It's starting to become clear that part of the problem Nintendo is facing with their no-glasses 3D handheld, the 3DS, is not simply the fact that it debuted at a high price point. A study by research firm Interpret LLC shows some startling numbers about the public perception of 3D on the handheld as well as the knowledge consumers have of its capabilities.
Interpret senior vice president of strategy and analysis Dan Casey, spoke at the 3D Gaming Summit last week and dedicated a part of his talk to the 3DS. Casey spoke about the findings of a recent 3D study (pdf) done by his company. Of the people surveyed 60% were aware of the Nintendo 3DS. The problem is that those people aren't knowledgeable about its features. Only 28% of those surveyed who were aware of the 3DS knew it did not require 3D glasses.
What's even more surprising are the numbers describing user reaction to the no-glasses 3D on the handheld. Only 22% of the respondents of the survey (those who have played the 3DS specifically) thought the 3D effect improved gameplay. What's more, 28% said it actually made the gameplay experience worse. That does not bode well for a console specifically designed around no-glasses 3D. A smaller percentage of users (13%) actually turned the 3D effect off completely.
The study did not include a huge number of participants, with only 1600 people being questioned, which statistically makes this a bit shaky but the lack of consumer knowledge about the 3DS is a little startling nonetheless. Nintendo has made a big marketing push alongside of the launch of the new red color to educate people about the fact that the 3D can be turned off. It's clear that Nintendo needs to make the feature set of this console really clear for the average consumer.
I personally leave the 3D effect on to see what the experience is like from game to game but when my eyes get tired I often just push the slider to the 2D setting. I don't think the 3D actively makes games worse but it definitely doesn't add enough value to warrant a purchase of the system on that gimmick alone.
Do you own a 3DS? Do you think the 3D makes games worse? Let us know what you think in the comments.
