Nintendo: 3D More Impactful on 3DS XL

Jeremy Wilkinson

Behatted Physicist
Jun 14, 2012
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Nintendo: 3D More Impactful on 3DS XL


Nintendo's engineers claim that only players with "incredible eyesight" will notice resolution issues on larger screens.

When Nintendo first announced the 3DS XL last month [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/118045-Nintendo-Announces-3DS-XL], many feared that making the screen 90% larger while keeping the same resolution could adversely affect picture quality. Now, the company hopes to allay these concerns with some detailed insight into the design process behind the device.

In a recent "Iwata Asks" interview, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata questioned a group from the company's Research and Engineering team. The leading focus of the interview was, naturally, the larger screens and their impact on the design and functionality of the console. Shoya Tanaka, part of the 3DS XL's Project Management Group, said that the increased parallax offered by the larger top screen means that it can display 3D graphics with "greater impact" than the smaller 3DS. When Iwata asked whether customers would notice any extra blur or pixelation, Takashi Murakami from the Mechanical Design Group replied, "For normal play, I don't think anyone will be able to sense anything awkward." He did, however, note a very slight degradation, saying, "I have incredible eyesight, so if you look at it with eyes like mine, you can tell." Iwata mentioned that when he tried the console, the pixelation was much less apparent than with the DSi XL.

Murakami also talked about the new anti-reflection coating on the 3DS XL's screens. The amount of glare from the screens has been reduced by 75% compared to the 3DS thanks to, as Murakami puts it, "the progress of technology." Anti-glare screens have been a hot topic for Nintendo ever since the Game Boy Advance, but the company has always had to abandon such technology due to prohibitively high costs, Iwata pointed out. The comparatively low price of the new technology means that Nintendo can incorporate it into the new console, meaning that the screens are less reflective than on any other Nintendo handheld.

The Nintendo 3DS XL hits stores in the USA on August 19, and in Europe and Japan on July 28.

Source: Iwata Asks [http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/3ds/xl/0/4]

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Covarr

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May 29, 2009
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I have very good eyesight, and do not doubt that I will be able to tell the difference. However, that being said, I don't particularly think I'll mind it. In terms of PPI, this is still about the same AFTER enlargement as the DS or DS Lite. It's not like the DSi XL, which dropped below 100 PPI.

This also means that this device will be far better than the original 3DS for DS games. Instead of having to choose between tiny screens and a blurry mess, the player will be able to have screens roughly the size AND resolution of the classic DS, by holding start+select when they start a DS game. The black outlines will still be there, but the overall size will be more workable.

P.S. Thanks
 

FantomOmega

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Jun 14, 2012
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WHY did they even need to point this out since the DSi XL had the same issues and the difference in the screen for DS games were far "worse" but it still sold well

This kind of announcement sounds like DOUBT in the release of the larger device since saying this will make people who are NOT aware of the screen difference to actually take a LOOK to identify the differences in game resolution
 

Rad Party God

Party like it's 2010!
Feb 23, 2010
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Covarr said:
I have very good eyesight, and do not doubt that I will be able to tell the difference. However, that being said, I don't particularly think I'll mind it. In terms of PPI, this is still about the same AFTER enlargement as the DS or DS Lite. It's not like the DSi XL, which dropped below 100 PPI.

This also means that this device will be far better than the original 3DS for DS games. Instead of having to choose between tiny screens and a blurry mess, the player will be able to have screens roughly the size AND resolution of the classic DS, by holding start+select when they start a DS game. The black outlines will still be there, but the overall size will be more workable.

P.S. Thanks
Hmmmm... I hadn't considered that, thanks for the info. I'm a bit more interested in getting a 3DS XL now. As for the pixelation of the regular 3DS games themselves... well, at least Iwata says that it's less noticable than the DSi XL, wich is definitely an improvement.
 

Dygen Entreri

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Sep 23, 2010
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So all this improvement, and yet they still wouldn't put a second analogue stick on it. Not to mention that the second stick attachment that's been designed for the first 3DS won't fit on the XL!

They really need to get their priorities straight...
 

