[swerve]

For a company like Nintendo, this is one of their most major fuck ups in their history.

I agree (although no backlight on GBA was much worse in everyday use). However, it's 'just' another hardware design issue which will be revised away in time, hurting us early adopters and OCD types.

If you get the scratches, like if you get the specks on your Wii video output, or your gamecube plastic cracks around the lid, or your DS lite hinge cracks, you send it back to Nintendo and they send you another. Then they fix it.

Sadly, they won't fix PilotWings' framerate if I send that back. :(

[Michan]

My girlfriend closes her 3DS quite gently and there was barely a mark there. She's been playing nintendogs routinely each day since she got hers. We've cleaned the screen and she's now placing that piece of foam between the screens.

So, try closing your screen a little more carefully.

[Jintor]

Mine is a grease mark, but I suspect it's because I have protectors on both screens.

[Annoying Old Party Man]

I agree (although no backlight on GBA was much worse in everyday use). However, it's 'just' another hardware design issue which will be revised away in time, hurting us early adopters and OCD types. If you get the scratches, like if you get the specks on your Wii video output, or your gamecube plastic cracks around the lid, or your DS lite hinge cracks, you send it back to Nintendo and they send you another. Then they fix it. Sadly, they won't fix PilotWings' framerate if I send that back. :(

I assume that replacing a part of plastic is a different story from replacing a glass of a screen.
But apart from costs, it is a big issue because the 3D screen is a such a big part of the system's existence. A similar design issue to the Wii would be a number of wiimotes suffering from defunct gyro's or smth.

[oblo]

I keep a little piece of cloth to wipe the screen in between since about the third day I got the system, already had the first tiny marks by then... Oh well, I'll buy the redesign anyway when it comes out eventually. I did mention it in the Club Nintendo inquiry, take that Nintendo!

[Aru]

I bought a pack with 3 screens protectors, a cleaning cloth and a 6-games case but the screen protectors were only for the touch screen (1 for DSiXL, 1 for DSi and 1 for 3DS).
I just ordered some new screens protectors for both screens.
My current screen protector has a lot of scratches due to me playing Soul Bubbles. Time to change it.

[Allan Holdsworth]

For a company like Nintendo, this is one of their most major fuck ups in their history. The system is only 3 months old, over time these could become visible scratches for all 1st generation 3DS. I'm wondering how did this slip, Nintendo is notorious with their QA

DS: dead pixels, broken hinge (Lite), yellow screens, shoulder buttons stop working

[Annoying Old Party Man]

DS: dead pixels, broken hinge (Lite), yellow screens, shoulder buttons stop working

Dead pixels: no company can much about this
Broken hinge: as far as I know it did not interfere with the system's operation nor had any impact in the user's experience. I still have my DS Lite with a broken hinge and it works perfectly
Yellow screens: I assume a minority and again something that is bound to happen (unpredictably) over a system's course of life
Shoulder buttons: again, I assume a minority - this is the first time I've heard of this.


Sorry, I'm not convinced. This is such an obvious design flaw, you don't even need to test the system a lot to get the results, people have been using this for less than 3 months and it's so apparent based on the design of the system. And again, we're talking about the main selling point, not some shoulder button becoming loose.


p.s. My 3DS does not have any scratches at the moment, only marks that can be wiped off. But I'm pretty sure this can become an issue in the future.

[domlolz]

'grease marks', are you talking about grease from fingers or does the 3ds sweat? That's a unique approach to cooling.

Is the top screen covered in grease then?

[domlolz]

Broken hinge: as far as I know it did not interfere with the system's operation nor had any impact in the user's experience. I still have my DS Lite with a broken hinge and it works perfectly

Nah, it stops the 'click' mechanism from working properly to keep the screen from shutting/opening and it gets worse till eventually the hinge will give way and seperate.

[Android18a]

I always have a circular grease mark on the top half from the analog nub XD

It's all just to help "persuade" us to upgrade to the 3DSLite anyway.

[C Jones]

I think it's hilarious people are trying to claim people's scratches that are on their own systems are not really scratches. It is real scratches, not grease marks. It starts out as marks then turn into scratches. They are scratches. Hell, I didn't even realize it until I read this topic and checked mine. Tried to wipe it off vigorously... didn't come off. It's a real design flaw. Time to deal with it

It really is hilarious and a bit disturbing at the same time. I like how they assume that those affected don't have the common sense to try to wipe it off first.

[schennmu]

Yeah, I have smudges on my screen protector... So I don't really care :p
It's pretty stupid though, agreed.

I always have a circular grease mark on the top half from the analog nub XD

Yep, that as well. Nintendo definitely disappoints with the build quality of the 3ds. This is my second system and the first one had some strange issues...

