I've played video games in 3D but, last week, I still thought 3D might just be an attractive gimmick, a buzzword, a special effect. I've been a skeptic about this stuff. It looks nice on the 3DS, but is it just a cosmetic effect or can it actually affect how video games play?

Before the Nintendo 3DS was called the 3DS, it had a codename. It was a prototype that Nintendo was developing as the Nintendo DS's successor. And initially, it did not have 3D.

With the annual Game Developers Conference set to kick off next month, we're starting to learn much more about the talks, including one that promises to walk us through the creation of the Nintendo 3DS.