It seems like every year about this time there tends to be more and more news about the gaming console’s little brother, the handheld gaming device. More than likely the discussion tends to turn to handheld devices because with the beginning of the holiday season, people are looking for gifts more affordable than the Xbox360 or the Playstation 3.

For both the Vita and the Nintendo 3DS, this holiday season is going to be an important one. The Nintendo 3DS in particular needs to find some real sales success this year as the handheld device has gone on a bit of a rollercoaster ride with a price decrease and some false starts with accessories. It is a need for great holiday season sales that have most likely led to the 3DS gaining both Hulu Plus and the ability to make 3D video recording.

Nintendo announced on Friday that Hulu Plus would be available for $7.99 a month to 3DS and Nintendo Wii users immediately. This is, of course, a situation where Nintendo had already been beaten to the Hulu Plus punch by Microsoft and Sony and was again playing a game of catch-up. However, the 3DS offering the system could actually give the company a leg up. At the same announcement, Nintendo said that in November there would be a major firmware update. 

This update will allow users to record as much as 10 straight minutes of 3D video. People will also be able to record stop action 3D animation movies. These kinds of features are important because since the handheld was released, the main complaint has been that there simply isn’t enough out there to take advantage of the 3D capabilities. Being able to make their own movies should also lure in a larger swath of customers. Nintendo has long been known as the kids’ video game system, but offering up 3D could mean a more mature audience. In addition, users will be able to purchase music videos that are filmed in 3D. While there aren’t many being offered up right now, quite a few of these videos are expected to be released in November.