Nintendo 3DS: A Full Earth Rotation Later

Yes, It has been a full 24 hours since the launch of the Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo’s next big “thiNg” in the video game market. For just about all but the most diehard of Nintendo enthusiasts, It has been a high level of anticipation. This handheld brings non-glasses 3D gaming, which is quite an achievement in itself. But then, it’s also 3D, a form of vision that doesn’t exactly work for everyone. In this anticipation, I did see some cool coverage on TV, including a video on Good Morning America which caught a quick glimpse of a Captain Falcon on the streets of NYC. Unfortunately, they did not upload that to their website but it looked pretty cool. ( It must be hard trying to pilot the The Blue Falcon on those street though.)

Web searching today, I have seen various coverage of the new handheld. However, how is the 3DS performing 24 hours later? How does a Sunday launch affect Nintendo? Was it worth the pre-order?Well, Game Informer Magazine conducted a quick, unofficial survey.

During the hours of Monday, March 28th, Game Informer called the stores  of all five major retailers across the nation. The retailers were Best Buy, Target, Walmart, Gamestop, and Kmart (Yes, Kmart. They actually have some good deals. I got Just C

ause 2 for $40 when it launched!)

The results were actually quite surprising as they indicated that there are a good number of units on store shelves right now. It wasn’t an empty shelf sell-out as predicted due to the results of the launch in Japan, which suffered unit shortages.

“Although our results were far from scientific, we were able to track down units in stores from all five retailers. Only three of the 25 stores we talked to were completely sold out, and the majority of the stores had around 5-10 units still available to those who didn’t pre-order. A few stores had 20 or more units for purchase. Almost across the board, most stores had more of the blue units available than the black units.” Jeff Marchiava, Game Informer Magazine

The good news here is that  it appears you still have plenty of opportunity to buy a unit if you want one. It seems Nintendo acquired the right number of units to ship to stores given the time of year and the day.

However, it may appear that consumers may be on the fence about their purchase as there are questionable concerns with the main unit. The games have been mixed but it seems the real focus is the 3DS unit itself.

Some of these concerns have been questioned since E3 2010 but it also seems that many more concern have publicly surfaced. This could potentially affect its impact in the U.S.

In many of the reviews I have read, the battery in the 3DS is like what kryptonite is to Superman. No matter what review you read on the net, the main issue is the battery. From what I have read from various sources, the battery life can be from 2.5 to 5 hours long. It all depends if you are using the 3D effect, brightness, what game you’re playing, etc. The bottom line though is that with a battery life like that, you are compelled to lug around the charger wherever you go. Also, the battery, like most of our portable electronic devices, eventually loses its charge duration overtime, which may essentially defeat the purpose of the word “portable.” It kind of looks embarrassing on Nintendo’s end as its competitors, the ipod touch and the PSP line, can all acquire more battery life with many of their respective features being used. Granted, they don’t use 3D but it would seem that if you are buying a system that highlights 3D technology, you would like to use that as much as possible and expect the battery engineering to be as optimal as possible. It’s similar to going to Red Lobster and asking for a cheeseburger. You go to Red Lobster for the seafood specialty and not a cheeseburger.

The ability to use third part battery expansion may alo be a troublesome issue as indicated by Digital Trends’ Ryan Fleming, “The 3D simply drains the power from a device, and to use a longer-lasting battery, it would significantly impact the weight of the handheld. We still expect to see third-party manufacturers jump to correct this issue with additional and replacement batteries, but to replace the battery you would need to open the case — it is not designed for people to switch them out.”

Could the battery be refined? Perhaps. But as it stands it is a very weak part of the handheld.

Also, the 3D aspect, the primary reason for the purchase of the 3DS, is a vision that works for some but may not be accessible to all. There is a large science behind 3D. 3D is actualy a trick on your brain and eyes to give you that eye-popping view. Every pair of eyes and every brain works differently and where some see and effect, other don’t see anything at all.  Most affected by this inaccessibility are children under the age of 8 years old. Nintendo put out a warning on purchasing the unit for such an age as the eyes are still growing and developing for optimum vision. Playing the 3DS may cause damage. This could be a large, potential sales audience that cannot purchase a 3DS.

A similar case is myself: I saw the most 3D-rich film in history, Avatar. I saw it twice: once in regular 2D and another time in 3D. I felt the film was awesome, but it was a much more enjoyable experience in regular format. When I saw it again in 3D, all i really noticed was some flies, extra fire ashes, and those jellyfish things flying a little off the screen. Ultimately, though, that was it. However, I already wear glasses thanks to an eye condition that once existed but got blasted away via lazer surgery ( Or what I like to call, Death Star’d.)

A tech correspondent from ABC News NOW explains this issue a little further.

ABC News NOW- Nintendo 3DS

Ultimately, I think time from here on out will determine if this system catches on and if consumers still hold interest in Nintendo and the aspect 3D. 3D is a big risk in today’s market as it is expensive and working for some and not all. The 3DS hold its potential but its up to the consumer and the developer to make that potential happen.

So what do you think? How do you think the 3DS will turn out? Big win or the next Virtual Boy/ Powerglove? Are you getting one? Fire away in the comments below or on our facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Just-Push-Start/132642424960