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3DS

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3DS

Unread postby ComradeTrotskii » 24 Mar 2010 03:38

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

Re: Launch of New Portable Game Machine

Nintendo Co., Ltd.(Minami ward of Kyoto city, President Satoru Iwata) will launch "Nintendo 3DS"(temp) during the fiscal year ending March 2011, on which games can be enjoyed with 3D effects without the need for any special glasses.

"Nintendo 3DS"(temp) is going to be the new portable game machine to succeed "Nintendo DS series", whose cumulative consolidated sales from Nintendo amounted to 125million units as of the end of December 2009, and will include backward compatibility so that the software for "Nintendo DS series, including the ones for Nintendo Dsi, can be enjoyed.

We are planning to announce additional details at E3 show, which is scheduled to be held from June 15, 2010 at Los Angeles in the U.S.


Bold is from the original.

And some speculation from Nikkei

Nintendo plans to give the new system a 3-D joystick and a force feedback mechanism that will let players feel the collisions of a game character, for example. It had already acquired related patents at the end of last year. The firm is also considering employing an accelerometer so that games can be played by tilting the 3DS.

While offering compatibility with games for earlier members of the DS series, the 3DS will feature significant improvements in wireless communications speed and battery life. Its screens will likely be no larger than 4 inches -- smaller than the 4.2 inches of the DSi LL, released in Japan last November.


I have no idea what they mean by "3-D joystick". Presumably an analog stick of some description.

Not sure what to make of the whole idea. What will developers do with two (presumably) four inch 3D displays that is going to make their games any better? I'm sure it will look pretty and there is always the novelty factor associated with a new implementation of technology but beyond that I'm not so sure.

If nothing else I'll be glad for the significant boost in processing power over the DS that this thing will require.
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Unread postby recoil » 15 Jun 2010 22:13

http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2010/06/16/3ds_specs/

Anoop Gantayat wrote:Nintendo took the veil off the Nintendo 3DS hardware today, sharing the final specifications for the upcoming portable gaming device which, as expected, has the final name of 3DS.

The 3DS retains the same shape as the current DS line, with a clamshell design and screens on both top and bottom flaps. The system's goggle-free 3D effect is delivered exclusively on the top screen, a 3.5 inch wide screen sporting 800x240 (400 pixels resolution for each eye). The bottom screen is a 3.02-inch touch screen LCD with 320x240 resolution.

Outside of the 3D, the system supports advanced connectivity capabilities. It will seek out Wi-Fi access points and other 3DS systems when in sleep mode for automatic data exchange.

The system also has more advanced interface options. Players have access to an analogue slider for full analogue control. This has been placed above the d-pad. The system has three cameras, two on the outside. Thanks to the two external cameras, users can take 3D pictures. Nintendo is including a "telescoping stylus," which can be extended to four inches.

Here are the system's specs, in Nintendo's own words:

Size (when closed)
Approximately 5.3 inches wide, 2.9 inches long, 0.8 inches tall.

Weight
Approximately 8 ounces.

Look
Final design is TBA.

Top Screen
3.53-inch widescreen LCD display, enabling 3D view without the need for special glasses; with 800x240 pixel resolution (400 pixels are allocated for each eye to enable 3D viewing).

Touch Screen
3.02-inch LCD with 320x240 pixel resolution with a touch screen.

Cameras
One inner camera and two outer cameras with 640x480 (0.3 Mega) pixel resolution.

Pre-Installed Software
TBA

Nintendo 3DS Game Card
2 GB Max. at launch.

Wireless Communication
Can communicate in the 2.4 GHz band. Multiple Nintendo 3DS systems can connect via a local wireless connection to let users communicate or enjoy competitive game play. Systems also can connect to LAN access points to access the Internet and allow people to enjoy games with others. Will support IEEE 802.11 with enhanced security (WPA/WPA2). Nintendo 3DS hardware is designed so that even when not in use, it can automatically exchange data with other Nintendo 3DS systems or receive data via the Internet while in sleep mode.

Game Controls
Touch screen, embedded microphone, A/B/X/Y face buttons, + Control Pad, L/R buttons, Start and Select buttons, “Slide Pad” that allows 360-degree analog input, one inner camera, two outer cameras, motion sensor and a gyro sensor.

