 30 minutes for those using the 3D mode.
Whether sales will be as high as anticipated is also now a matter of some doubt – far from shops being left short on stock as with some other hit Nintendo hardware, Japanese buyers are reporting no difficulty acquiring the 3DS at all. Whether this is merely a commendable supply situation or an actual lack of interest amongst buyers remains to be seen.
[Update: some stores in central Tokyo locations eventually did report running out of stock, although it appears the 3DS is still well stocked in most other locations – in the absence of statistical data it is hard to draw valid conclusions, although it is apparently by no means a bad launch…]
Having invested so much in its 3D display only to find the feature is painful and potentially harmful to a seemingly significant portion of its customers may yet prove to be Nintendo’s undoing, although reports from those not experiencing actual pain are otherwise positive – not that the launch line-up is proving terribly tempting.
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Well it's not like other 3D technologies have less eye strain...
I always have to rub my eyes from time to time when watching a 3D movie in the cinema.
For now I don't even want to have a 3D TV at home.
The technology isn't quite ripe yet.
3d is bullshit to begin with. it's bad enough that everything in hollywood is being infected with this shit, the last thing I need is a gaming system with so called "3d" effects.
You don't have to buy it if you hate it.
Which is precisely the reason I won't buy it. ^_^
The normal DS might become cheaper soon though, which is always a good thing. :)
Then why complain when nobody is forcing you with a gun to your head.
Its alright actually. Expect small health sacrifices for your gaming lol
Can't you just turn 3D off when your eyes start to hurt?
Kinda defeats the purpose of getting a 3DS eh?
The selling point of the 3DS is the 3D (surprise surprise) but you can only use it 75% of the time.
Actually, if your eyes start to hurt, I'm not sure if it's a good idea to keep staring at a small screen trying to play (even without 3D).
My eyes hurt when I look at 3D girls, why can't I just turn that 3D off?
So....buying a system who's main catch is 3D just to turn it off? That's stupid.
Isn't that the same excuse Nintendo Fanboys use to ridicule the NGP? It's just a PSP with updated graphics! OH OH OH BUT THE 3DS HAS INNOVATIVE 3D TECH!!!
I knew it. Not even special, either, any idiot could know this with a modicum of thought.
Dude, seriously, Nintendo's trying to make all otaku and gamers blind or something.
@ Anon 1:43
Are you really that stupid...? Seriously. Is that really your logical explanation for causing intense strain and pain on the eyes, is 'deal with it, it'll be fine after more time.' No, it won't be fine later. Everything about this is different than theaters in every way.
First of all, theaters take up your whole vision in most of the seats, also your eyes are already focussed at a distance, such that they aren't straining certain muscles.
Secondly, one of my eyes is worse than the other because I made the mistake of having my TV monitor behind and to the right of my computer monitor for a while. It caused eye strain that caused major degeneration in one eye due to constant refocus in less than a year.
The 3DS is a small screen, up close, with the real world around you in your peripheral vision. Realizing what that means now? It means your focus will be already fucked up with faked 3D, as well as peripheral focus will be on a completely different level.
Eyes may have muscles that need to be exercised as well, but this is NOT the way they were meant to be used. It's not like body muscles that gain with strain. Faked depth perception is not reality, and is not a substitute for reality, and therefore will screw up developing (and developed) visual perception of reality if not carefully handled.
Only a complete moron would look at something that causes such intense and obvious and widespread strain on human vision and go 'suck it up.'
And oh yeah, the national eye care place has had it for at most a few months, and I guarantee you hasn't played it constantly. There is NOTHING that exists that can show long-term fake 3D effects on the eyes yet. ...besides the various people coming forward with problems of course.
hey, let's put it this way, at least nintendo is issueing the statements themselves
if it had been sony or someone, they wouldnt have bothered until someone had completely 100% proven that it caused eyestrain
Let's see now, keep my eyes or play re-released games in 3D ? Tough choice.
3D hurts the eyes, anyone who hasn't realized this until now is either blind or stupid.
I'm not intending to in 3D anyways, so it isn't a problem for me.
hmmm....the NGP doesn't seem bad to buy
>Kinda defeats the purpose of getting a 3DS
Not really. Just the fact that it's a DS with updated graphics is reason enough for most people. Also awesome games.
its all just bull. they already sent one to the National Eye Care place to get an official statement and there have been no eye issues on their end. i mean it might give u a headache like ANY 3D cause its new, u have to get used to it. i mean i got massive migranes the first few times i say a 3D movie. i expect this to be no different.
