Nintendo 3DS is Sick (and Could Make You Sick)

3-dimensional movies and television have become interesting forms of media delivery, but what about 3D video games? At this point, they haven’t really exploded like 3D movies have, but the impending popularity is sure to come.

Video games are all about immersing yourself in a world other than the one you’re living in, taking on the part of another person. By bringing video games into three dimensions, combined with the fact that you are already controlling what happens on the screen, will bring them to another level.

Before major consoles start really pumping out 3-D based games, we will have the release of the “Nintendo 3DS.” This new version of the popular Nintendo Duel Screen handheld system is going to push the bar of 3-dimensional entertainment even further by eliminating the need for 3D glasses.

This change will be exciting for gamers and unnerving for parents (At least for parents of kids under the age of six).

According to news articles from Fox News, the Huffington Post and Engadget, the new “Nintendo 3DS” won’t be the best for our eyes. We already know it isn’t incredibly helpful for our eyes to be watching 3D movies, let alone staring at 40-inch HD televisions for six hours while playing Call of Duty: Black Ops, but the new 3DS is going to take it a step further.

Because there is no need for 3D glasses, the strain on our eyes from the 3DS will be even stronger. For adults, this will most likely result in a little headache and possibly a little nausea if you really get addicted to that new 3D Mario Brothers game.

Unfortunately, the Nintendo DS, and Nintendo games in general, have always been most appealing to children. The playful, family-friendly games suck them in at a young age. With the Nintendo 3DS, this could cause some sight issues.

Because children under the age of six are still developing, their eyes are developing as well. When playing the 3DS, or any 3D media, each eye is being shown a different image. According to many sources, these differing images can actually cause damage.

Luckily, Nintendo is most likely making a big deal out of a small issue. It’s obvious that your eyes are going to feel some hurt if you play all day every day – that has been true for years. Parents: don’t let your kids play 3DS all day; problem solved. If you have a little rebel on your hands, the 3DS will come equipped with a parental control that allows you to lock their system in 2D until you decide they are ready for 3D.

The Nintendo 3DS will be released in Japan in February of 2011, with the European and American products being shipped around March. The system will cost around $300 and is being released with popular game series like Metal Gear Solid and Street Fighter.

Your kids will want one; that’s not a question. I think this 3DS will be a revolutionary item, as Nintendo often creates (GameBoy, Nintendo 64, Nintendo Wii), so don’t kill your children’s hopes and dreams just yet. Do some more research, read more as more is released, and don’t believe everything you read.

I think their eyes, and my own, will be fine after playing the 3D Mario game. Please, Nintendo, make it good.