Despite clear warnings from Nintendo prior to the release of the 3DS (and, indeed, once you’re actually using the console) British tabloid The Sun has gone with a rather one-sided story today: Nintendo 3D ‘makes gamers dizzy & sick’.
Now, we’re not here to defend Nintendo, they can manage that all by themselves. Indeed, they’ve already told trade paper MCV that they’ve had “zero calls on this issue in both the UK and across Europe” since the launch. Their own PR department have said that the allegations have arisen from “a few tweets and comments following the US launch”.
“HUNDREDS of furious gamers have slammed Nintendo’s new 3DS console – for making them feel ill” goes the story, which claims that fans have “besieged gadget websites and Twitter to complain of dizziness, headaches and sickness after playing the hand-held device for just a few minutes.”
They list two Tweets: “the 3D gave me a headache, so I hated it” and “bumped into a friend and we played with a 3DS but it made both of us feel ill” – both are which weren’t immediately found on Twitter, but did appear on MaxConsole (via a quick Google search) in a list of similar messages – the ones picked up by The Sun were the first and last in that list.
To be fair, the 3D does affect people in different ways, and running the slider on full has, in the past, given me a slight headache.
But the warnings are there from Nintendo, and picking up on a list of Tweets as evidence in this way just seems a little odd, especially as there’s likely to be just as many people perfectly happy with the 3DS and not “slamming” it at all.
Our advice? If it does give you headaches, turn that slider down. Games still work in 2D, don’t you know?
Peter Rushton
Both screens aren’t 3d, it can be quite tiring on the eyes aswell. Imagine it, you’re looking at the top screen, amazed by the 3d visuals but then you want to bring up, say, your inventory, that 2d screen is harmful!
cam the man
It’s not much different from looking at say your sofa (3D) then looking at your TV screen (2D).
I get what you meen though.
Radiitz
I stopped using The Pun, oops, I mean Sun, for 2 reasons.
1. As hinted above, they use awful puns in almost every story that makes you want to rip your eyes out.
2. Katie Price was in the headlines too much. Something that does not interest me, at all.
They’re nothing but patriotic tabloid trash who can never be taken seriously (as Sympozium pointed out). I played the 3DS in Gamestation this past Sunday. I played only for about 1 minute, and I didn’t feel any strain at all (neither did my mate). I guess you could say its an unfair comparison to something like, say, 30 minutes. But Nintendo already said its recommended to use 3D for a maximum of 30 minutes or so. These people who complained about it probably played it for 2 hours straight. They warned you! Nice one, Sun. Nintendo put a warning out, and you complain about the exact thing they already warned you about…
Crocadillian
All i can think of typing as a comment is a groan, and wishing that governments would have laws to hold media outlets liable for this kind of trash.
topgear
Why can’t they read the manual, It clearly states you can adjust the strength/depth of the 3D mode by adjusting the slider. If it’s too much then put it a couple of notches down. Worked for me :D
Paranoimia
I was going to buy a 3DS for some of the third-party games (none of that crappy Nintendo bullshit), and I doubt I would ever have used the 3D at all.
But then Sony announced the NGP/PSP2, so my 3DS fund is now my NGP fund.
nofi
“none of that crappy Nintendo bullshit”
Really?