Other Input Controls
3D Depth Slider to adjust level of 3D effect (can be scaled back or turned off completely depending on the preference of the user), Home button to call system function, Wireless switch to turn off wireless communications (even during game play), Power button. The telescoping stylus is approximately 4 inches when fully extended.

Input/Output
A port that accepts both Nintendo 3DS game cards and game cards for the Nintendo DS family of systems, an SD memory card slot, an AC adapter connector, a charging cradle terminal and a stereo headphone output jack.

Sound
Stereo speakers positioned to the left and right of the top screen.

Battery
Lithium ion battery details TBA.

Languages
TBA

Parental Controls
Parental controls similar to the Nintendo DSi system will be included.

Nintendo did not share a final release date or pricing for the 3DS. In its press release today, Nintendo said that the system is scheduled for release in major territories before the end of the fiscal term (March 2011).
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Unread postby El Chaos » 28 Aug 2013 19:27

Nintendo announced the 2DS:

nintendo_2ds.png
nintendo_2ds.png (131.34 KiB) Viewed 15633 times


The new Nintendo 2DS system gives you all the features of the Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL, minus 3D viewing. And the price makes the world of Nintendo games even more accessible.

http://www.nintendo.com/3ds/new/

Available on October 12 at US $129.99 MSRP.
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Unread postby El Chaos » 29 Aug 2014 17:41

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/new/index.html

Nintendo announced a New 3DS console, with a beefier CPU, a small analog C stick, a LED lamp, improved stereoscopy with a wider viewing angle, two more shoulder buttons and NFC capabilities in the touchscreen, set for release on October 11 in Japan.
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Unread postby El Chaos » 31 Aug 2014 18:18

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ninten ... 0-6421999/

Chris Pereira wrote:Nintendo's New 3DS Aims for the Hardcore, But Is Bound to Create Confusion

With some games being exclusive to this version of 3DS, Nintendo could be creating problems for itself.

2640098-new3dsxlreg.jpg

That another revision of a Nintendo handheld system is coming is no real surprise--routine hardware refreshes have been part of the company's business model for upwards of two decades (the DS had four different designs, for example). But the latest versions of the 3DS announced today, intriguing as their potential is, seem likely to create confusion.

The New Nintendo 3DS, as it's being called, offers a suite of new features: an analog nub (the new C-Stick), additional ZL and ZR shoulder buttons, improved 3D (no longer do you need a protractor to properly line your head up with the screen for it to work, Nintendo claims), integrated NFC support for Amiibo, and a faster CPU. It comes in standard and XL (or LL, as it's called in Japan) sizes.

With the possible exception of Amiibo, these are primarily things of interest to a more hardcore audience. And that's interesting in light of what Shigeru Miyamoto had to say recently, when he suggested Nintendo may focus more on core games, as opposed to those for people with only a "passive" interest in games. "In the days of DS and Wii, Nintendo tried its best to expand the gaming population," he said in an interview with Edge. "Fortunately, because of the spread of smart devices, people take games for granted now. It's a good thing for us, because we do not have to worry about making games something that are relevant to general people's daily lives."

2640064-3dsgame.jpg

This New 3DS shows Nintendo is indeed more serious about gunning for the hardcore audience, and less concerned with expanding to a broader audience with its every move. I can't imagine a casual player will suddenly be compelled to buy a 3DS because it now has the buttons and hardware to handle more advanced games.

For others, some of these additions make the system very exciting. I know I want one (though I'm a poor barometer for these things, considering I bought a PSP Go at launch). The improved hardware, in particular, makes me hopeful that we'll finally see Virtual Console games from the Super Nintendo land on 3DS. Extra buttons and the integrated C-Stick means some functions don't need to be relegated to the touchscreen, and there's no longer a need to use the Circle Pad Pro. The placement of the C-Stick--which reminds me of the Wii U GamePad--is not where I would have liked to see it, but those new, Super Famicom-style face buttons on the regular-sized system (see below) are gorgeous, and only a limited number of games will use the C-Stick anyway.

Even if SNES games on Virtual Consoles don't happen, Nintendo is already ensuring the faster CPU is put to use for more than just speeding up system navigation and downloads. Acclaimed Wii RPG Xenoblade Chronicles will be ported to 3DS, but only to these new systems--and that's where I think Nintendo is creating problems. It's not the first time a revision of a handheld has been the only one to play certain software (see: the DSi and DSiWare), but with a game like Xenoblade, we're no longer talking about small, download-only games being exclusive to a certain model.

