Sony calls Nintendo 3DS 'a little bit of a stretch'
It has only been known about for a day, but already Sony is commenting on Nintendo's 3DS. Marketing chief for hardware questions its appeal to consumers.
Sony reportedly believes that Nintendo's foray into the 3D space with its 3DS isn't a very good idea.
Speaking to IGN in an interview, Sony director of hardware marketing John Koller said that he's not quite sold on the 3DS and wonders if it will enjoy the kind of broad market appeal some of Nintendo's previous portables have, due to Nintendo's perceived young audience.
"Having been in the portable space for quite awhile, I think it's an interesting move but one I'd like to see where they go from a demographic standpoint," Koller said, according to the article, adding, "8- and 9-year-olds playing 3D is a little bit of a stretch given where some of our research is right now."
For its part, Sony believes that the future in 3D is in the console. Koller said Sony intends to invest in 3D gaming for its PlayStation 3. A firmware update bringing 3D gaming to the PS3 is coming at some point in the future.
At CES earlier this year, Sony showed off the PS3 running 3D games. CNET editor Jeff Bakalar had the opportunity to play Wipeout 3D on the PlayStation 3 there and said the experience was "truly immersive." Bakalar said after playing 3D titles on the PS3, he's "officially a believer in gaming in the third dimension."
Whether or not the Nintendo 3DS will cause a similar reaction remains to be seen. It's also worth noting that Sony competes in the mobile market with its PSP, so it makes sense for the company to chime in on the 3DS. But once the 3DS hits store shelves, it should be interesting to see if Sony's predictions come true.