Teshi

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May 8, 2010
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"More impactful"? What did the English language ever do to The Escapist to deserve such torture?
 

Nick Holmgren

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Feb 13, 2010
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TizzytheTormentor said:
Wish they could have added that second circle pad peripheral to the XL...Only reason I won't buy...
Apparently nintendo didn't want to do that because it would mean admitting it was stupid to not include in the first place.

Officially, they didn't want to encourage developers requiring a second analog stick.
 

Zouriz

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Apr 28, 2011
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Nick Holmgren said:
TizzytheTormentor said:
Wish they could have added that second circle pad peripheral to the XL...Only reason I won't buy...
Apparently nintendo didn't want to do that because it would mean admitting it was stupid to not include in the first place.

Officially, they didn't want to encourage developers requiring a second analog stick.
Smart idea, it would hurt gamers with the first 3DS and ones without a circle pad.
 

VinLAURiA

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Dec 25, 2008
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I hope you all realize the Circle Pad Pro isn't just a second stick. It's also an extra pair of shoulder buttons (360-style analog triggers, to be exact) and even if they did fit a second stick onto the unit, they'd either have to try to fit bulky triggers onto the thing or still make a 3DSXL peripheral for CPP games that just doesn't have a stick.

I'm not a big fan of the decision myself, but unless someone knows of a way to put analog shoulder buttons onto a unit without making it unreasonably bulky, this is what can be done. Even with the extra size the XL is still thin enough to fit in reasonably-sized pockets. I doubt the same could be said if they just slapped a pair of triggers onto the thing.
 

Nick Holmgren

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Feb 13, 2010
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Zouriz said:
Nick Holmgren said:
TizzytheTormentor said:
Wish they could have added that second circle pad peripheral to the XL...Only reason I won't buy...
Apparently nintendo didn't want to do that because it would mean admitting it was stupid to not include in the first place.

Officially, they didn't want to encourage developers requiring a second analog stick.
Smart idea, it would hurt gamers with the first 3DS and ones without a circle pad.
except the circle pad pro exists so it is even worse, developers get even more split since the circle pad is an accessory that many may not have or be willing to get for your game, but you have an easier time designing the game if you just require it.

They already have the split, they just came down on the side of "did it wrong first, need to keep going" rather than "screwed up, should fix that".
 

Clearing the Eye

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Jun 6, 2012
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Teshi said:
"More impactful"? What did the English language ever do to The Escapist to deserve such torture?
More impactful isn't the best use of the language, but it's not that poor. Lazy, yes.

OT: I love how Nintendo release shit handhelds and then launch improved versions later. I have no idea why people even buy the first generations (or second, in some cases). Gameboy? Colour. Gameboy Advance? Wait a year and get the SP. DS? Ha. DS Lite. Did we already release another DS? How about some more? DSi. Oh, and here's some 3D no one wants. 3DS. Ah fuck it-make it bigger. 3DS XL.

Shit on your customers some more, Nintendo. I'm sure you can convince them to throw some more money at you.
 

FamoFunk

Dad, I'm in space.
Mar 10, 2010
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My eyes are rubbish, but I only brought a 3DS in April so I'm not going to upgrade. Plus I don't actually enjoy the XL screens at all. I sometimes feel like the only person who like it small.
 

The White Hunter

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Oct 19, 2011
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FamoFunk said:
My eyes are rubbish, but I only brought a 3DS in April so I'm not going to upgrade. Plus I don't actually enjoy the XL screens at all. I sometimes feel like the only person who like it small.
For me it isn't a huge issue in terms of screen size but I do prefer the slightly bulkier console for my man paws. The 3DS XL is also much more aesthetically pleasing to me that the original, just in terms of the design, also battery life is a thing that I'd rather have more of tbh, even though i play at home i don't want to be near an outlet constantly. And the screens wont press on each other and cause damage hopefully, I deliberately held off on 3DS because I knew an improved version would happen.

But yeah, looking forward to this and the 5/6 games now worth owning for me :)

Hopefully the Vita will soon become worthwhile too, Dark Souls Portable perhaps?