Nintendo Responds to 3DS Headache Complaints

[FullMetalZ]

I actually tried one out a few days ago and I got pretty bad eye ache within a few seconds.

Same thing happened to me when I played a demo about a week ago. It was definitely less than 30 seconds.

That being said, this isn't rocket science here. I just stopped playing.

I can also see where people might be coming from though. Nintendo has been hyping this thing up for a while now, so I can see how it might be upsetting to have spent $250 on what Nintendo was advertising, only to get a headache 10 minutes after taking it out of the box.

This really just boils down to being a more responsible and informed consumer.

 

[Hoff Starr]

I guess it is down to the person and how they react to it. I once bought some exercise equipment that made my chest hurt, so I didn't use it. But then I didn't spend £200+ on it.
I think I will wait until there are games that pull me in more, I don't feel like my life is lacking without right now...

 

[Yopaz]

I dunno about anyone else, but I've yet to have any serious problems, headaches or otherwise, while playing with full 3D on, and I will forever be thankful for that. It looks damn pretty.

I got a headache the firt time I tried it after a minute or so. Since that nothing, just enjoyed evert moment of the 3D. Can't wait for some better games though.

I played the 3DS for 10 minutes and got a headache for an hour. I believe that wearing glasses may possibly increase it's negative effects, but who knows.

I wear glasse, what kind do you wear? Minus, plus and/or something else?

People complaining about this are probably the same ones who complained in 2006 that Wii remotes were flying through their TV.

Yeah. "Nintendo, you destroyed my TV. I was playing with my Wii for 18 hour and because my hands were sweaty I lot my grip on the wii mote when I swung extra hard and it hit my TV." Actually a true tory. He didn't even have the intelligence to lie about the the extra hard wing or the fact that hi hand were dripping with sweat. Thi time no-one reads the warning that pops u every time you start a game to take a break of 15 minutes after 45 minutes of playing.

Personally I haven't had much of an issue, but it's self explanatory. If the 3D give you a headache, turn it off or take a break for a few minutes.

 

[JoshTheater]

This is why you need to TRY a video game console before you go all in and buy it. I know for a fact I won't buy a 3DS until I've given one a nice long play. Sorry if the 3D effects give you a headache, but you should OBVIOUSLY consider that a possibility and try it to see how it affects you first before dropping $250 on it.

 

[cryogeist]

I very fact that this matter had to be addressed worries me.

same here
i mean look at the virtual boy
That was 3-D and so is the 3Ds

 

[reddfawks]

Reddfawks responds to 3DS headache complaints:

"Told ya so!"

(Srsly, I thought my brain was going to explode when I watched "Avatar" in 3D...)

 

[Jamie Doerschuck]

I still can't get over what a dumb business plan this was...

Okay, they've sold millions or billions of DSes. For the sake of argument (I know this is quite possibly completely wrong), let's say that they sold 45 million. Well after five years, that's about as many people who will be interested in buying the next installment of the DS family, logically. It's been out for a long time, the niche probably won't make any huge jumps in size.

But out of this 45 million they've cut out people who can't afford the giant price tag (which the original didn't have) and people who can't see steroscopic 3D.

"Who cares?" you may say "You have to cater to the majority anyway, right?"

Well.. Yes. But that 45 million IS their majority. Even if over 70% of the people who own DSes are considered "middle class" and only 1 in 100 people can't see stereoscopic 3D (more "for argument" facts, I'm not saying any of these are accurate. It's just the principal), you're cutting out the people who can't afford it or see it out of your target.. Area.

It just.. None of this makes sense to me.

"Hey, know what would be a good joke?"
"What?"
"If we spent a bunch of money developing the next DS and sold it to even LESS people!"
"YEAHH!! LOL, THAT'LL BE SOOO FUNNY."
"LMAO, I KNOW."

 

[Tiswas]

Pretty much every game says play for 30 and rest for 15 on 3D anyways.

But should Nintendo really have to come out and say this? It's common sense.

 

[josemlopes]

But the 3D is soooo pretty just let me play... a little *moans* longer.
GAH MY HEAD!
In all seriousness, it's kinda like an ice-cream headache: you don't think about it untill it's too late.

This.

OT: You bought it (at least if you bought it now) for the 3D, so not being able to use the 3D when you want to sucks a bit.

Its still something that people should already know.

 

[JediMB]

Nintendo have been recommending regular breaks in playing games since the 80's (to avoid nausea and headaches), so this really isn't anything new.

 

[Torrasque]

I very fact that this matter had to be addressed worries me.

