Entertainment Technology Center @ USC

[Business Wire press release]

“Dream Trigger 3D is the perfect visual showcase for the 3D graphical abilities of the Nintendo 3DS system and provides an experience never before seen on a handheld system.”

The Nintendo 3DS System Comes to Life Blending Sound and Eye-Popping Graphics for the Ultimate 3D Arcade Shooter Experience

D3Publisher (D3P), a publisher and developer of interactive entertainment software, today announced that Dream Trigger 3D is now available for the Nintendo 3DS™ handheld system in North America. Dream Trigger 3D is a completely original arcade shooter where players expose colorful enemies using sonar and then blast them into multicolored 3D patterns to create a first of its kind handheld gaming experience.

“Dream Trigger 3D will test players’ arcade shooting skills and have them at the edge of their seats as they navigate through dozens of nightmare-induced stages in 3D,” said Peter Andrew, vice president of product development, D3P. “Dream Trigger 3D is the perfect visual showcase for the 3D graphical abilities of the Nintendo 3DS system and provides an experience never before seen on a handheld system.”

Dream Trigger 3D is a completely original arcade shooter that will please any hardcore fan with a combination of over 50 captivating stages that feature stunning visuals and explosive 3D action. Dream Trigger 3D is designed specifically for the Nintendo 3DS™ system and is played by one or two players in a frenetic combination of color and light mixed with a dynamic multi-track musical score. The visuals provide an unparalleled immersive experience as players use sonar bombs to destroy and detect enemies, dodge attacks, and move through a variety of layered environments that burst seamlessly off the screen. Ultimately, each player is to be the “fixer of dreams” and end nightmarish attacks forever before being consumed completely.

Dream Trigger 3D is developed by Art Co. Ltd. and is rated “E” (Everyone – Mild Fantasy Violence) by the ESRB and is available at the suggested retail price of $39.95. For more information on Dream Trigger 3D, please visit www.DreamTrigger.com and find Dream Trigger 3D on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DreamTrigger.

See the original post here:  http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110510005424/en/Dream-Trigger™-3D-D3Publisher-Nintendo-3DS™-System

[by David Sanchez, Gamezone]

Nintendo 3DS owners, mark your calendars for August 9 because Cave Story 3D will be launching on Nintendo’s new dual screen handheld this summer. Fans of the original are sure to be excited about the game. Even if you have yet to play Cave Story for PC or WiiWare, you should watch out for this title.

Cave Story rose to prominence as one of the most popular and well-known indie games ever created. Developed by one man who called himself Studio Pixel, Cave Story offered a deep and touching story with plenty of humor and dialogue. The formula lent itself to that Metroid/Castlevania style of side-scrolling action-adventure gameplay that so many gamers adore.

Cave Story 3D was recently announced for the 3DS, and we’ve been learning new details about the game little by little. Aside from being on a snazzy 3DS game card and featuring some pretty sweet box art, Cave Story 3D will also feature revamped visuals. But the graphics aren’t just 3DS-style 3D—the levels themselves have actually been revamped to rotate slightly as you progress through the game.

Indie game fans are sure to be watching out for this one. But any gamer with a love for good titles should have their sights set on Cave Story 3D. It’s just an incredible, iconic adventure, and gamers would be doing themselves a disservice if they passed up the opportunity to play this game.

See the original post here:  http://www.gamezone.com/news/item/cave_story_3d_releasing_august_9/

[by Dean takahashi, venturebeat.com]

Nintendo said today that it sold just shy of 400,000 3DS handheld gaming system units in its first seven days of sales in the U.S.

That’s not bad, but the high sticker price of $249 for the 3DS may have held consumers back. It’s a sign that the new 3DS may not be as big a blockbuster as the original Nintendo DS, particularly in an age of smartphone and tablet competition.

Meanwhile, Nintendo said it sold almost 2.5 million Pokemon games in March. Overall, sales of Nintendo portable hardware and software hit a record in the U.S. for March. Market researcher NPD said the older DS outsold (460,000 units) the 3DS, which can display stereoscopic 3D without the need for glasses. In other words, sales of Nintendo’s older devices also provided a lot of competition for Nintendo’s newest device.

Nintendo said it sold 1.3 million Pokemon White handheld games and 1.1 million Pokemon Black games.

“Both Nintendo 3DS and the Nintendo DS family had a strong month, indicating that Nintendo has something for everyone,” said Charlie Scibetta, Nintendo of America’s senior director of corporate communications.

