Nintendo is known for its innovations this gen, and it's one of the if not the biggest reason why they are the current market leader in both console and handheld gaming. With their recent release of their nexgen handheld the "3DS" nintendo expects to continue it's market dominance, BUT there's an issue..

With the DS nintendo introduced both 3D graphics for a video game handheld(true 3D graphics comparable to N64 games) and a dual screen device that offers a touch screen and a stylus to interact with games. In 2004(when the DS launched) touchscreen devices were rare and only common in high tech smart phones which operated with a stylus, this was all before the iphone came out and changed everything.

With the wii nintendo introduced motion gaming, something that has been seen before in video games(through 3rd party controllers, and even the eye toy on the PS2) but never used as a platform for gaming, or with/had enough precision to operate functionally in gameplay. Wii changed that, and to the casual consumer who has never really seen motion tech in a video game system or in an entertainment system of any kind, it was futuristic technology which caused them to go nuts for the thing, and launching at a much cheaper price than the higher tech rivals 360 and PS3 made it even easier for consumers to pick.

Now as the next handheld generation nears nintendo comes out early with the "3DS", but what does it do? Well it offers a VGA camera that could deliever alternate reality simulations, combined with the 3D functionality in the top screen, it could truely deliever a jaw dropping experience, this all sounds/looks amazing on paper.. and new and innovative but.. when you play it.. for some reason it's not as good looking as the paper claims.

The issue is, there are smartphones that can offer alternate reality simulations through apps, so that alternate reality feature isn't that new, and if we look only into the core video game market, the XBOX 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 both offer games that can emulate alternate reality with the PS EYE/Move and Kinect. So the question is, does the 3DS really bring anything new to the table?

Well the 3D without glasses is intriging, but the issue is.. it's not comparable to 3D in cinema, or even the 3D in currently released higher end 3D tv models(that require glasses).. and to make it even worse for nintendo, the screen is pretty small, and coming from a movie theatre to a 3DS causes a huge huge disparity reducing the experience dramaticly.

Now the problem coming, isn't any of that, even though they seem to be pretty big issues, the real problem will be when SONY/TOSHIBA/SAMSUNG/PANASONIC/VIZIO/LG.. etc.. decide to release their first glassless 3D tv's, the PS3 can do 3D, and sadly some games on the PS3 that do 3D easily surpass anything the 3DS has put out to date in 3D, but you need glasses at the moment, but what if you could play those 3D PS3 games on glassless 3D tv's? What would happen to the 3DS?

As for the NGP, price is what'll hurt it, but as the mobile market continues to rapidly expand, chances are smart phones right now are already easily more powerful than the 3DS, and by next year may eclipse the 3DS in power, (and you can bet apple/other smart phone companies are ganna come out with 3D smart phones, ATT announced an LG? Smart phone with glassless 3D capablities coming out this summer), and potentially match the NGP in power.

So not only does nintendo have a problem but so does sony, they release handhelds every 4-5 years, while cell phone companies release cell phones every 6-8 months, and each as much as twice more powerful than the other..

Content content content. All these technology problems can be handwaved if Nintendo has the right games, and that's where the debate about the DS' future should really be.

E3 will be very telling about the future of the device

Games will be the only thing selling dedicated game devices. It sounds stupid to even say this because it should really go without saying, but the PSP was an attempt to make a multi-use (video, music player) handheld, that while being a pretty capable device, was made a bit redundant by the AppStore/iPhone for any user who didn't feel compelled to play God of War everywhere they went. Ultimately, it was the games that remained the best reason to buy a PSP.

As far as Nintendo handhelds go, I have to say that the whole "glassless 3D" has been the first time Nintendo has been marketing a tech edge as a means to push platform adoption. The DS was never pushed as a cutting edge device, but it had expanded market games (Brain Age, fitness trackers, cook books, sudoku, etc. ) that allowed Nintendo to market the device to an audience beyond the typical Mario/Pokemon portable gamers.

So with the 3DS, once again it will be the ability of Nintendo to sell the platform to the expanded audience in the current market of iOS/Android apps. It's safe to say regardless of how well they do this, they will always have the Nintendo demographic. Unfortunately, that isn't an expanding group. 

I picked option We all live in a yellow .. sub.. ma.. .. because like above none of the tech matters if you dont have the software. Tech alone does not sell a gaming system, its the games that work well with the hardware that sell the systems. This is pretty much a non debate no matter your system preference. Hell the software imo for the 3Ds will never use the 3D in a acceptable way. Well because I cant do 3D. So If anything the tech itself is hurting it some. However, I am going to guess some good old software will lead me to end up buying it in the future anyways. With a nice price drop ofcourse so I dont feel like im paying for something I find useless.

Right, much as games are the only thing selling consoles, when you can get all those tertiary services on your PC or elsewhere

You compare apples to oranges imo.

3DS is doomed because PS3 also has 3D??? NGP is praised as portable PS3 without 3D and should be the winner just cause of power? And then mobile phones with 3D will replace handhelds, but 3D on small display is shit?

Doesn't make sense imo,

everything you wrote is inconsequent!

Sorry leo-j, bad analysis.

3DS has a few small flaws that will keep it from ever selling much more then 100 million units. 

It will remain market leader this gen though.

Exactly.

All this talk of 3DS underperformance is trivial. As history has shown, a generation is not a sprint, but rather a well-paced run.

The 3DS has a few good games out but none of the heavy hitters except Nintendogs & cats. When the upcoming 2D Mario game bombs on the 3DS, then I will have cause for concern. Until then, all discussion is hot air.

The 3D is the MARKETED feature of the 3DS, but as anyone who actually owns it knows, the thing is capable of many more things. Once 3D is turned off, what makes it so much worse than the DS?

well I see the problem being the lack of games yet (this will be fixed no doubt) I won't buy it till then.

But the 3D in that is pretty damn awesome (I played it at the store)
To use 3D  on a PS3. you need the ps3 (300) TV at 240hz (1000 (not sure exactly, and their getting cheaper). And a 3D kit that makes you wear glasses. There are new glasses free TV's. And you've been able to do it on the PC way longer than you have a PS3.

But the fact that you get graphics that are substantially improved over the DS.  With 3D without glasses for 250 dollars that you can take on tricks is cool.

The bigger issues I think are battery life (And I doubt the NGP will do better)
And lack of games (PSP had that issue, until the psp already died basically :D imo) with too many remakes being the center of attention Zelda, MGS3. I don't spend the most time looking at it though so there could be some on the horizon I'm missing. 

Seriously, were you expecting good analysis from Leo-J?