Nintendo President Comments On Apple iPad, 3D Gaming and Wii HD

In a wide ranging interview with the New York Times today, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata says he was unimpressed by Apple's unveiling of the iPad tablet, expressed doubts on the future of 3D gaming, and even talked Wii HD.

"It was a bigger iPod Touch," Iwata said of Apple's highly anticipated device, adding "there were no surprises for me".

Nintendo's President also expressed his doubts on the future of video games relying on 3D technology.

"I have doubts whether people will be wearing glasses to play games at home. How is that going to look to other people?"

Iwata said that Nintendo would have to research possible health effects of longtime 3D game playing, which is likely to last longer than a two-hour 3D film such as Avatar.

Finally, Iwata commented on speculation of a high-definition "Wii HD" launching in the future.

"I question whether those features would be enough to get people to buy new machines," he said. Nintendo engineers are developing new machines, he said, without giving details.

On Thursday Nintendo reported financial results for the first three fiscal quarters, reporting a 9.4% decrease in profits due to the Wii price cut and a strong yen.