Hasta La Gadget!

Nintendo caused quite a stir after warning that children under the age of six ought not play the Nintendo 3DS in 3D mode due to the potential damage it could cause their developing eyes. While the warnings were first issued back in June, during the unveiling of the portable gaming console, they’ve surfaced yet again and have become a major source of confusion in the blogsphere.

When we heard that we would be sitting down with Nintendo of America president, Reggie Fils-Aime, we knew it would be the perfect time to get some clarification on the warnings. 

The executive blamed the sudden buzz on a “slow news week,” joking that journalists jumped all over it due to the recent blizzard.”All 3D devices carry a similar warning,” he told Gearlog, adding that Nintendo has issued similar warnings for existing devices. “We do that with every device. With the Wii, we recommend that you take a break and go outside. We’re recommending the same thing. The insight here is, anything you do for an extend period of time, it’ll put stress on your eyes.”

Nintendo is recommending that children under the age of six do not play the game, while older kids take a break after playing for 30 minutes. “Essentially there’s manipulation of your vision being done
to get the 3D effect,” h said. “We recommend that not happen for children six and
younger.”

Check out a clip of our conversation, after the jump.