Original VGC news article here.

Original thread discussing the news here.

With Nintendo's announcement of their next handheld today via PDF on their Japanese corporate website, lots of speculation has arisen. Let's discuss the various concepts here. This thread is specifically not about the announcement, but instead about SPECULATION.

I wrote this for the 3DS's announcement on my own site. In it, I provide a couple looks at some of the bits of speculation/theories/rumors about the "3DS".

Tentatively named the "3DS", it's slated to launch sometime before April next year (aka, sometime within the next twelve months). My current expectations are that it'll launch in November. I'm going to call November 14.

Anyways, the system will utilize some sort of advanced technology to provide 3D imagery (akin to Alice in Wonderland or Up!) but do so WITHOUT requiring the use of glasses. The current popular speculation is that it'll use layers of paper-thin screens that each provide a piece of the 3D image. This will create a TRUE 3D image, not a pseudo-3D that you get when using the glasses.

Previous rumors stated that the system will have graphical capabilities rivaling that of the Nintendo Gamecube, possibly surpassing it. Additionally, it's said to use a very similar development kit TO the Gamecube and Wii, which would mean developers would have a VERY easy time picking it up and getting to work with it. This means we may see gobs of Gamecube and Wii ports to the system, giving it one of the fastest third-party adoption rates of any system ever.

Additionally, late last year, it was leaked that NVidia had acquired a contract with Nintendo to produce their Tegra system-on-a-chip processors for them. The Tegra chips are essentially all the processing components of a computer on a single processing chip (likely akin to a "dual-core"-type construction). This allows for ultra-fast communication between the various components, as they're built into each other. The only question is how this relates to the previous statement (the similar-to-GCN-devkit), as the GCN uses an IBM CPU and ATI GPU. Different architectures = different devkits needed... or so 30 years of precedence have told us.

Lastly, recently, Nintendo began teasing about the 5th Generation of Pokemon. I wrote up a thread just over a month ago discussing my theory that the 5th gen's two main titles would be launch titles for the "DS2", now known as the 3DS. I hold to this theory 100%, and I fully believe that most of you should jump on the train. ;D

Other games to expect:

• NSMB 3DS
• Super Smash Bros. 3DS
• a variety of GCN and Wii ports
• F-Zero 3DS
• Star Fox 3DS
• A LOAD of other titles with the "3DS" moniker thrown at the end

Regarding the technology I was thinking they're using lenses on top of the screens to focus each image on the correct eye... Essentially how the 3D TVs with no glasses work, except it should be much easier and cheaper since:

- the screen is smaller.
- the viewing angle can be small too.
- only one person at a time is watching the screen.

F-Zero for launch hopefully.

Evidently I'm unfamiliar with the 3D TV no-glasses tech. That sounds like a plausible concept, if it doesn't require you to keep your head in a certain position. Viewing angle can be small, but not TOO small because people DO like to play from funny positions sometimes.

Making the 3DS powerful enough to play Wii games with minor modifications would mean that Nintendo and 3rd party devs could make a shit load of money off Wii ports

There's no need to speculate. Pokemon 3D will be huge! Nintendogs also!

I speculate, though, that there'll be an analog stick.

Well... Nintendo can anyway. :P

3rd parties really, really should've brought their A game to Wii...

This is what I'm most excited about.

I forgot to add in my original writeup the rumor that it also has accelerometers in it. Also, what do we think of cameras? Are they going to basically make it a whole step-up from the DSi, or just the DS? Is it going to have cameras built-in, or is that just a funny luxury of the DSi-brand?

Or, even more, will they pull a multiple-SKU thing and do a 3DS and 3DSi concept together? Hmm.

My guess is that instead of glasses, you will need 3D contact lenses.

This will revolutionize the entire industry, not only the VideoGames, but all!

Imagine the NEW "Wii"!!!!