The new Nintendo hand-held 3DS console was undoubtedly the star of the show at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3).
3D has fast become the next generation medium of choice in terms of Television and Cinema, but, incredibly, Nintendo have managed to cram the technology into a handheld gaming device which tosses out the need for the cumbersome 3D glasses.
The breakthrough parallax system is made possible because of the distance between the gamer’s eyes and the screen, and the fact that the gamer is consistently perpendicular to the screen. The need for glasses brought about by the television and cinematic experience comes about because the viewers are often offset from the perpendicular, causing distortion of the 3D image.
This technology ought to score another grand coup for Nintendo, who have also recently managed to re-invent gaming by thinking outside of the conventional box in controller design, integration and use with their Wii console.
Only demonstration models were available for appraisal at the expo, but such gaming favorites as Mario Kart and Metal Gear Solid were showcased, as well as an upcoming Dreamworks 3D animation “How to Train Your Dragon”.
Nintendo executives were not giving away release dates for the console, but it is widely expected in Japanese stores this fall, with North America following in early spring 2011.
