Nintendo 3DS Comes Out Of Nowhere [Nintendo Announces 3D-enabled Gaming Handheld, Backwards Compatibility With Current Nintendo DS Games, Glasses Free]

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In a surprising move, video game giant Nintendo announced their newest product – the Nintendo 3DS – a glasses-free 3D version of their Nintendo DS gaming handheld. In addition to being able to play new 3D games, the new device, dubbed the Nintendo 3DS, will also have backwards compatibility with original DS and DSi games.

It’s no secret that 3D is hot (something to do with a little film?) right now in the tech world. Nintendo’s rivals at Sony have also announced that their PlayStation 3 will be getting some 3D functionality, but that will require special glasses – while Nintendo’s 3DS will be glasses free on the small handheld screen. Sony told BusinessWeek that they are currently not pursuing a 3D handheld device.

Nintendo didn’t give many details beyond that, saying that the Nintendo 3DS would be fully unveiled at the E3 trade show in June. It’s highly likely that the Nintendo 3DS is the rumored DS2 that has been kicking around for a while. While they’re announcing it now and giving out more details in June, Nintendo did say that the new 3D handheld won’t go on sale until next year.

Reggie Fils-Aime, CEO of Nintendo America, said in an unrelated recent interview that “I think a hallmark of Nintendo is that we are constantly trying to innovate,” and went on to say that Nintendo only releases a new product when it’s “the next frontier” for gaming. So, it would appear that Nintendo views 3D as the “next frontier” in the gaming space.

Investors were pleased with the announcement as Nintendo’s stock price rose, but pundits have already drawn comparisons to Nintendo’s Virtual Boy gaming platform in the mid-1990′s. Virtual Boy was supposed to be a 3D portable gaming console, released in 1996 to a big marketing campaign but the weak 3D (only in the colors black and red) and poor gameplay doomed Nintendo’s first 3D console.

The glasses-free Nintendo 3DS will probably be better than the dreadful Virtual Boy, but expect more comparisons as we get closer to the 3DS’ unveiling in June and it’s release next year.