Folks I'm hardly a gamer. I threw out a $250 X Box because the controls were way too complicated for me. I'm certainly behind the times. I love Wii. It's really a perfect platform. I've played a lot of the games. Basketball three on three is really fun. There is an underwater one which is heavy on the learning Undersea Adventure but it's fun to watch my kid play it. No doubt sales have slowed for Wii and the situation is interesting from a company management point of view. As near as I can tell they have stumbled onto something big. They have a hand held system DS. I think I see teenagers playing it. They have developed 3D without the stupid looking glasses. There was an interesting article in today's times about this. Apparently the device really wowed folks at a recent trade show. I've been saying TV wise 3D is going to flop until someone figures out how to provide it without the glasses. For folks like me who already wear glasses the scene is ridiculous- we are staring through double lenses and the second set of lenses is split into three lenses so we are roughly 5 generations away from a digital. And we sit there in the theaters and pay more. At home that's just not going to cut it. Now it seems to me this tech cannot be transposed to a TV but the fact that it works on a hand held you stare down upon... well it's huge this X-Mas if Nintendo can get the product out- the 3DS will be absolutely huge. My sense is management was pushed into this by angry investors unwilling to accept another color change on the Wii console. I don't think this product caught the CEO's fancy right away; it's not as " earthy " or " motion sensory " or " different " it's a good old fashioned gaming system that aims right at a demographic that demands the latest tech. It's all about those crazy Mario Bros in 3D. The tech is called parallax system and i want to explore this patent a bit and make sure it's tight. Japan should receive the 1 st models this fall and US.... well could they get them out by Christmas? With titles and without bugs? It's going to be close. In the UK they are getting fired up from a blog there- a source says- England could see the 3DS launching in the UK this Christmas and According to "a high-ranking source close to UK retail", the 3DS is scheduled to launch in the UK in early December â a delay of two months from what another informant alleged back in April. The source claims that marketing will begin towards the end of October, with limited stock arriving at retailers in early December.... Early indications to us are that the launch is going to emulate Wii in December...We've been informed that Nintendo wanted a long run-up to Christmas, but now it's going to be a close-run thing. We're not expecting a lot of stock before next year. Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime states that the 3DS is expected to launch in all major regions by the end of the fiscal year. Of course, at this stage that has been the only official word from Nintendo but we certainly hope that this rumour comes true. Well this all bares watching. ~ stoney
here is Business Week's take- Nintendo's 3DS Opens All Eyes At E3 The maker of the Wii unveils a strong bid to outpace new motion-sensing accessories from Microsoft and Sony with its 3D handheld device A year ago many analysts and video game industry pundits wondered if growth for industry leader Nintendo (NTDOY) had peaked. In the fiscal year that ended in March, revenue fell 16 percent while profit tumbled 12 percent, to $2.5 billion, in part because of slowing console sales. Earnings gains may prove even more challenging in the coming months. Nintendo's motion-sensing Wii game console faces holiday season challenges from Microsoft (MSFT) and Sony (SNE), both of which this year will introduce console accessories that also track a player's movements. Sales of the company's handheld devices, the Nintendo DSi and DS Lite, also are under pressure as Apple (AAPL) goes after the mobile-gaming market with its iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. Facebook's inclusion of Zynga and other social games is adding to the strain. Yet as the annual E3 video game conference got under way on June 15, it was Nintendo that generated the most buzz. Game developers crowded Nintendo's booth to get hands-on time with the 3DS, the newly introduced handheld that lets users view three-dimensional images without wearing special glasses. Nintendo didn't say how much the 3DS will cost. Enthusiastsâmany sporting name tags that betrayed an affiliation with Microsoft and Sonyâalso lined up for a glimpse of a suite of new Wii games. "The most impactful reveal at the show is the 3DS, which appears to us to be the must-have consumer electronics product over the next few years," Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter wrote in a report. "The 3DS was truly impressive, and although we expect it to cost upwards of $250, we are confident that Nintendo will sell many millions of them in the first full year of production." BIG SUPPORT FROM GAME PUBLISHERS As the Wii changed the way people played games at home four years ago, the 3DS will transform mobile gaming, says Nintendo President Satoru Iwata. "We take approaches that are different than others," he says in an interview. "We are creating the entertainment that cannot be available elsewhere." He says that Nintendo and other console makers are competing with a widening array of social activities. The new handheld took two years to develop and has won widespread support from Electronic Arts (ERTS), Activision Blizzard (ATVI) and other major game publishers. At launch it will appeal to both casual and hardcore gamers, Iwata said. "If we had started development of the 3DS just after knowing that the trend is for 3D, we wouldn't have been able to make the 3DS," he said. The top screen of the 3DS offers a 3.5-inch screen that is packed with extra pixels and microscopic slits layered over a traditional LCD screen to deliver images in three dimensions without using the multicolored glasses usually needed to view images in three dimensions. It also features twin cameras on the lid for taking 3D photos viewable on the console and a tool on the right side of the lid to adjust the 3D on the display down to 2-D. The 3D3 boasts a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a round nub analog input called the Slide Pad. Iwata said Nintendo is considering a rare simultaneous launch in the U.S., Europe, and Asia sometime before its fiscal year ends in March 2011. The company sells its base Wii bundle for $200. Microsoft's Xbox 360 retails for $300, and analysts predict Microsoft's motion-sensing Kinect add-on will sell for about $150. Sony's PS3 costs $300, plus $99 for the "sports bundle" that includes one controller and a camera to capture movements. Nintendo has been adjusting its playbook to keep rivals off balance. Earlier this year, the Kyoto (Japan)-based company introduced the DSi XL, which aims to capture a more adult audience with its larger screen and ability to view digital books. The 3DS may include technology that lets users digitally download 3D movies to onboard memory. "A FUTURE THAT SONY WILL LEAD?" To reconnect with core Nintendo fans, the slate of upcoming Wii games includes old favorites such as Zelda, Mario, Donkey Kong, and Pokemon. Microsoft's Kinect add-on to the Xbox 360 and Sony's Move accessories target the casual users that have been the Wii's mainstay since its November 2006 debut. Sony also recently released a software update to 35 million PlayStation 3 game consoles to enable the device to process stereoscopic 3D graphics. "It's a future that Sony will lead," Sony Executive Vice-President Kazuo Hirai predicted. Users of rival systems will have to pay more to get experiences similar to the 3DS and Wii, Iwata says. "Every single Wii system we have already sold is motion-controlled, but other companies sometime in the future have to first sell the peripheral that lets users take advantage of motion control, then they have to sell the software," he says. "Nintendo may not lose its advantage anytime soon." The new software titles may stabilize Wii hardware sales at 18 million units for the fiscal year ending in March, with a decline to 13 million units the following year, according to CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets, a brokerage and investment firm. "A successful launch of 3DS with attractive 3D games and Nintendo's focus on its traditional franchise will help it stabilize profits to a higher level than our previous forecasts," says CLSA analyst Atul Goyal. If Nintendo's 3DS delivers half the success of the Wii, the house of Zelda, Mario, and Kong may once again prove doomsayers wrong.
