Nintendo trademarks 3DS, 3DSPlay, and 3DSWare in Japan: begin speculating as soon as you're comfortable
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted May 18th 2010 11:03AM
posted May 18th 2010 11:03AM
It's been a couple months since Nintendo rush-released a statement on its up and coming 3D handheld, and the company's been predictably mum on most of the details. To be honest, we're not even sure what the official name for the thing will be -- although Nintendo 3DS has been the working title (and the one that makes the most sense, if you ask us). Now the kids at Siliconera are reporting a flurry of activity in Japan's trademark database, with Nintendo registering such names as: Nintendo 3DS, N3DS, 3DSPlay (a 3D WiiPlay variant?) and 3DSWare (similar to DSiWare, perhaps). All in all, it seems safe to assume that the device we see at E3 will be dubbed the 3DS, but who knows? This certainly wouldn't be the first time that a trademark has thrown us for a loop.
I don't think I'll ever be able to describe how I feel about this as comfortable.
@ttsgeb
I don't think I'll ever understand what you said.
@NHAnimator Has anyone really been far even as decided to use even go want to do look more like?
@ttsgeb You are wrong, doing it.
@WilliamNighthawk You’ve got to be kidding me. I’ve been further even more decided to use even go need to do look more as anyone can. Can you really be far even as decided half as much to use go wish for that? My guess is that when one really been far even as decided once to use even go want, it is then that he has really been far even as decided to use even go want to do look more like. It’s just common sense.
@ttsgeb
Note to self: Don't comment just after waking up.
Does anyone know what I was trying to say?
@ttsgeb
I won't be comfortable until I know Japanese... which won't be anytime soon...
Hmm...you know, I'm wondering if they might be planning on some sort of "three dimensional" gaming system!
@admlshake - Whatever, you're crazy! Total speculation!
@admlshake
It's TRUE! I just got a C&D order!!
@admlshake
Man, living in Flatland sucks :(
We never get that stuff here!
Speculation: This will be great and the first dedicated portable gaming device I've purchase in so long.
@juanvaldez Agreed.
Nintendo 3DS?, I hope they don't intend to confuse people from the
iPhone 3GS....lol Or maybe that's what they want. :p
@jpsoraire
Perfect...an article that has nothing to do with Apple, not even remotely related, and Apple comes up in the first five comments...
I guess...Welcome to Engadget...?
@kapanak nope dude, welcome to Internet
@jpsoraire
Yes because Nintendo needs all the help they can get in order to sell devices. They are are doing so badly in the gaming industry right now that their CEO is working 3 jobs to help the company !!! I really hope people will confuse the iPhone and the new DS to help boost Nintendo sales :(
/s (just in case)
@jpsoraire i doubt anyone will be confused. one is a portable gaming device, the other is a phone (that can play games. there is a difference).
Nintendo make great games lets face it but surely they are worried over mobile devices? They really need to work harder as I really see no point for dedicated gaming devices in the future. The future is android, iphone and winmo 7 devices. Prove me wrong? unless they're manufacturing a cell phone........
@guigsy
Personally while I don't mind a touch screen in place of the face buttons, I think smartphones controls are limited in respect for gaming without *shoulder buttons*. For example in the iPhone FPS games I've seen you have to constantly switch between aiming and firing with your thumb.
BTW, it's Windows Phone 7, NOT Windows Mobile (WinMo) 7.
Dear Nintendo, I know you're not listening but here is what you can do to make this great...
1. Throw out Nintendo WFC and start afresh with a system that borrows liberally from Xbox Live, Playstation Network, Steam and OpenFeint.
2. Include at least 8GB of storage.
3. Make digital downloads the focus... but not in a half-hearted Sony way. Build a system to rival the Apple app store and Android Market, fill it with games, and charge less than $20 for new titles.
4. If you must include non-gaming functionality, again, no half-hearted efforts. Including music playback is pointless if I can't listen to my songs while playing games, and if I have a paltry amount of storage, I ain't going to faff around with memory cards.
I can't wait to see what they announce. I was a launch day adopter for GBA and DS, their new handheld generations are always interesting.
@Dale P
Thank you, you see I have a sort of automagical hyperfocus on things that I don't know about, and research them when I see them. I did not know what OpenFeint was until I read your post. :D Learn something new everyday.
@Dale P
I should, maybe, comment on your list.
1) Agreed, nintendo should start afresh to create a system that is as intuitive as PSNetwork, and social friendly like Xbox Live. Steam, now, has borrowed a lot from those two. In the beginning steam helped inspire them but now they're inspiring steam.
2) 8GBs of storage is actually a tiny bit now days; I think they should include at least 16GBs. That way you can fit a whole gaming catalog in your N3DS.
3) Nintendo has already targeted Apple as it's next opponent and it would be stupid to not modify [or steal] Apple's greatest advantage, the app store. Nonetheless, you're dreaming if you think Nintendo, or any company, that makes video games will charge you less than 20 dollars for new games.
4) That is one of my biggest issues with the PSP. I've got a huge amount of music on my PSP and I want to listen too it while I'm playing video games. Sony has said they cannot do this because Microsoft owns the patent. I'd expect the same answer from Nintendo. The things they can do, they should do. They've already partnered up with opera on the Wii, they should bring Opera Mini to the 3DS. They should be a tiny bit less restrictive to make sure the hackers won't hack because they won't need too, homebrew = app store.
