Iwata on the 3D graphics quality of third-party 3DS games
I haven’t played enough third-party 3DS games, so I can’t say much about how the 3D visuals look. However, I have heard that some games just look downright awful. That seems to be more of a problem with ports, such as how Tales of the Abyss lacks 3D completely.
What does Satoru Iwata think of 3D in third-party games? He wouldn’t comment directly, though he did say that there are some games that have made him say “This 3D is wonderful!”. Iwata also acknowledged “that some stereoscopic images are high in quality but not all of them are.” Having said that, Nintendo is interested in assisting third-parties so that they can achieve the highest level of 3D graphics on the handheld.
… Also, concerning the difference in the quality of stereoscopic images between Nintendo games and games from other software publishers, there are actually some games from the third parties that make me feel that “This 3D is wonderful!” I feel uncomfortable about drawing a line to separate the quality level between Nintendo and non-Nintendo software because I was originally a developer (working for an outside company), but I have to admit that some stereoscopic images are high in quality but not all of them are. With that in mind, it is a fact that consumers purchase games with expectations of attractive stereoscopic effects, and to realize this, a certain level of know-how is required. Even for Nintendo games, I have heard that there was some trouble in the beginning (of the development) because the stereoscopic effect did not work well. So I have talked about this with Mr. Hatano, one of our executive directors, who is in charge of contacting our software publisher partners, and we believe that if we could provide them with effective support, we would like to do so. Providing such support will raise consumer satisfaction and, in the end, it will help the Nintendo 3DS to gain momentum, so I would like to consider it in that direction.