[Starwolf_UK]

Ah so whats the marks on my Netbook screen where the keyboard stars/ends on the bottom screen are. Better check if they're scratches or not...turns out those were grease marks but I'll remain weary about such things on clamsheels screens in the future...maybe I'll actually clean them more often too.

Anyway,

I have a perfectly formed grid of scratches, I still have no clue how the hell did that happen!

Perfectly formed is odd but grid, Meteos maybe?

Is the top screen covered in grease then?

I think what happens is the sweat from playing gets deposited on the screens as the LCD screens acts as attractor of sorts. I'm not sure why this happens (or why in systems it bulids up in certain spots, but top or bottom is irrelevant as when you close the system it ends up everywhere. There seems to be a second issue as well causing scratches due to parts of the lower casing making contact with the screen. I recall some people having a top screen that moves about a little so the two may be linked.

[ColonialRaptor]

I think this is a pretty wide spread common problem and it's only going to get bigger and bigger as the system gets older.

Nintendo is going to have to deal with mass returns here and they will have to fix every single one because this is a warranty issue.

[Regulus Tera]

Every passing news of the 3DS makes me glad I'm waiting on the revision.

[swerve]

Ah so whats the marks on my Netbook screen where the keyboard stars/ends on the bottom screen are.

For sure when I put my macbook in my backpack, it often gets squeezed enough that the keyboard shape can be seen on the screen. However, with 3DS it's irritating because the machine is small - the spacers should be able to stop the two screens from meeting even when squeezed, but it bends enough that that doesn't work.

It's a shame. They'll need to put spacers right next to the top screen on a revision, or not have a raised edge to the bottom screen.

[InterInside]

I just use the little foam thing that came with the 3ds.

Mine doesn't have the problem, but I never expected to read so many reports in one place, this is really unacceptable.

Anyhow, thanks for the idea of using the cloth that came with it. I'm so glad I didn't throw mine away.

[trinest]

Mine doesn't scratch it- but leaves a line of say liquidish stuff only on the right side though. Easily whip able. I don't have it has bad as some have reported.

[storafötter]

I thought also that they were just smudge marks, I will remember to not close the 3ds as harshly as that obviously will make it worse along with pressure.

[fabricated backlash]

A GRID of scratches? Wth My brother in law was smart and had this scratch cloth always placed between the upper and lower screens. I should have done that...but never expected it to be an issue :P

As no one should expect from a Nintendo portable.

So is this the first portable console that damges itself? Emo 3DS confirmed?

[Caesar III]

I have those too but thank god I use some screen protectors. It doesn't matter if I close it gentle or not. As soon as I put it in my 3ds-bag and carry it around the pressure is too hard and they are back. I guess it's a bit worse with screen protectors cause with them the top screen is closer to the bottom one when closed. Right now I can easily wipe them away though.

[Mockingbird]

This pisses me off a lot. Nintendo better start sending out some free foam to place between screens or some shit.

[JacksUsername]

I've noticed marks on my top screen when I carry my 3DS around in my pocket. Luckily I haven't gotten any permanent scratches, but that's due to the fact that I stopped carrying it around in fear of destroying the top screen. Kind of defeats the purpose of it being a portable system though.

[Disguises]

I also have marks on my upper screen, not scratches though. The marks are from where the touchscreen sides are and the circle pad. They simply wipe off with a cloth though. Seems like a really annoying oversight by Nintendo.

[S1kkZ]

had the same problem with m 3ds. at first you could wipe it off, but after one week the marks became scratches. major design flaw and one of the reasons why i send the system back to amazon.

[mazeedibeedi]

I bought a screen protector the minute I got a 3DS.
Best decision I've made this year.
Sad to see that Nintendo rushed out the 3DS.

[liger05]

I have some marks on top screen witch wipe off. I have a protector on the bottom screen but gonna get one for the top screen as well.

Are Nintendo taking responsibility for this or they charging people who want it fixed?

[Clunker]

What amazes me about this (and I've had these scratches/marks/whatevers since day 2 on owning the system) is all of those detailed, intricate Iwata Says columns on the hardware design that are occasionally brought out in debates as some kind of appeal-to-authority defensive argument. Apparently Nintendo should have spent less time handwringing over the subtle color gradation up the three layers or how the system layers are curved and staggered to make it "easier" to open the system -- and more time testing to see if closing or pinching the system with some modicum of force would cause any damage to the freaking screens.

I first jumped in on the DS versus the PSP due in large part to the clamshell design and the increased screen protection as a result. As someone else alluded to upthread: In the year of our lord Twenty Eleven, how does someone screw up a clamshell design? :/

Are Nintendo taking responsibility for this or they charging people who want it fixed?

Reggie: Not my problem.

