If you thought the upcoming 3-D revolution meant you had to sit in front of a TV with special glasses, Nintendo is hoping to change that perception. The game company has announced it will show a 3-D version of its popular DS handheld game console this summer — with no glasses required.
The new model, currently called the 3-DS, is expected to be revealed at the big E3 show scheduled for Los Angeles in mid-June. Sales are expected to begin in Nintendo’s next fiscal year, which runs from April 1 to March 31.
Two Cameras?
Nintendo is not the only gaming company hoping to mine the new excitement about 3-D technology. Sony has said it will enable its PlayStation 3 to play 3-D games, with sales beginning about the time the 3-DS will be unveiled. However, the PS3 is not portable, and special glasses as well as a 3-D TV will be needed.
Nintendo hasn’t revealed the technology behind 3-D without glasses. According to news reports, the 3-DS will have backward compatibility with games for the Nintendo DS and DSi. The company has sold more than 125 million DS units since its launch six years ago, making it the most popular handheld game device.
Gaming enthusiast sites are abuzz with possibilities, implications arising from Nintendo executives’ statements, and rumors. There is speculation that the 3-DS will have two cameras, since it will support software for the two-camera DSi, and some Nintendo watchers suggest that the cameras will be used to track the movement of the user or the device.
The tracking speculation derives from an obscure DSi puzzle game, called 3D Hidden Picture, which uses the cameras to track the device’s movement and adjust the image accordingly.
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