Nintendo Warns That 3DS Has Health Risks

Everyone’s pretty much excited over the release of Nintendo’s highly anticipated handheld console, the Nintendo 3DS. But a couple of weeks right before it unleashes every detail it can squeeze out at the Nintendo 3DS Event this January, the company has already released health precautions that might not only damage the excitement, but also the gamers that would even be interested in playing it.

Here’s the complete statement taken and translated from their website:

Nintendo’s Warning

For people who will experience Nintendo 3DS. Below are the points we would like you to be aware about 3-D images or stereoscopic view on Nintendo 3DS:

• The way 3-D images appear varies among individuals. Please be aware there could be times when some images cannot be recognized as 3-D depending on physical conditions, types of video pictures, surrounding conditions and so on.
• If you are exhausted or not feeling well, please refrain from playing. Also, when you start feeling ill, stop playing immediately.
• Watching 3-D images for an extended time could result in adverse effect on eyesight development in the case of children 6 years old and under, therefore we highly recommend a switch to 2-D display.

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n10/3DSevents/info.htm

Other than the points given above, Nintendo also strongly advised parents to not let children ages 6 and under to use the 3-D mode of the handheld (Nintendo 3DS has a 2-D option as well) as the device may damage the development of their eyesight. This may be a huge blow on their marketing and promotions department as one of their core target audiences are kids and parents.

Nintendo also warned all potential players against prolonged exposure to the 3-D mode. Using the feature for more than 30 minutes could also damage the eyesight. Ouch.

Medical experts from New York have already expressed that there isn’t much health risks on exposing the eyes to 3-D technology as they point out it’s pretty much the same with normal viewing. However, it seems like Nintendo is taking no risks of lawsuits.

So, will you still buy a Nintendo 3DS, now that it seems like the 3D feature has a cooldown?

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