Nintendo issues warning for the upcoming 3DS
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A statement released by Nintendo suggests that the company has doubts over the safety of one of its consoles for younger audiences.
The upcoming 3DS is suggested to be operated by players aged seven years or older when the console is functioning in its 3D mode. Younger players can still use the console in the standard 2D mode, with parental controls being able to further insure this.
The alleged health issues stem from the console's use of 3D technology. Unlike the 3D projectors used in many modern cinemas for films such as James Cameron's Avatar, the 3DS's parallax barrier innovation does not require 3D glasses to be worn. Nintendo suggests that this technology may harm the eyesight of young children.
Nintendo currently issues standard health risk information with its games and consoles, such as prolonged exposure may cause headaches.
The 3DS will be released worldwide starting in 2011, with the Japanese release on February 26 and other major regions sometime in March. Although some Nintendo franchises are already marketing some games playable in 3D, no upcoming 3D Pokémon games have been announced.
First revealed in June 2010, the 3DS is the fifth generation of Nintendo's handheld consoles. The previous generation sold a collective 135 million units in the six years they have been on the market.