Nintendo has recently responded to a MaxConsole post, where several Twitter users were complaining the 3DS is the cause behind their headaches and dizziness. "When viewing any kind of 3D images," Robert Saunders, Nintendo UK Head of Communications, is quoted as saying, "some people might experience discomfort. The effects are short term and have no lasting effect, in fact most players can continue after taking a short break."
Their official response points out that they have shown the 3DS to thousands of people with little negative feedback. When you consider that the majority of those people were only able to see it for a short while, instead of at their leisure in the comforts of their own home, Nintendo's advice to take "frequent breaks" to avoid "minor discomfort" has more merit.
So for the 3DS owners out there, both current and pending, you can still be excited to have your new toy but, if you don't want to be out-of-gaming-commission for a while, try to contain your enthusiasm a bit and avoid playing it for hours on end without blinking.
The full response by Saunders is as follows:
"We have shown Nintendo 3DS at multiple events around the world to literally hundreds of thousands of people and have received very few negative comments. As with anything that requires focus, from reading to staring at a computer screen, taking breaks frequent breaks is always recommended. When viewing any kind of 3D images (TV, movies etc.), some people might experience minor discomfort. The effects are short term and have no lasting effect, in fact most players can continue after taking a short break. The Nintendo 3D was designed with a 3D depth slider that lets users adjust the 3D effect to a level that suits them for optimum enjoyment."