I assume it uses this technology... <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Jd3-eiid-Uw&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Jd3-eiid-Uw&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object> ... instead of moving the head like in the video example, the player moves the screen. A simple adaptation to a great idea. The unit itself is basically a wiimote. If it works like this, we definitely have a winner here. Sales will be huge.
big mistake stoner the future is moving away from platforms like 3DS and moving closer to mobile / android / Apple OS based games. wii is safe for now but 3DS is the past, not the future.
How can 3D be the past Thermo. By the way I have a good vibe when I see your name, I think we once fought many battles together. Honestly 3D is everything now-- the whole future of film and TV. But whereas folks will get on a pair of dork o rama glasses and endure the bad resolution in the dark confines of a theater no one is going to walk around there house in these- Sorry Dolby. The first TV that can figure out how to give 3D without having to sit directly in front-- from the sides it's a mess... Now in gaming- come one not one of those platforms you spit out is doing anything great with 3D. Not that I see. I suppose that will be the Tablet 2 it makes sense. No kid is going to break out a $500 tablet though... not in New York. This device makes sense to me-- it appeals to the tweener age group and it is a must have for the near future. Other off plays Well Imax ( up a lot I wouldn't touch it ) Dolby (good stock( BTN ( very interesting Canadian co converts theaters to digital projectors ) DreamWorks- Beaten down probably a good pick up now. MVIS - ( pen sized mini projectors ugh don't ask this stk killed me twice ) SONY-? MICROSOFT? ~stoney
So damn TIRED hearing about 3D this and 3D that. I think its totallly overrated, nearly every movie coming out is going 3D, I went to one movie in 3D and was not really impressed, I could watch that same movie in regular 2D, spend less and still enjoy it. Who knows whats next in gaming but Sony and the rest of them are starting to hype 3D gaming.
S2007, another collection of letters and numbers from the past! I totally agree. To this day the best 3D movie I ever saw was Jaws 3. I'm not even sure I ever saw it in 3D. I have yet to have a good 3D experience although I did not see that movie about the blue Aliens because Cameron is annoying and made it so damn long. UP was unique in that the director tried to use 3D in a subtle backround arty way not with objects being fired into the screen. There was some potential there for sure but no one has done a good 3D movie yet-- WHICH BRINGS US TO THE LAST AIRBENDER! I have a really good vibe on this film and I would most CERTAINLY see it in 3D. As a relatively early investor in IMAX ($8.00) 3D is something I follow carefully. The American people are stupid. They see films they should be seeing in 2D and they are paying a lot more! When you analyze the box office receipts the numbers are startling-- in maybe 15% of the theaters the portion of revenue from the 3D is outsized. Now I up and went & bought my first flat screen last year. The picture is great I won't be changing up until it explodes.. I'm not alone in that thought... the move into the home with 3D is apt to be slow. Still the manufacturer that unlocks the secret code and provides clear 3D & normal view from all angles without glasses... they are going to be the one that takes home the big prize. SONY has not done anything on a large scale in so long, I would not count them out. Toshiba? Mitsubicci? Sharp?.... could Apple? People already play video games non stop. There has to be a next step after one plays against some other loser in another country online... stepping into the game is something we have dreamed about since Tron! It's the subject of sci fi movies and in a wild way is probably five years away. Using the games you are so familiar with now in a 3D format w/ the Nintendo device, will give all software another life and gaming consoles too. If NTDOY can get these to the shelves by Christmas, they will fly out the door. Good to hear from you! ~ stoney
I agree that this could be huge for Nintendo. A 3D system that DOESN'T require the glasses, is the exact product everyone's been looking for. The one and only reason I am not interested in the current 3D technology is due to the necessity of wearing the glasses. Not enjoyable for me. Given the hype and media love for 3D technology, if Nintendo can produce a system that actually works well, I think it will fly off the shelves. Moreso than ever, people are looking to buy the latest tech gadget. This should be no different if it's done right.