A skeptical Sony spokesperson has questioned the logic of Nintendo’s decision to market a 3D handheld device.
“I think it remains to be seen where Nintendo goes with 3D on a portable,” John Koller, SCEA’s director of hardware and marketing told IGN.
“Having been in the portable space for quite awhile, I think it’s an interesting move but one I’d like to see where they go from a demographic standpoint. 8 and 9 year-olds playing 3D [seems] a little bit of a stretch…”
Koller also noted that Sony was currently focused on moving forward in the 3D console space.
“Our focus on 3D right now is on the console. There’s a tremendous amount of opportunity on PlayStation 3 with 3D,” explained Koller.
“The amount of interest in 3D from the retail side and game publishers is off the charts. We know we have a hit with 3D on PS3 and we’re going to concentrate our efforts there.”
Meanwhile, Nikkei reports that Nintendo’s 3DS is expected to feature a force-feedback system, along with a screen size comparable to that of the DSI. In addition, the 3DS will be capable of projecting a 3D image without requiring the use of special glasses.
Although Nintendo has thus far declined to provide technical specs or details, a number of publications have speculated that the image will be rendered on a screen with a thin sheet of lenses in front of the primary display panel.
“Such screens, already in use on at least on model of cell phone in Japan, focus a 3D image to a particular point in space and the user can see a 3D image if they are viewing from that point,” explained PC World’s Martyn Williams.