It is an advanced otaku skill, you have to make frequent pilgrimages to Akiba to attain it.
I still say this whole 3D crap is all but a passing fad... the HOT thing, the "in" thing for now. It'll die soon, and Nintendo will have made bank off a passing fancy. Same with the movie industry and 3D TV's.
3D at the movies look like shit. 3D TV's aren't any different... 3D Handheld, blegh, what a waste of money, I hope it dies sooner rather than later. People will buy anything if it's hyped to be the next best thing.
What do you still watch TV in black and white or something?
Agreed. 3D gives a sort of depth perception of what you are looking at, but it doesn't really make it any more amazing.
@Anon 07:15
So are movies and videogames.
Seriously, if you guys don't like it, ignore it. I suppose you don't complain about the invention of colored movies or movies/games altogether, so why now about 3D?
I concur. 3D is a gimmick.
Playing 3DS is damage over time.
More DoTs, More DoTs, I don't see enough DoTs...
Now DPS...
Slowly...
Yeah a small sacrifice.When 3DS finishes with raping your eyes you wont even notice it.
Yeah, you won't SEE the problem... xD
you won't see it coming! see what i did thar! ;)
All i can say is that if you're playing a 3DS without taking those breaks is that you should stop and have a look at yourself.
Oh wait...
Maybe not...
The same kind of health sacrifices we had to give when DOOM was first released?
That game also gave many people headachs and such.
Played for about five hours today with glasses/contacts.
Absolutely no problems.
It could just depend on what kind of eyes you have and how much you abuse it outside games.
Hasn't affected me though. PS2's manual states that you need to take 15 minutes worth of break with each hour you play, yet I've played that shit for 3 years straight with each session lasting at 2 hours min and 5 hours tops, almost every day, with pauses worth less than half a minute. My sight is still as good as before I use a PC back in elementary.
Then again, I always keep a safe distance from TV. Also, I've been sitting in front of a PC for too many years now but the screen I've been using is mostly LCD(classic CRTs are known for some degree of radiation).
Not many people care about how correlation doesn't always equal causation. Sometimes it could be just them abusing their eyes some other way and they have to blame it on some new technology.
Yes, blame it on "new technology" besides the fact that 3D has been around for decades.
Not like this was unforseen, a few doctors/specialists commented on the risk to eyes but alas Nintendo Fanboys sent death threats to them.
You can stop defending Nintendo now.
My eyes hurt when I play my PSP for six hours straight. =0
Seriously. I know five other guys who have it today who've been playing religiously since we got them this morning. not a single problem save for the normal eye pain after staring at a screen for a while.
Sure, some people probably can't take the 3D, but who the hell didn't expect that? Unless you're retarded.
This is nothing new.
If your eyes hurt playing the PSP 6 hours straight then you'll go blind playing the DS for more than 1 hour.
Nintendo sold thousands of handhelds today.
A few dozens people complained, most of them being only retards who don't even own a 3DS and are just here to hurn Nintendo.
Grow up, kids!
If everyone always acted this way, we would be watching only black and white mute movies now.
And that was bad how?
Meanwhile, the NGP is reported to massage your hands, project softcore hentai onto a nearby wall, and fire a cancer curing laser into your brain as you play.
If it has just ONE of the functions you said, especially the hentai one, ONLY THEN I'd even consider buying it.
yes, in japan..
US release is in late March..
I'm one of the 5-minute people. That, plus the fact that the graphics are worse than the CURRENT PSP make this a pass for me. Luckily I got to try it out in Ikebukuro before launch.
They just gotta train their eyes. You're not supposed to stare at a computer screen for too long either, but we all do it don't we.
Wii > Powerglove
Auto Play > R.O.B
3DS > Virtual Boy
Nintendo, you got pretty lucky so far but was the 3D thing really something worth trying again?
Ok I think I'm gonna just get my £10 deposit back I think it's just kinda dumb in the first place to pay £220 for a console mainly just for Resident Evil which isn't on the launch lineup. I'm not a fan of Mario and Zelda really. I just get bored in Mario games and Zelda I do need to give more of a chance. But everytime I go to gamestation to see how my friend is, the 3DS always needs bloody charging! And now there is the eye damage thing aswell... I just don't see how the 3DS is actually any good or worth it's pricetag to be honest.
This is all a part of Nintendo's master plan to introduce smell-o-vision to a 3DS blinded generation.
These people are all acting like you can't turn the 3D off.
Don't worry guys. We still have the Virtual Boy.