Augmented Reality titles next big thing for Nintendo

Nintendo are banking on the 3DS pack-ins quite a bit in the future

The Nintendo 3DS currently has a lineup of big name and franchise titles heading to it, but this hardly goes by Nintendos business model of expanding the number of people who play their games and hardware. However, Nintendo has something on the way for the second phase of the Nintendo 3DS and that is what theyre currently calling AR Games. The AR Games are Augmented Reality games, they are nothing terribly new with the Nintendo DSi and iPhone already capable of such games.

The difference being Nintendo is packaging some AR Game software (and cards that activate them) with the 3DS when it launches in February in Japan next year. These cards, which turn into something virtual and 3D onscreen, are at this stage just ideas, says Iwata. How to turn these ideas into real games are being thought up for later on.

Speaking to investors, Satoru Iwata, said that Nintendo DS games, like Brain Training and Nintendogs werent announced at the DS launch because they were not originally conceived as games. Much like these AR games. However, Iwata says its important that Nintendo get the technology into people hands as it will be an easier sell.