Nintendo 3DS Pre-Order Madness Starts With Nary A Price Point In Sight (AND Your Kids WIll Go BLIND... Er, Maybe)...

I'm gathering that reports that the upcoming 3DS will carry a warning about use of its innovative 3D functionality being not recommended (or good, for that matter) for the eyesight of kids under six years old isn't going to stop anyone from putting down a fat deposit at Gamestop and posting copies their receipts online. Of course, those pre-ordering folk aren't six years old (and hopefully don't have kids coming up on that age they want to introduce to that sort of eye/brain strain) and heck, trying to stop early adopters from throwing packs of money around is sort of bad for the economy (which someone should tell those AGAINST alternative fuel sources).

Still, Nintendo really needs to play offense as well as defense here as they address this potential sales-killing (or class action lawsuit bringing) issue as more of the dopier media outlets (you know, the ones that ALWAYS take the "Video games will turn your kids into mass murdering sex fiends in three seconds!" approach to this sort of news) take this negative angle and run wild with it. I say, as long as parents can read the damn box (or have a clerk point this age limit out to them) BEFORE they buy it, it's all good. Now, about that price point... Guess we'll see by CES (my prediction: $249.99, but perhaps with a pack-in and maybe loaded with some cool stuff)

My REAL question is this: Why the hell do we keep seeing kid's movies arriving in theaters (then later on DVD or Blu-Ray) in 3D if kids under six shouldn't be able to watch them at all? Granted, you can sit around playing "normal" games for hours on end with only a few issues. 3D gaming has been headache-inducing since the 90's when there were something like two to four minute experiences along with a few other applications. I guess we'll see what happens after the 3DS ships and more folks can afford 3D televisions and those expensive glasses.

Still, I'm crazy that way. I can see myself playing a 3D game 'til I fall off the couch from dizziness, but I just can't imagine myself or someone else watching more than two 3D movies in a row before their butt tries to bite them for making them sit so long doing nothing...