Reggie Fils-Aime: Nintendo 3DS is Nintendo's next 'platform'

by David Hinkle on Apr 13th 2010 12:00PM

It may sound like the obvious statement to make, but for how much Nintendo has enjoyed marginally improving its handheld over the last few years, it's a big deal. According to an interview with Businessweek, Nintendo president Reggie Fils-Aime has stated that the upcoming 3DS will indeed be Nintendo's next platform -- not simply another revision of its already existing DS tech.

"The Nintendo 3DS for us is our next handheld platform," Fils-Aime assures. Even though Nintendo's business is "fundamentally about software, not hardware," the new tech will be "a means to an end" -- the final goal being "a great consumer experience."

Reggie wouldn't offer anything else on the proposed new handheld, other than mentioning Nintendo's plans of debuting it at E3. We'll be there.

[Via MCV]

Source

Tags: 3ds, DS, interview, Nintendo, nintendo-3ds, reggie, reggie-fils-aime

Reader Comments (122)

Don't care what you call it, it's still a DS in 3D. Not really a new platform. Looking forward to it though.

Because you have actually seen it and know the specifications?

Wow, with that argument you can say that the 360 is still just an Xbox, in 360!!!

Well, he is kinda right. How do we know it won't be a simple spec bump like GameCube to Wii?

By that logic, the difference between PS1 to PS2, or even PS2 to PS3, would have been minimal because "it's still a Playstation". Just wait before you drop opinions like that, no one even knows what the damn thing looks like, let alone its system specs.

Yes, It's a DS with 3D in the same way that the PS3 is a PS2 with Blu-Ray. The specs will obviously be far superior to the DS (I hope) so I really don't see any problem with it.

Before the 360, the Xbox was just some lame arc. Now that Microsoft completed the circle, it completed my world.

I'd be really surprised to see them spec it above Dreamcast level graphics (at the very most). They're Nintendo. They can get away with it. And less tech = more profit.

Some of you are simply taking name analogies and trying to turn it around. No I have not seen specs. The graphical improvement and many other things from PS1 to PS2 to PS3 and Xbox to Xbox 360 were leaps compared to what this is going to be. They have a right to be called new platforms. Nintendo never makes leaps and bounds with their graphical capabilities. I wasn't trashing the thing anyway. I am looking forward to it. I'll bet you it's not going to make leaps and bounds to really be considered a new platform.

Clearly it's just going to be 3 DS-es duct taped together.

"Nintendo never makes leaps and bounds with their graphic capabilities"

I really don't understand why some "gamers" say this, specially guys like you who are part of a gaming community like Joystiq.

Yes, the Wii is not as powerful as the PS3 or 360, but this is the first gen that Nintendo have underpowered systems.

The SNES had better graphics than the Genesis... the N64 had better graphics than the PS1 (but was limited by the small storage space)... the Gamecube had better graphics than the PS2...

Bah... just STFU.

I don't know, from the NES to the SNES was a big leap. From the SNES from the N64 was an even larger leap coupled with at least two bounds. Never is not a word you should use lightly.

NES to SNES, SNES to N64 (okay, if you say to Virtual Boy - that was a downgrade...but let's forget that), N64 to Gamecube? None of those were huge graphical leaps? BS they weren't. Even GBC to GBA to DS were meaningful leaps. You're just trying to hate on the Wii. Troll.

Damn, I completely forgot about the internet and how trying to prove someone wrong is pointless. Internet 101, man, Internet 101!

Yeah I am just trying to hate on the Wii and Nintendo. That's why I own a Wii and DS. I'll continue to troll away.

You're saying that the NES to SNES wasn't a substantial leap? As was the jump from there to N64, and then to Gamecube? Really?

The only platforms where there was no substantial leap has been recently. And even then, the DS was a pretty decent jump over the GBA. The Wii is the only one you can really say they cut corners on.

Seriously, in many of their hardware iterations, they have had the most powerful system on the market. Even the Gamecube was darn close.

Ok, the graphical leaps on those systems were improvements I won't deny that. Comparing it to where computer and hardware leaps, including consoles these days, to say they haven't made leaps and bounds isn't a lie. Understand, all of you, this is my personal opinion. Nintendo's way behind when it comes to hardware. I'll just wait until E3 when most of you are posting contradicting views. Not the first time it's happened, and surely not the last.

And to add, I love Nintendo, but they need to catch up with the times.

@ spike

This is very clearly a generational change for nintendo and not a rehash of the DS. The new 3DS games will NOT run on the old hardware. This is absolutely a new platform.

im just not sure where you can go and make rash judgments like this when all the available evidence says otherwise?

Rash judgement? Never said it wouldn't be good or an improvement. Just said it's still a DS.

Might as well give up at this point. The Nintendo fanboys have made up their mind and won't be convinced otherwise.

