The 3DS Hook

Last generation, Nintendo found itself in last place in the home console race.  The pulled themselves out of that pit with a gimmick.  That gimmick was motion controls, and the console that sprung from it was the Wii, which has dominated console sales this generation.

Nintendo is looking to do the same thing with the handheld gaming market, even though they're already in first place in that one.  They've created another gimmick, and this time that gimmick is 3D.  But this 3D is special, and different than the 3D we're seeing offered in expensive televisions.  For starters, it costs $250 instead of $2500.  Secondly, it comes in a device you can fit in your pocket.  Lastly and perhaps most importantly is that it will not require glasses for the user to see a 3D image, and that's something not even those expensive TV sets can boast.

For years now the requirement of glasses has been the biggest thing holding back the mass adoption of 3D.  Nintendo is skipping right over that barrier with the 3DS and looks to have another winning gimmick on their hands.