by Lynette Alice

Created on: June 21, 2010

The Nintendo 3DS, while highly anticipated and looking like a great gaming experience, may not be for everyone - particularly young children. That is not a statement coming from the competition or a concerned parents group of any type, it is straight from Reggie Fils-Aime who is the president of Nintendo of America. Due to his stature and intimate knowledge of the gaming system, his words carry a massive impact.

Fils-Aime did not slip up and say something that was not intended, nor does he have a bone to pick with his employers. His reason for going public was to protect his consumer base and long term sales - and yes - do the right thing. Fils-Aime pointed out that Nintendo has a strong legacy in the gaming community and that it was in large part earned by releasing quality products and being straight with people about what they are getting when they purchase Nintendo products.

For anyone not aware of what the Nintendo 3DS is, it is a 3-Dimensional gaming system. It is particularly popular with young children who are and always have been a strong target audience for Nintendo. The problem with the 3DS is that it causes headaches for some users regardless of age, but the proportion seems to be higher in younger children. In young children, the muscles around the eye are not yet fully developed, and the way the eye reacts to 3-D imagery can cause extra strain leading to headaches.

Nintendo has not officially backed up the message Fils-Aime is putting out on his own, citing they will conduct more studies, but it is hard to argue. 3-D motion pictures carry warnings concerning young children viewing those and the possible effects it can have, and there is no arguing biology that a child’s ocular muscles are not fully developed. The warnings on 3-D films have been around nearly 20 years in the U.S., and the biology is beyond dispute.

Fils-Aime has stated that the 3DS is best suited for children over the age of seven, which obviously does not make Nintendo International terribly happy as there are already loads of games ready to go aimed at the 5-10 year old age range. That would cut the demographic field by 60% which could create a problem. The reality of the situation however is that children under 8 are rarely if ever turned lose with enough cash to buy a gaming system like the 3DS and far too many parents would heed the warnings if they were on the box or possibly even notice them.

The buzz is that Nintendo will conduct studies into the issue at a later date - likely when sales begin to drag. Then they may add a warning on new shipments of the 3DS, but call it a guideline rather than a warning. They are in a tough spot - they cannot argue what Fils-Aime said and not look callous, but they cannot afford to agree either and lose sales they are in dire need of.

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