An Extra Dimension of Touching

Okay, so I'll admit it. Right here in this very blog, I said that Nintendo wouldn't be making their next console a handheld. Well, with the recent announcement of the 3DS, the proper successor to DS, I can say that I was quite wrong.

The theory was sound, at least: DSi is graphically more capable than DS, a sort of subtle-successor to DS Lite, ready to have exclusive, shinier games (which, though it looks unlikely now, Nintendo can still make). Meanwhile, Wii is facing a stern test in seeing off the new motion control options offered by its competitors (see below for more on that...).

But that is Nintendo for you. Unpredictable. As ever, Nintendo came up with a pretty left-field idea and caught us off-guard with the announcement of a handheld that can create the effect of a 3D image on its two screens without glasses. Not only that, but it's going to be a true graphical leap from the current DS, and it will probably release this year.

Why now? Well, perhaps Nintendo was rattled by reports that Apple, that 'non-gaming' behemoth, has snatched 19% of the handheld gaming market - more than PSP - without even selling a dedicated handheld. Perhaps DSi didn't sell as well as they'd anticipated. Maybe rumours of an ultra-powered PSP2 forced Nintendo to get in first.

The likely answer, though, is none of the above. Nintendo does things on its own terms, sometimes infuriatingly so (hello, friend codes). The question we should be asking, though, is what this announcement means for the games industry.

Well, whether it actually works remains to be seen. Something closer to Avatar than Journey to the Center of The Earth (not the great book, the awful '3D' film with Brendan Fraser)in terms of 3D quality would be a big boost to the handheld's credentials, but the practicalities of the actual experience are important too. Will the images be 3D on both screens? Will they conflict with each other - or form one huge image? Do I have to hold it in a certain, awkward way?

We don't know, and we're not likely to find out until E3 this year. But on paper, the idea is full of promise. It seems that Nintendo has hit upon something massive. The one barrier to entry to 3DTV adoption, when they go on sale this year, is certain to be the price. Yes, Sony will update the PS3 with 3D-gaming capabilities, but can you afford the £1000+ tech to play on? Anyone who recently emptied their bank account on an HDTV won't exactly be itching to throw their 42" in the bin just yet.

What's the point of a 3D-enabled device if most owners don't and won't own a 3DTV? Well, when you buy a handheld, you buy a screen (or two, in the DS' case). Make them 3D capable at a low enough price and suddenly every 3DS owner has a 3D-enabled games console. That also means that Nintendo can make the 3D capabilities central to the experience. If Sony put in 3D-only content in Killzone 3, for example (like a puzzle that requires the extra dimension), they'd cut out the majority of players from accessing some of the content. But Zelda 3DS can utilise the added depth to the full, because every player can see the mind-bending puzzles. It's simply a stroke of genius.

Don't take my word for it, though. I've been wrong before. Time will tell whether the extra dimension can make the DS a success all over again. Whatever happens though, at least people won't notice now when Sony copies DS' touch screens. That's old news now.