Nintendo 3DS warning label states 3D may be dangerous to young children

Nintendo has put up warning labels for its 3DS console that advise players to take a break after 30 minutes of play because 3D gameplay causes more eye fatigue than 2D gaming. Additionally, the company advises parents to use controls built into the 3DS to lock it into 2D mode for young children, as 3D could be dangerous for children under six since their eyes are still developing.

That's definitely enough to trigger some crazy news reports, and we're sure you've seen a couple today already. But truth be told, this exact same story made the circuit about six months ago, when Reggie Fils-Aime sat down with a number of media outlets during the 3DS launch and said that children under seven shouldn't watch 3D, calling the rule a "standard protocol" in the industry. Here's the full quote that Kotaku ran in June, for example:

"We will recommend that very young children not look at 3D images," [Reggie] said. "That's because, [in] young children, the muscles for the eyes are not fully formed... This is the same messaging that the industry is putting out with 3D movies, so it is a standard protocol. We have the same type of messaging for the [1990s Nintendo virtual reality machine] Virtual Boy, as an example."

Source: Engadget