The Nintendo Wii sold more than 290,000 units in the U.S., compared to 433,000 Xbox 360s sold during the month. Overall, Nintendo U.S. hardware sales amounted to 1.1 million units. Nintendo is planning to launch its Wii Play Motion game on June 13, packaging it with a free Wii Remote Plus controller.

Nintendo says it will offer a free update for the 3DS in the future to enable internet access and access to Nintendo’s eShop, which will let users download software, game trailers, screen shots and other information. On June 19, Nintendo will launch a 3DS version of The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time, a re-mastered version of one of Nintendo’s biggest console hits. Movies will come to the 3DS this summer via Netflix, for those with an unlimited Netflix membership.

See the original post here: http://venturebeat.com/2011/04/14/nintendo-sells-400000-3ds-units-in-first-week-in-u-s/

[by Philip Lelyveld]

The ETC Consumer 3D Experience Lab has acquired a Nintendo 3DS.  ETC member company employees and their guests are invited to stop by to experience the autostereo screen, learn how to make a 3D dog sit and shake hands, take 3D photos, and play augmented reality games.

The 3DS has been added to our updated Consumer 3D Experience presentation and tour, which covers current 3D trends, technologies, and marketing issues.

[by John Dvorak, PC Magazine]

The Nintendo 3DS will be successful not only because it produces a great 3D image without glasses, but because it takes 3D pictures. Making 3D personal with 3D pictures and video is the key to the eventual success of home 3D.

The new Nintendo 3DS promises to be a success not only because it actually works well and does indeed provide a 3D image without any glasses or aid whatsoever, but because it takes amusing 3D photos and is just fun to play with.

When all is said and done, the Nintendo 3DS may actually accomplish what Fuji has been promoting and what many 3D hobbyists have tried: popularizing 3D photography for everyday use.

And, yes, we know that it’s a gimmick. But it’s a cool gimmick.

After taking a few 3D pictures of just about anything, you’ll find that they are so compelling that it is hard to express the odd joy you get from them. This is the key to the eventual success of home 3D. It has always failed in the past, because it was somebody else’s 3D. It was never personal.

Photography itself never flourished as a hobby when the cameras were the big bulky clunkers utilized by Matthew Brady and others. Think about this. Photography was nothing new during the Civil War in the 1860′s, but all the photos were done by a limited number of pros. You have to wonder what the Civil War would have been like if everyone had a cell phone camera like we do today.

Then Kodak produced the Brownie and gave photography to everyman. Next thing you knew, photography became the number one hobby in the world. 3D is following that same pattern. It’s just odd that a game company, Nintendo, is the Kodak and the 3DS is the Brownie.

Fuji is the only one that has been promoting 3D photography to any extent, but the seriousness of its efforts are questionable. The company seems intent on being a marginal player and is hardly promoting its 3D cameras. How many people reading this column knew that Fuji is the leader in consumer 3D cameras?

It’s okay, since Nintendo will pick up the slack. If the 3DS is a success, I would hope the company pushes the 3D angle to the next level, which is to create 3D video that can be played on a big screen 3D TV.

I suggest this because, again, here is where Fuji dropped the ball. There is nothing more boring than people’s home videos of little Becky’s birthday party that were filmed with flip-cam. But the exact same event becomes oddly compelling and interesting when shot and viewed in 3D. Instead of watching a flat two-dimensional replay of the event, 3D puts you into the moment, as if you were actually there.

3D movie-making adds a whole new dimension to the 3D hobby. While it is inconvenient to set up the 3D TV and outfit people with glasses, it’s still fun to watch on the small 3D screen without the glasses.

Before I get too carried away, let’s back off and logically look at how this whole 3D thing will unfold.

Be assured that small 3D screens do work well, and combine that with the fact that making 3D pictures and movies is a lot of fun, and it will trigger all sorts of uses for 3D. But who are the most aggressive makers of handheld devices with small LCD screens? The mobile phone handset makers, of course.

So it’s obvious that someone will come out with a 3D mobile phone, and the likelihood of it being Apple is quite high. The iPhone 3D would be a good moniker.

When Apple goes 3D you can be assured that all the 3D naysayers will change their tune from “it’s a fad” to “3D finally done right!” But when the history is written, I think the Nintendo 3DS will be recognized as the father of it all.

See the original post here:  http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2382761,00.asp

[by CIARA O'BRIEN, Irish Times]

Excerpt:

The new Nintendo 3DS might herald a change in attitude towards 3D technology

MORE THAN a year after 3D TV was unveiled, the technology has yet to become a staple in households. But that could be about to change with a new generation of smaller, portable products with 3D options, which could provide a back door into consumers’ homes for the technology.