[S1kkZ]

I have some marks on top screen witch wipe off. I have a protector on the bottom screen but gonna get one for the top screen as well. Are Nintendo taking responsibility for this or they charging people who want it fixed?

i called them and asked for it (nintendo germany). the dont fix or take responsibility for it. they said its my fault (i applied too much pressure on the system by putting it in my pocket).

[FoxHimself]

Chiming in to say that I have the scratches as well. On both sides. Hooray!

[MLH]

The bottom screen doesn't mark the top screen on my 3DS but the slider pad does leave a noticeable mark, which can be easily rubbed off. I do have a screen protector on my 3DS.

[liger05]

i called them and asked for it (nintendo germany). the dont fix or take responsibility for it. they said its my fault (i applied too much pressure on the system by putting it in my pocket).

I guess this won't change unless there is mass complaints and it becomes huge news with the gaming nedia where Nintendo can't ignore it.

[Jintor]

The bottom screen doesn't mark the top screen on my 3DS but the slider pad does leave a noticeable mark, which can be easily rubbed off. I do have a screen protector on my 3DS.

...jesus, now that I don't have. I only have the 'ridge' marks from the bottom screen pressing against the top.

[mrklaw]

The bottom screen doesn't mark the top screen on my 3DS but the slider pad does leave a noticeable mark, which can be easily rubbed off. I do have a screen protector on my 3DS.

your nub is probably protecting your screen

[Mista Koo]

A GRID of scratches? Wth

I still have no clue how this happened, it seems like something was pressed upon it :S

Perfectly formed is odd but grid, Meteos maybe?

Never played it.

[radioheadrule83]

I'm thinking the inner panel must be set differently on peoples DS', if I put the thing in a really tight pair of jeans with my wallet or phone or something I get the occasional mark - but they're not scratches. I think my marks are coming from the thin line at the very top of the bevel around the touch screen... almost as if they are caused by collected vapour / dirt / condensation - because they easily wipe away. Not really an issue for me. I'd be pissed if I was one of those who have actual scratches though. Very pissed.

Sadly, they won't fix PilotWings' framerate if I send that back. :(

Que? Whats wrong with it? I've not noticed anything

[corporate cheerleader]

I still have no clue how this happened, it seems like something was pressed upon it :S

Waffles?

[Brazil]

My 3DS has faint lines like those, but my brother's doesn't, interestingly.

I'll spend the next hour or so applying a screen protector.

[Alex Dee]

My old DS Lite got that, I just kind of asumed they all looked like that in certain lights. You couldn't see it when a game was on anyway.

[radioheadrule83]

My 3DS has faint lines like those, but my brother's doesn't, interestingly. I'll spend the next hour or so applying a screen protector.

If your marks wipe away I wouldn't bother. Putting a screen protector on will just thicken the top screen panel, and it'll probably leave creases in the plastic film, a more permanent reminder that they touch.

As I said, I get some marks if I put it in a tight pocket or whatever, but they wipe away. Mine looks like a freakin' glass panel mirror otherwise (thankfully)

[Xavien]

I must be lucky, I don't have any marks whatsoever on my 3DS screen. Manufacturing issues i guess, probably not a design fault.

[swerve]

Que? Whats wrong with it? I've not noticed anything

It's not solid, and even when it is, it's solid 30. For all the progress made with things like Mario Kart DS running at silky smooth 60 (outside of the stage intros), 3DS throws us back to the N64 era, framerate wise. It's the first handheld to feel like it suffers from being too much like an (old) home console for me.

[Woo-Fu]

That grid is most likely caused by heavy stylus use. The internal structure of the touchscreen probably is grid like in terms of hardness. That causes the screen to eventually be worn/scratched over the area where it has less give(the grid).

[Fusebox]

i called them and asked for it (nintendo germany). the dont fix or take responsibility for it. they said its my fault (i applied too much pressure on the system by putting it in my pocket).

Bit harsh of them considering it has a built-in pedometer. Do they expect us to carry it? If you can find any official Nintendo promotional media of someone putting it in their pocket it could be a reason to complain about that.

[npm0925]

No marks or smudges on the upper screen of my black launch unit.

[ChocolateCupcakes]

This is why I usually wait for a new model when buying handhelds.

So is there anyway to avoid this? Except not closing your DS? Gotta warn a few people.

[swerve]

I must be lucky, I don't have any marks whatsoever on my 3DS screen. Manufacturing issues i guess, probably not a design fault.

It's a design fault. The spacers are at the far edge of the system, but when it's in your pocket it is pressed together right at the center. When the raised edges of the bottom screen press against the top screen, if there is any grease/fingerprint, it gets smudged and leaves a mark. If there is a foreign object there - like some dust I guess - it can cause scratching.

[[Nintex]]

Just wait for this to blow up(and Mario Kart 3D to ship) and Nintendo throws Konno under the bus



literally

[carlo6529]

Mine doesn't have any scratches, but I've barely touched it since launch.