With the release of this latest version of the 3DS, we'll have a situation where you have the 3DS, 2DS, and New 3DS. The 3DS can play 3DS games, but not New 3DS games; the 2DS can play 3DS (in 2D), but not New 3DS games; and the New 3DS can play all 3DS games (except, as Siliconera's translation of a Q&A notes, for something like Pokemon Tretta Lab, which requires external hardware made for the 3DS and 3DS XL). If you don't think that is going to confuse consumers--particularly the more casual audience that helped Nintendo to dominate the industry with the Wii and DS--I'd remind you that many people thought the Wii U was a Wii accessory.

2640066-3dsbuttons.jpg

Just the name "New 3DS" is likely to confuse people who might be led to believe that it, along with its New 3DS-only games, is an entirely separate system from the existing 3DS. Nintendo has shown in the past it's cognizant of the possibility of confusing the public with too many 3DS models, so I'm surprised by the way this new system is being handled. These new systems may be geared toward the hardcore audience, but its existence can still confuse the public at large.

The New 3DS will be launched later this year in Japan, with a European launch to follow sometime in 2015. Nintendo of America refuses to say whether it will bring the new models to North America, and while that has to be frustrating for those wondering whether they should simply import one, I think it's actually a smart decision to avoid talking about it this fall. There are already three basic models--the 3DS, 3DS XL, and 2DS--available to consumers in a variety of colors and bundles, and there's no reason to complicate things by changing things up with new options. If or when these two systems come to North America, they need to take the place of the existing 3DS and 3DS XL models, should that not already be the plan for all markets.

Games are ultimately what will help sell the New 3DS, and I wonder whether it'll receive the support from developers to make it a worthwhile upgrade for existing 3DS owners. Xenoblade is well and good, but people will want more than just a port of a several-year-old Wii RPG to justify the system. Developers, meanwhile, will likely want a sizable install base before devoting resources to a game that can only be played on these specific models. It's a similar problem to the one faced by Wii U; Nintendo's attempted solution in that case is to develop desirable, high-profile games like Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. that will (hopefully) sell hardware, which will in turn lead to more third-party support and subsequently even more hardware sales.

It'll be interesting to see if Nintendo decides to take a similar tact of developing New 3DS-only games in its franchises--imagine what a new 2D Metroid could do for sales--or if it'll be content to largely treat this like a standard hardware revision.
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Unread postby El Chaos » 26 Oct 2014 12:32

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digit ... 3ds-review

Damien McFerran wrote:The New 3DS is very much about iterating on what has gone before rather than promising a full-scale revolution - but at the same time, as far as Nintendo hardware refreshes go, it's one of the most drastic; easily on par with the paradigm shift that was the Game Boy Advance SP, which famously introduced a backlit colour screen and a rechargeable battery to Nintendo fans for the first time ever. The processor bump makes the core UI faster and allows for better games in the fullness of time, with the unfortunate caveat being that existing 3DS owners aren't invited to the party. The head-tracking improves the system's much-hyped glasses-free 3D effect remarkably, while the addition of a second analogue stick offers the kind of control that really should have been present in the console when it first launched.

While Japan, Australia and New Zealand will enjoy this new system in 2014, the rest of the world is going to have to sit it out until next year. The delay in Europe and North America could have something to do with not having software to show off the system's finer points - such as the second stick. Crucially, the Japanese release has been tied in with the launch of Monster Hunter 4G (known in the west as Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate) which utilises the C-Stick for controlling the camera, and it's rather telling that the presence of a special New 3DS LL bundle including Capcom's game resulted in that model outselling the standard New 3DS by almost three to one. Clearly software is vital in selling the benefits of this updated console, and that is perhaps why Nintendo has resisted the urge to conduct a wider worldwide release in 2014. Irrespective of the reasons, this is an upgrade worth waiting for - and is likely the final throw of the dice for the 3DS range.
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Unread postby El Chaos » 04 Apr 2016 22:25

Face-Off: Nintendo 3DS vs New 3DS, just how much faster is the later model? Finally, we have answers: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digit ... s-face-off
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Unread postby El Chaos » 30 Apr 2017 22:25

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