By Darren Allan.
"Those following the 3DS can’t have missed the recent warning from Nintendo that the handheld could have a negative impact on the eyesight of very young children."
This is because the three dimensional effect the handheld boasts could potentially interfere with a child’s eyesight development while they’re still very young, i.e. under six.
For this reason, it’s recommended that under six-year-olds play in the standard 2D mode, and Nintendo will be including a parental lock to ensure kids can’t change back to 3D when unsupervised.
In light of the ensuing concerns in the press regarding this issue, the President of Nintendo, Satoru Iwata, has stepped forward to defend the 3DS.
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, he said: “We are being proactive about informing our customer, even though it may not necessarily be positive for our sales.”
He then added that the handheld wasn’t “dangerous” by nature. Of course, it still remains to be seen how the more widespread adoption of 3D viewing on a wider spectrum, from TV to gaming, will effect the nation’s eyesight in the longer term.
The 3DS is due out in March, so prepare your peepers, but the essential line of advice from Nintendo as always is moderation – don’t play too long and hard, and take breaks after half an hour. How realistic that is when you’re addicted to Professor Layton and the Lost Marbles is, of course, is another matter…
