Sony Hopes Nintendo's 3DS Does Well

Believe it or not, Sony actually wants the 3DS to succeed.

In a recent interview with Siliconera, SCEA senior vice president of marketing Peter Dille admitted that the company hopes Nintendo does well with its upcoming 3DS handheld gaming platform. While that may sound surprising, on a business level it makes perfect sense. Why? Because Sony is pushing its own 3D hardware by way of the PlayStation 3, 3D Bravia TVs and more.

"Our perspective is they are doing something different and that's what Nintendo does," Dille said. "They've got their own view, Sony has their own view. Our hope is they do it well because we're big advocates of 3D. We need consumers to have good 3D experiences."

3D wasn't really a big issue until James Cameron introduced moviegoers to his blockbuster 3D film, Avatar. All of a sudden the market was swarmed with 3D-capable products with the intent on bringing that experience home using high-priced 3D HDTVs, Blu-ray players, 3D-capable LCD monitors and even ATI and Nvidia graphics cards for PCs. That said, the entertainment industry has invested a huge financial chunk into the current 3D trend. What it doesn't need is a device to turn wallets and purses away.

"I just hope they do a great job, building a great 3D platform so people are interested in other 3D platforms," he admitted. "Because, collectively, we need to make sure a consumer has a good experience with 3D however they're experiencing it so they have an interest in more 3D."

If the Nintendo 3DS platform does well, there's a good chance those consumers may want something with a little more meat-- namely Sony's PlayStation 3 console and its 3D-capable HDTVs. The same holds true for consumers who will purchase Sharp's upcoming 3D smartphones.

Still, Nintendo and Sony are competitors at heart, a factor Dille clearly expressed even while confessing the company's high hopes for the handheld. "I've heard a little bit that if you move your head a certain way, you might lose the image," he added.