After being delayed until after the lucrative holiday selling season, now comes word that Nintendo will issue a warning with the introduction next month of its much-touted new glasses-less portable game player 3DS causes eye-strain for kids under six-years-old.
A statement from Nintendo recommends players take a break after 30-minutes of play, according to web site Kotaku. “If your physical condition worsens or you become ill, please stop playing at once.”
The recommended 30-minute viewing time is particularly limiting since the auto-stereoscopic 3DS is also being touted as a 3D movie viewer.
A 3D slider that allows players to increase or decrease the 3D effect will reduce or increase the problems for different players. But since the eyes of children under six years old are still in developmental stages, Nintendo recommends that they do not use the 3D option on the 3DS, or risk long-lasting eye damage. The company is including 3D parental controls to help ensure young children play the games and watch videos only in 2D mode.
The first 3DS consoles are now due to go on sale in Japan Feb. 26 and in the UK and USA in March.
A European launch event is scheduled for January in Amsterdam, according to the UK’s Daily Mail web site.
The device uses a second LCD screen that sits over the main viewing panel and features angled vertical ridges that allow each eye to see a different set of pixels, but only if viewed directly and not at any angle.
— By Scott Hettrick