The launch of the Nintendo 3DS last week could herald a change in attitude towards 3D. Heralded as a “game changer” for 3D, hopes are high that the console, which does not require the use of special glasses, could give 3D the push it needs to become an entertainment standard.

It has already proved popular, with Nintendo reporting record sales for the handheld console, although exact figures will not be released until mid-April.

Games makers are expecting the 3DS to further the cause of 3D among consumers.

“Even though it’s a handheld device, people are going to have a good experience with it and are going to be searching out that 3D content on the home console as well,” said Tony Key, vice-president of marketing at video game publisher Ubisoft.

3D gaming was expected to, in some way, drive sales of the new TV sets. However, it could be a while before that adoption is widespread. Although Sony is backing 3D gaming, enabling big name titles such as Call of Duty: Black Ops and Gran Turismo 5 and promising 20 titles by the end of the year, Microsoft has been a little more circumspect, concentrating instead on its motion-sensitive Kinect product.

The Nintendo-inspired boost would be welcomed by an industry that has worked hard to promote 3D with varying degrees of success.

A number of factors are blamed for holding back the adoption of 3D TV as a standard, including the cost of the equipment, a lack of content and the expectation that newer, better technology that will not require the use of glasses is coming in the near future.

There could be hope on the horizon for TV manufacturers. A study by research firm Futuresource Consulting claims that almost 15 million households in the US will have a 3D-enabled TV by the end of 2012. Prices have fallen in recent months as more 3D-enabled TVs become available.

Addressing the lack of content is another issue. While there has been a rash of 3D film releases, content for the average consumer is thin on the ground.

The new generation of portable, create-your-own-3D devices could go some way towards solving that problem, encouraging consumers to invest in the new equipment.

Companies such as Panasonic and Sony are also adopting the technology into cameras, camcorders and even laptops this year, increasing the chances that consumers will become exposed to it.

Even mobile phone companies are getting in on the act, with LG unveiling a 3D phone at Mobile World Congress in February.

…

Auto-stereoscopic 3D TVs, which do not require the use of glasses, are available in Japan, but the expectation that this will become the norm in the near future may be misguided.

…

See the full, lengthy post here: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2011/0401/1224293532698.html

[by Don Reisinger, CNET]

The Nintendo 3DS had the best U.S. launch of any handheld the game company has ever released, according to a statement today.

“U.S. day-one sales numbers for the Nintendo 3DS were the highest of any Nintendo handheld system in our history,” a company representative told CNET today. Though Nintendo didn’t release actual sales figures, the company said that first-week sales will be available from research firm NPD when it announces its March industry revenue findings next month.

Nintendo launched the 3DS in the U.S. on Sunday for $249. The device, which allows users to play 3D games without the need for special glasses, was readily available online and in some stores around the U.S. following the launch, prompting some to wonder whether Nintendo enjoyed the same kind of success in North America as it did in Japan. The handheld reportedly sold out in Japan during its first weekend of availability.

The achievement shouldn’t be taken lightly. The device’s launch has outpaced some of the bestselling game handhelds ever released, including the Nintendo Game Boy, the Nintendo DS, and many others. Nintendo revealed earlier this year that it sold more than 47 million DS units in the U.S. alone since that platform’s launch in 2004. The 3DS seems well on its way to matching its predecessor.

But amid all the good news coming from the 3DS, the platform has caught some flak from upset customers who say their devices were crashing while they were playing games. In those cases, players were reportedly forced to shut the device off and start over.

Though Nintendo didn’t specifically cite those issues, the company told CNET today that it hasn’t received too many complaints about its 3DS, and the rate of hardware failure was actually quite low.

“The number of calls and e-mails received by our customer support center is well below the rate experienced during past hardware launches, and there are no widespread issues,” the Nintendo representative told CNET. “As always, people who have questions or comments about Nintendo 3DS or any Nintendo products can visit our support Web site or call 800-255-3700.”
See the original story here: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-20048482-17.html?tag=mncol;title

[By Chris Kohler, Wired.com]

Having played the majority of the first wave of games for the Nintendo 3DS, we can say one thing for sure: The glasses-free 3-D handheld, which hits U.S. stores Sunday, will be stuck in the launch doldrums for a while.

Yes, many of the 16 games that will be available at launch prove entertaining enough. And there’s a lot of fun stuff to do with the hardware, even if you don’t buy a single game.

But in the rush to make it out on Day One, developers have cut corners. Some games last only a few hours, others lack the communication features that were supposed to make 3DS games special, and some are rush-job ports from other hardware. It’s not that there’s anything particularly bad about them. It’s just clear we’re going to have to wait for games that fully exploit what 3DS can do.