I know Dr. Just don't understand why they are acting like I hate the thing. To say Nintendo doesn't need to catch up with the times is just being in denial. Think it just gave a bunch of people a chance to get out early morning aggression from taking words out of context.

@ Dr 32x @spike

IM the farthest thing from a nintendo fanboy, im a self proclaimed ps3 fanboy, but i like to think that im open minded and objective. ive never bothered to own anything nintendo since N64. but i might get the 3DS

im just calling it what it technically is. A platform change. calling this "just another ds" is implying that this new unit will be of equal change to the DSXL and DSi etc.

This is indeed a PLATFORM change and will mean a higher spec machine, not to mention a 3d screen. We could very well see a tegra processor in here or a 1ghz mobile processor or 600mhz + arm whatever.

Whatever the case this is not simply another DS, this machine will play new more graphically advanced games in autosteroscopic 3D most likely with head tracking (theyve experimented successfully on DSi)

These games will not play on exsisting DS variations. This will fracture the market, this is a generational change. Which hasnt happened since GBA.

This is not "just another DS"

im just saying words that are facts. Dont hate, appreciate.

Oh Dr. Blight, the word "convince" is a poor choice of word for the 2 of you loosing the argument against Everyone (not fanboys) who disagrees.

People like Spike are the reason why I stopped commenting a lot here at Joystiq and gaming blogs... but smart people like unboring are the reason why I still read Joystiq every single day.

We didn't "loose" anything. And it's people like you who turn these into arguments rather than debates.

People like me? It's like once a week people disagree with me. Am I doing that much harm?

Fernando you darling. we miss you but its nice to know that you're still around. This ones for you. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8bm6XlxuCY

Game Over - You lose.

I'm not one to curl up into a ball and cry at night because people disagree with my opinion. Could care less. Down voting is as good as up votes. People still read them.

"but they need to catch up with the times"

Yeah, because all the other game console have 3D.

And because the DS didn't sell well and was no fun to play.

What Nintendo has proven this generation is that cutting edge graphics aren't the most important part of gaming. How you interact with games (IR, gestures, stylus, camera, speech) can be as important, if not more.

Now, IMO the DS's deficiency was the lack of floating point hardware, which had to be calculated in software, resulting in diminished performance. Being able to have more AI, to calculate more actions--that has more significant impact on gaming than graphics.

But go look at the specs for Tegra 2, which Nintendo is rumored to have selected for the DS successor. That is nothing to sneeze at.

My beef, though, with comments like this is that it's the same spec geek thinking--if it's not the latest, best specs and tech, then it's crap.

@unboring

hahaha... thanks!

I really do read Joystiq every day, but, well... there are too many new commenters that are very popular, and funny... and there are a lot of new groups (the Planeteers)... I really don't feel relevant anymore.

Everyone has their feathers all up over that comment, yet everyone is ignoring the fact that from GC to Wii - there was no major jump. And this strategy has worked very well for them, lesser tech = more profit. No one thinks they may stick with that direction?

Will the 3DS (lame name) be a signifigant jump? Time will tell. Though for me and many others to be interested in making a buy - it's going to have to do things that N hasn't done before.

Integration to N account and ability to download and play any of the N VC titles....that you have already purchased on the Wii. Look at Sony on how this is done. Will have to be at least at Cube level graphics. with an option for third party memory storage. I guess they are staying with the cart format - though I'd like to see the Cube disk return...drifting into a wish list of features...

I'm not a graphics whore at all, it's just I already have plenty of lesser capable consoles with plenty of games to enjoy already. I'm sure there are more than a few of you out there in this same vantage point.

Hopefully we'll get concrete details on specs and they won't pull the old Wii trick again. At this point I don't think ANY of us can make calls on what the tech will be in this thing.

I want to add something relevant to this comment thread but can't think of anything because I done went stupid reading all of the monkey turd above.

The original gameboy was sub-NES. The later gameboys were still sub-NES to maintain compatibility but were closer. The GBA practically was a SNES. The DS practically was a N64.

Unless Nintendo decides to stop reusing shrunken hardware for their handhelds, my feeling is that the 3DS will be closer to a GameCube in power.

Fernando, you are still relevant man!

As far as the subject - it seems to me we don't know the exact specs and build of the new device, so how can people assume it is going to be like the DS or something super duper powerful? We don't have the facts yet. Though, I have faith that Nintendo will come to the handheld market as hardcore and nicely built as they always have.

Tegra 2 for 3DS.. runs Unreal Engine 3 with ease...
http://www.geek.com/articles/mobile/tegra-2-runs-unreal-engine-3-puts-high-end-console-3d-graphics-in-your-pocket-2010018/

@Duke

I think because it's called a 3DS. If it's a new platform it would benefit them to give it a new name otherwise people are going to assume it's just a DS that plays games in 3-D. A new name for a new platform would be a good move. Imagine if the Wii was called MotionGameCube or something like that. You'd think it was a game cube with motion controls.

