Roundtable: Nintendo 3DS - Read Our Pithy Insights

[Viper]

http://nintendonow.e-mpire.com/index...articleid=5695

[Unspoken]

Had to.

But fairly nice discussion. I think there were a couple of misinterpretations, though. I'm pretty sure the phrase, "a system only Nintendo could make money on" isn't talking about lack of 3rd party support, but more on how the company is the only one that can bring the tech out and use/market it successfully. With the popularity of the DS and Wii innovations, I could easily see how someone would think that only Nintendo could make a 3D handheld and market it properly.

[Fallax]

Um, can you saw AWESOME? Thats really all that needs to be said...

[Generosity of God]

i'd like to continue the discussion on the possible 3d technology.

the main rumor is the Sharp 3d LCD that uses the parallax barrier method.

well i don't really know much about 3d tech so i did some quick research.

In a simple 3D screen, a very fine grating, called a "parallax barrier", is placed in front of the LCD screen. It does the job of the polarising glasses, directing light from each image slightly differently so that at a so-called "sweet spot" about 20 inches in front of the screen the two images are separated just enough that the brain will create a composite 3D image. The downside of this is that since the parallax barrier is a permanent feature of the monitor, then it's always in 3D mode - not much use for day-to-day use, as noted above.

In Sharp's screen, the parallax barrier is created by a second LCD screen - known as the "switching" LCD - which is off in normal 2D mode. When this screen is activated, it polarises in stripes so that it is impenetrable to light from the first LCD screen, generating opaque grid lines in front of the normal screen. The following graphic is from Sharp's background to the process:



The limiting factor on this method is that you have to have your head in exactly the right spot to see the 3D image, so no peering over shoulders allowed. Multiple viewer screens are not much more complicated to make: the parallax barrier is finer and cross hatched instead of striped. However, making the images for such a screen is much harder, since instead of two pictures, the 3D image is created by combining at least four viewpoints.

with the DSi XL, Nintendo were attempting to allow people around the player to view what was happening without having to stand over their shoulder. so unless they wanted to step away from that, i could see them using a multiple viewer screen. but like the article said, it's harder to make images for that type of screen.

my question would then be, what kind of system power would be needed to display at least 4 viewpoints? to me it seems like it would need more than what the current DS systems provide. and that's why i believe it could be a new more powerful system and not just a DSi with a 3d screen.

another thought that came to me has to do with the supposed tilt function. people keep saying that the parallax barrier and tilt functions can't work together because you have to keep viewing the screen from a certain spot for the 3d effect to keep working. but wouldn't it be possible if the 3DS were to use multiple viewer screens? or wouldn't it be possible to have the system know the correct image to display depending on what the tilt sensor is saying?

also why does the highlight on the NNow frontpage say 'spculations'? was that e intentionally left out?

[curryking1]

The NNow front page is missing a letter lol.



^Oh damn, I thought I was the first to notice lol.

[Viper]

We'll inform our highlight artist to fix it.


Right before we fire him.

[tokoshi_x]

Well it's been a fun journey guys....

Good eye, though. I never noticed it this whole time, haha. I did make it when it was quite late, so maybe that's what caused the error. Well I'll be replacing the highlight soon with my DSi XL review, so it won't be bothering you guys anymore.