Nintendo 3DS Health Warning Update

Posted on Jan 10 2011 - 10:07pm by Richard Sharp

Nintendo recently caused a bit of a stir with its health warning on the new 3DS gaming machines which are due out shortly. They advised that children under 6 should refrain from using the system’s 3D feature in order to avoid potential damage to their eyes.

This has led to a fair bit of criticism being aimed at the Japanese console giant, already reeling from negative public opinion on the device’s recently announced battery life, and their CEO Satoru Iwata has just come out to defend the company’s stance on the matter.

Iwata’s comments came at the Nintendo World 2011 event in Tokyo, where gamers over the age of 6 have been able to try out all the features on the new machine and younger players are being restricted to 2D action.

The latest comments defending this stance state that Nintendo has released the warning in order to provide valuable information to their customers and that the real issue is that long spells playing a game is what should be really seen a potential health issue which needs to be avoided. 

The CEO also pointed out that “experts consulted by the company” are of the opinion that long periods of 3D viewing can be detrimental to young children and that the instructions for the Nintendo 3DS will carry the warning about use by young children.

Despite these restrictions the aims of the company for the new machine are extremely high, with one and a half million machines expected to be sold in sold in Japan by the time March is out and two and a half million in the rest of the world by the same time. These are pretty steep figures considering that it isn’t even being launched in Nintendo’s home country until the end of February and elsewhere early in the following month.

So what do you think? Would you stop your young child using the 3D function on the 3DS machine until their sixth birthday?

2 Comments so far. Feel free to join this conversation.

  1. Treena April 15, 2011 at 3:42 am - Reply

    Hi there, If i am a parent i would rather stop my kids to play on 3D handheld than to suffer them for eye problem. Parents must be aware on this issue it is not a simple thing that can easily be solve. You can offer some other thing just to make them happy and for them to enjoy.

  2. Pamela June 28, 2011 at 1:55 am - Reply

    Hi Richard,
    On the first time that I hear this issue, the only thing that comes to my mind is my younger brother. Since he really want to have this 3D handheld, but now he was very disappointed to own this due to that matter. However, I would rather prefer not to play on that handheld than to see my brother suffering for having eye defect.

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