I'm psyched for the 3DS but I can see where the notion that it's not a full fledged platform is coming from.

While I don't necessarily enjoy being downvoted, I will say that I feel like 3D is just a fad, like in the 90s. Sure, it's done better and looks good, but do we really want to wear glasses while watching every movie or playing every game? Is it really that important? I personally don't think so.

Taylor

That's the beauty of the Nintendo 3DS... we already know that you won't need glasses to see the 3D effect. Aparently, Nintendo is going to use Parallax Barrier LCD Screens made by Sharp.

what fernando said, as well as the fact that you can switch the 3d off. Also, from everything ive read gaming IS the reason to do 3d, its the best utility of it and makes gaming much more immersive and fun. Ive read this in every single hands on by every publication ive read.

High definition has also been called a fad but that doesn't seem to be going anywhere.

3DS isn't even it's name, though. And after going from Revolution to Wii, god only knows what it'll end up being.

To be fair Nintendo not focusing on graphics this generation has hammered into our heads, what with the DS being compared to the PSP and the Wii to the other consoles all the time.

@Spike Spiegel: You should really stop using that light-gray font on the white background in all of your posts.

It's really hard to read anything you say.

I'm guessing theres gonna be a rather large jump in graphics for the 3DS (which is the codename, not the real name). I think I read a rumor that it has capabilities around that of a gamecube, which was more powerful than both the ps2 and original xbox despite what many people want to believe. I dunno about you guys, but I think thats more than good enough for most handheld games especially considering all the other improvements outside of sheer power.

Spike, the problem is that you didn't express an opinion, you came out and clearly stated what it is going to be without any direct knowledge. It could very well be a large leap from the DS to the 3DS, but you stated, as if a fact, that it will be just a DS in 3D. Could it be just a minor improvement? Sure, but as of now all we know is that they're positioning it as a true successor and new platform. To be honest though, I'm not sure a minor spec bump would be enough to handle a true 3D gaming platform, so I'd think that would be pretty unlikely.

As for never making leaps, GameCube to Wii is the only time I could agree that there wasn't any major leap.

"turning these debates into arguments"

As far as I know... debates are arguments...

I like Spike better than Fernando. :P

Come now, let's just admit you dropped a line of thought farther along than the starting point of the article and move on.

Clearly you have an opinion that the 3DS won't be a major jump. That's fine, you may very well be right based on recent moves in contrast to the rumors, but the way you state it was clearly declarative. More to the point trying to defend that assertion by saying Nintendo NEVER makes jumps when their hardware was oftentimes the superior of most anything available at the time is plainly going to fail. You've just supported a subjective argument with at best another one, and by most objective measures a false one. Because if the NES -> SNES -> N64 -> GC weren't big jumps then basically no one was doing anything major for 20 years and that is just ridiculous. Certainly no less than say PC gaming advanced at the time which is what I assume was your point in addressing that angle of things.

Of for the purposes of a handheld: GB -> GBA -> N64

You are always welcome to an opinion, but don't expect an iconoclastic view to be widely accepted. And no it doesn't take a fanboy to argue that point.

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Reggie Fils-Aime: Nintendo 3DS is Nintendo's next 'platform'

Reader Comments (122)

Posted: Apr 13th 2010 12:05PM Spike Spiegel Humble Bounty Hun said

Posted: Apr 13th 2010 12:07PM Johnny Locke said

Posted: Apr 13th 2010 12:08PM Nofriendo said

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Posted: Apr 13th 2010 12:18PM Zoot Suit Jedi Grammar Hammer En said

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Posted: Apr 13th 2010 12:20PM Soundwave said

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Posted: Apr 13th 2010 12:22PM Spike Spiegel Humble Bounty Hun said

Posted: Apr 13th 2010 12:25PM Sarge said

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Posted: Apr 13th 2010 12:35PM Spike Spiegel Humble Bounty Hun said

Posted: Apr 13th 2010 12:39PM unboring said

Posted: Apr 13th 2010 12:41PM Spike Spiegel Humble Bounty Hun said

Posted: Apr 13th 2010 12:47PM Dr Blight said

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Posted: Apr 13th 2010 12:56PM unboring said

Posted: Apr 13th 2010 12:59PM Nofriendo said

Posted: Apr 13th 2010 1:01PM FernandoRocker said

Posted: Apr 13th 2010 1:01PM Spike Spiegel Humble Bounty Hun said

Posted: Apr 13th 2010 1:02PM Spike Spiegel Humble Bounty Hun said

Posted: Apr 13th 2010 1:12PM unboring said

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Posted: Apr 13th 2010 1:12PM guttertalk said

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