December 16, 2011 01:32 pm EDT

Nintendo 3DS tour guides might make the Mona Lisa less underwhelming

Other than wine, cheese and overwhelming apathy, the Louvre stands alone as France's most prized national treasure. It's enormous, it's teeming with art, and it's really old. Starting in March, though, the museum will get an infusion of comparatively new technology, thanks to the Nintendo 3DS. As the AFP reports, Nintendo has agreed to provide the Louvre with some 5,000 pocket consoles, to be offered as digital tour guides for museum patrons. With these devices tucked securely inside their fanny packs, wandering tourists will be able to pinpoint their location within the museum, select themed itineraries, and listen to audio commentary available in seven different languages. The consoles will eventually replace the museum's more traditional audio guides, as part of a wider campaign to bring 21st century technology to the Louvre's 12th century confines. "We are the first museum in the world to do this," Agnes Alfandari, the Louvre's head of multimedia, told the AFP, adding that a slate of dedicated smartphone and tablet apps is also in the works.

[Image courtesy of TrendHunter]

Nintendo 3DS tour guides might make the Mona Lisa less underwhelming originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Dec 2011 08:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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