Like iPad early adopters, gamers who snag a 3DS this weekend will no doubt be itching for something to do with their snazzy new machines. Unlike iPad apps, 3DS games typically retail for $40 a pop. If you want to spend that money wisely, read our hands-on impressions of games that will be available for Sunday’s launch.

See the original post and read the comments on each game here: http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2011/03/3ds-games-buyers-guide/

[Press Release]

SEGA® Europe Ltd. and SEGA® of America, Inc. today announced Thor™: God of Thunder and Captain America™: Super Soldier, scheduled for release this spring and summer, will feature eye-popping stereoscopic 3D graphics on the Xbox 360®video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system platforms. Additionally, both games will be coming to the Nintendo 3DS™ system later in the year as an immersive new handheld 3D experience.

“Playing as Captain America with bullets whizzing past in stereoscopic 3D and having a titanic Frost Giant charge straight at you in Thor will bring an unprecedented level of adrenaline to the gameplay experience,” commented Gary Knight, Senior Vice President of Marketing at SEGA Europe and SEGA of America. “When you combine the triple threat of epic gameplay, hall of fame franchises from Marvel, and outstanding 3D visuals, it’s clear that Thor: God of Thunder and Captain America: Super Soldier comprise a new class of Super Hero game.”

Both games, which will also be available at launch on the Wii™ system and Nintendo DS™ handheld system, feature original third-person adventures written in conjunction with Marvel scribes.

Creating interactive epics that stand on their own, the games share lead actors and a visual universe with the films based on the same Marvel franchises. Both games will support multiple 3D modes, including anaglyph Color mode utilizing red- and blue-lensed glasses for conventional displays. For active shutter glasses and 3D televisions, the games provide Side-by-Side and Top-Bottom modes, and on PlayStation 3, the higher resolution Frame Packing mode for HDMI 1.4 3D displays is supported.

In Thor: God of Thunder, scheduled to street on May 3, 2011, players will play as Thor while battling through several of the Nine Realms to save his homeland of Asgard. Players will wield the iconic Mjölnir, Thor’s legendary hammer, to fight enemies on an immense scale while controlling the elemental storm powers of lightning, thunder, and wind to vanquish enemies. The sweeping vistas, Thor’s devastating hammer throws, and the explosive elemental effects of Thor’s godlike powers will be especially powerful when viewed in 3D.

Captain America: Super Soldier, scheduled for release on July 19, 2011, transports players to the darkest days of World War II to face the Red Skull and his Hydra army in an epic action adventure. Playing as Captain America and wielding his legendary shield, gamers will engage in free-flowing combat and acrobatic platforming to infiltrate Hydra’s mysterious castle and battle the infamous Iron Cross, the forces of Hydra, and a host of nefarious enemies serving the Red Skull. As the First Avenger himself, players must defeat the evil scientist Arnim Zola and his wartime experiments, combining shield attacks and powerful melee combos to devastating effect. Aside from rich 3D visuals, players will gain gameplay benefits from 3D platform environments inside the castle, with the ability to discern depth aiding in judging leaps from one platform or pole to another.

Both titles will be available for Nintendo 3DS in conjunction with the movie DVD releases later in the year, with action-packed adventures that provide players a new way to experience Thor and Captain America in 3D.

See the original post here: http://www.gamershell.com/companies/sega/837490.html

[By Jared Newman, technologizer.com]

With less than two weeks until the Nintendo 3DS launches in the United States, Nintendo is showing off its first commercial for the 3D gaming handheld. And in doing so, the company has raised a question that comes up every time someone tries to advertise 3D: How, exactly, do you market something that can only be witnessed in person?

In a way, this issue has dogged television makers for years. Back when tube televisions ruled, electronics companies had to convince us of HDTV’s visual fidelity through words or metaphor. That’s true with any incremental improvement in picture quality. But while it’s easy to believe that a new TV simply looks better than an old one, 3D has the challenge of selling the public on an entirely different way of viewing video. Take a look at how Nintendo handles it:

I think the visual effect of jumping into and out of the game is a valiant effort. If I were 20 years younger, I’d probably be flipping out over this stuff, and it definitely does a better job of selling the 3D concept than most 3D TV ads. (My personal least favorite is the one from Panasonic where a family gets sucked into outer space, accompanied by a voiceover from a creepy, whispering child.)

One other thing that strikes me about the Nintendo 3DS ad: the users. These people are my age, which is to say they fall into the stereotypical gamer demographic. In recent years, Nintendo’s made a killing by targeting everyone else.

See the original story here: http://technologizer.com/2011/03/15/nintendo-3ds-ad-grapples-with-3d-marketing/