Although it started as a clandestine probe into enemy territory, Apple now pretty much owns the handheld gaming market — game for game, buck for buck — thanks to the App Store. The previous king of handheld gaming, Nintendo, hopes their new console will swing things back in their favor: they think the future of handheld gaming is 3D, and have just announced the console they hope will prove it, the Nintendo 3DS.
Sharing the look of its predecessor, the Nintendo 3DS has two displays: a 3.02-inch touchscreen display running at a 320×240 resolution, and a 3.52-inch 3D widescreen display that works without the need for additional glasses. It also includes three cameras (one front facing, two back facing — to allow 3D photos to be taken) as well as an SD slot, a traditional DS cartridge slot, 802.11n WiFi, a 3D depth slider to reduce or disable 3D effects in games and both a D-Pad and analog stick for controls.
Neither price nor release date have been announced for the 3DS yet, but a $149 – $199 MSRP and a holiday season launch would be my guess.
It looks like a fantastic update to the original DS, and the 3D technology is uniquely amazing, but with the 3DS, it seems like Nintendo’s still locked in to a primarily retail distribution channel for new titles. As long as Apple has the edge of a thriving app ecosystem and a low-barrier to developer entry, Nintendo is only going to continue to fall behind Apple.
