The other night while sitting on the couch, Steff asks me, “What do you think about the 2DS?” This was the first time I’d heard of Nintendo’s latest hardware announcement and seriously thought she was referring to some sort of internet joke. Then she pulls up the Nintendo website and plays their Nintendo 2DS promo video.
I’m clearly not the target market for this product. I find it weird that it doesn’t have 3D. I also don’t like the tablet-like design which won’t fit in my pocket. Instead, Nintendo’s intention is for this to be the entry-level handheld platform for five-to-six-year-olds. At a lower price and without the 3D that some parents are concerned will mess with their children’s eyes, they’re hoping that parents will be more willing to scoop this version up.
Is this really what the 3DS needs? It’s been the #1 selling console for a while now, and anectdotally, I’ve already seen a lot of kids with the platform in their hands. Nintendo has a long history of doing wacky things, though they also have a history of doing wacky things that sell like gangbusters and define the way we experience the medium. We’ll start to see if Nintendo hit this one on the head in October 12th, which is when the 2DS is scheduled to appear in stores.
In Third Person 