Pretty much.
Its like those warnings that pop up for some of my Wii games (and all of my 3DS games *cough*) saying "you should probably take a break every 30 minutes, you know, go get some air, or a drink".
Of course, all of us just blow by this as "yeah yeah, I'll be fine", except that ONE idiot that says "OH NOEZ! MY EYEBALLS ARE HURTINGZ AFTER 8 HOURS OF STREET FIGHTER 3D WITH THE 3D SLIDER ALL THE WAY!! WHY WAS I NOT WARNED!?!?!?!?!??!?!?"

TL;DR:

 

[C95J]

Why would you complain about that? What's Nintendo supposed to do? Ship out headache pills for everybody? Invent special headache proof glasses?

When the cause of the headaches is that obvious, it makes you think how stupid some people can get...

 

[Andy Chalk]

I sure wouldn't buy a 3DS without first giving it a five-minute test run. If you suffer immediate effects, put it down and buy something else; if you're okay after five, you'll be okay in the long run.

But I still think all this 3D business is just a fad that'll blow over fairly quickly.

 

[vxicepickxv]

I sure wouldn't buy a 3DS without first giving it a five-minute test run. If you suffer immediate effects, put it down and buy something else; if you're okay after five, you'll be okay in the long run.

But I still think all this 3D business is just a fad that'll blow over fairly quickly.

Well, if they don't release good games, then it probably will be a fad. I didn't see anything worth buying with the 3DS, so meh. I don't really care.

 

[Proverbial Jon]

Why would you complain about that? What's Nintendo supposed to do? Ship out headache pills for everybody?

So you're saying that white powder I found in the box WASN'T for the headaches?

OT: I haven't had any problems with headches while using my 3DS, it's mostly eye strain. Then again I don't think I've really played on it for more than 20-30 minutes at a time anyway.

It's all just some stupid trick for the eyes, a trick that our eyes just aren't used to seeing. We see perfectly well in 3D naturally, we focus on things close to us while things further away are thrown into a blurry haze, I believe it's called depth of field. So to constantly have to focus on what is effectively two different screens very close together, trying very hard to approximate a natural effect, just makes my eyes have a little fit sometimes. I just put it down, go do something else for a bit and come back. No problem.

But hey, if it's a real issue, you CAN turn the 3D off altogether. Yeah I know that defeats the point but hey, I didn't buy it for the 3D, I'm in it for the games.

 

[I forgot]

I still can't get over what a dumb business plan this was...

Okay, they've sold millions or billions of DSes. For the sake of argument (I know this is quite possibly completely wrong), let's say that they sold 45 million. Well after five years, that's about as many people who will be interested in buying the next installment of the DS family, logically. It's been out for a long time, the niche probably won't make any huge jumps in size.

But out of this 45 million they've cut out people who can't afford the giant price tag (which the original didn't have) and people who can't see steroscopic 3D.

"Who cares?" you may say "You have to cater to the majority anyway, right?"

Well.. Yes. But that 45 million IS their majority. Even if over 70% of the people who own DSes are considered "middle class" and only 1 in 100 people can't see stereoscopic 3D (more "for argument" facts, I'm not saying any of these are accurate. It's just the principal), you're cutting out the people who can't afford it or see it out of your target.. Area.

It just.. None of this makes sense to me.

"Hey, know what would be a good joke?"
"What?"
"If we spent a bunch of money developing the next DS and sold it to even LESS people!"
"YEAHH!! LOL, THAT'LL BE SOOO FUNNY."
"LMAO, I KNOW."

The price is the biggest knock against the 3DS. Nintendo should've waited until this technology became cheap like they did with wii motion plus. The DS could've easily lasted another year or two. I doubt the 3DS will be a failure but I don't see it making the same numbers the DS or Wii made.

 

[Escapefromwhatever]

Or you can just turn off the 3D. Is is really that important?

 

[noble cookie]

Could it be our eyes are not used to it? I mean surely after a while we'd get used to it.

 

[Zenn3k]

I have better advice.

Don't buy it.

 

[Quaidis]

Some games on the 3DS make my head hurt, others don't affect me at all. A mere five minutes of Ridge Racer was enough to leave me feeling genuinely ill for about a half hour - and it was the first game I'd played, so it wasn't a "take a break" situation. It depends on how the 3D is being implemented, how much motion is involved, and how forgiving the 3D is - all of which varies greatly from game to game.

I like your post. It's the one that makes the most sense so far.

I'm going to hold off on getting a 3ds for 3 solid reasons:

Reason 1: I acquired my first DS (a shiney blue DSLite) last year.
Reason 2: I'm already prone to severe game-sickness and heard the warnings.
Reason 3: I'd like for a game shoppe near me to carry a version of the 3DS that I can try before I buy. This would help sort out reason 2.