(5) They should upgrade the hardware substantially for 3D gameplay on the 3DS. They should, probably, be rocking a Tegra II. Which will allow them to become a great handheld system with a lot of monstrous power to back it up.
@WilliamNighthawk I'm not dreaming - look at the app store. There are games under $10 that are new titles. Not all of them are deep experiences, but not all DS games are either.
@Dale P Yeah, but that is like saying "The iPod Touch is a hand held gaming console". Sure, you can say it all you want but that doesn't make it true. The games on the App store are small tide bits. I could see homebrew games being under $10 dollars on the Nintendo 3DS but big releases like Pokemon Rainbow or Super Smash Sis. Brawls, will cost more than $20 dollars.
@WilliamNighthawk Have you seen the DSiWare store? Most games in there are $5.
@WilliamNighthawk This past week, I have been playing lots of Let's Golf HD, NOVA HD, Plants Vs Zombies HD, Real Racing HD and Worms HD on my iPad. These games are every bit as deep as their Nintendo DS equivalents, and all of them were $10 or less.
There are lots of games like this on the app store - full featured, visually superior to DS titles, and super affordable.
The devices have their issues as games machines (i.e. that whole lack of physical controls thing) but I haven't noticed them as these games make use of the touch screen and motion controls really well. Steering in Real Racing HD is expecially satisfying.
There are lots of cheap, nugget-sized experiences among the DSiWare titles. I don't see why full 3DS titles - free of expensive cartridges - wouldn't be equally affordable. Having to choose between one DS title and three iPhone/iPad titles right now is a no brainer.
@iofthestorm @Dale P
Which was, and wasn't, my point. I mentioned that small games like those on the iPad or in the DSiWare store should continue to be cheap. While big platform titles like the next huge Pokemon game or Metroid game will be more expensive. I wasn't arguing rather it was right or wrong but as long as people are willing to spend mass amounts of money on these games than they will continue to sell at a higher price point.
We're not the majority here; We're a bunch of geeks and nerds that know how to operate a computer and therefore understand why a game shouldn't be priced at such a price point. The majority would rather not know and blindly spend money. By the by, cartridges are not so expensive.
The games you mentioned on the iPad were good examples of games that beat the current DS lineup, but we're talking about the future here. Those games couldn't beat games that are on the PSP because they don't have the graphics power. As you said the games on the iPad make use of the multitouch, but can they fully replace games from the DS or PSP? If a version of God of War or Pokemon had a version made for the iPad do you think the price would remain under $10? I think it would be more along the lines of $25 to $35.
For a second I read "Nintendo Trademarks 3DS, 3Display, and 3Dsoftware". 2 correct, semi correct at least, and one 'unknown'.
This is a pretty smart move by Nintendo; generate a little buzz without giving to much of their upcoming product(s) away.
Won't Autodesk's 3D Studio have issues with this?
@Ken J
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/index?siteID=123112&id=13567410
@Ken J
That's exactly what I was thinking... back in my teenage days I've been using 3DS 4.0 and 3DS Max, and 3DS always been synonymous with 3D Studio.
@PiCASSO I've been using it since Release 3 of the DOS version... This won't be anywhere close to an trademark infringement issue - completely different markets/users/applications. Besides, it is time for Autodesk to rename it anyway: something completely unrelated to its function (maybe like Mirror to go with the whole Fire/Smoke thing).
Dear Nintendo:
WiiWare works well for the double "W" sound and it only being 2 syllables. But there is also the Virtual Console. Both of those are contained within the Nintendo Shop Channel.
DSiWare and 3DSWare are horrible names.
Choose one name and stick to it. Nintendo Shop works just fine.
nintendo seem to have a habit of ditching cool project code names for mostly lame retail names.
please let this name stick.
Oh come on Engadget, highly compressed .jpgs are so 1990's.
Also, about time to reconfirm that 3D DS is real.
hey is it going to be called 3DS?
I can imagine Tetris 3D as being pretty cool. Would even be better as a pack-in like the original Gameboy.
@The E This. Having to manipulate the blocks in three dimensions could get super challenging, bring it on!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_Tetris
This is the one VB game I've always wanted to play.
Theyre putting 3D on the DS but they STILL dont even have HD on Wii yet??? Wow
@chramo
Nintendo did say back in 2006 that the eventual successor to the Wii would support HD. My guess is that will be announced in a year or two. For now they're releasing a successor to the DS.
nope dude, welcome to Internet
I guess they aren't going with the name I liked, "portable-nintendo interactive system".
@whormongr
I just realized.. you could make it
portable-entertainment-nintendo interactive system.
or the P.E.N.I.S
im such a child..
If they deliver good glass-free 3D games, I'm in all the way to my neck.. I won't even mind people giving me funny looks when I walk on campus gaming on a handheld..
Last week on Japanese TV my daughter was watching Sunday morning cartoons (Heart Catch Pre-Cure - ugh!) and there was a commercial for a DS game ... and at the end it specifically said "for the 3DS" in text. Though the picture in the add was of a DSi. I was only half paying attention, but it was definitely 3DS.