New DS Model Coming...

Mr E

From Kotaku and spreading like wildfire...

According to a report from Nikkei Net, Nintendo will introduce a new iteration of this Nintendo DS later this year, featuring a built-in camera and music playback. The new version of the DS is also reported to have improved wireless functions. Some versions of the report indicate the improved wireless capabilities will allow the new DS to connect to "information terminals," expanding the machine's non-gaming features.

The Japanese version of the report mentions that pictures taken via the DS's internal camera can be used by games, opening up new gameplay options.

Nikkei Net writes that the new version is "expected to be priced below 20,000 yen." The Nintendo DS Lite is currently priced at 16,800 yen in Japan. The new DS will launch first in Japan, with the country seeing an allocation of "several hundred thousand units" before any overseas sales.

Adding in a camera and music playback functionality? Big deal! I have my camera for taking pictures and ipod for music. I use my DS for playing games, and I don't see this new model adding anything to that. Unless the screens are bigger/better, battery life improves, or includes something that interests me as a gamer, then I won't be upgrading. I'm sure there'll be one single carrot to entice me though... it just has not been announced yet!

tman

Aye, I'm happy enough with my little black DS lite, ipod and camera.
Unless the change is going to be as radical as the cosmetic changes between the DS phat and the DS lite, then I'm pretty damn uninterested...

Where's that "it prints money" animated gif when you need it...

tba

didn't they say it was going to have a better battery life, built in memory and no slot 2?

Atavan-Halen

no slot 2?!

that would suck! for example, you couldnt use the pal park in pokemon diamond/pearl

i have my fat ds and it works fine, ill just stick to that and my 160gb ipod for now

oh btw, i didnt know where else to ask this, but does anyone know where i can pick up an action replay ds? i tried gamestop but no luck

F.A.

I ordered my Action Replay at Play.com. I don't think I have ever seen it in a shop... Btw, I also bought iCheat, which I personally find a little easier to use, but it only covers games released in Europe. It's also available at Play.

herobear

this is really unneccessary =/

we need a wii hdd more than we need this!

abelard

herobear wrote: »

this is really unneccessary =/

we need a wii hdd more than we need this!

Indeed, watch it fly off the shelves in Japan though, and do pretty well elsewhere too.

valleyoftheunos

The expectation over at IGN.com is that the new DS will be available in japan for Xmas, Both Screens will have touch functionality and be bigger.

They are also anticipating that it will have SD card compatibility and that this might allow you to play VC games on it. They also have some crazy theory that it might be usable as a storage solution for Wii.

Atavan-Halen

ooh, 2 touch screens could drain the battery and if its going to have a camera and everything else aswell

is there any word from nintendo about it?

tba

Niall0

valleyoftheunos wrote: »

The expectation over at IGN.com is that the new DS will be available in japan for Xmas, Both Screens will have touch functionality and be bigger.

They are also anticipating that it will have SD card compatibility and that this might allow you to play VC games on it. They also have some crazy theory that it might be usable as a storage solution for Wii.

Is this a completely new console then? is there any reliable sources for this?

valleyoftheunos

Niall0 wrote: »

Is this a completely new console then? is there any reliable sources for this?

It would be seen to be a new itteration of the DS, A DS 1.5 if you will, new functions and features but its not expected to be any more powerful than the current DS.

The story was originally run by a reputable Japanese newspaper, similar to the Financial Times in Europe. There is a Nintendo Press Event this weekend running in Tokyo and San Francisco simultaneously. The US gaming press has been unsure if it was going to a major announcement, A new Zelda Game for the Wii using Wii Motion Plus or something disappointing like the guff at E3.

They are now working on the assumption that it is going to be the announcement of this new handheld.

Its a big deal I guess, I dont if I like the idea or not, I'm pretty attached to my DS and hope it doesn't become obsolete too fast if indeed there is a new version coming.

xbox36016

ds are shi.t and psps rule

Mr E

Then piss off to the Playstation forum. What are you doing in here?

monkeyfudge

Yes. PSPs can be used as rulers... and paper weights...

I certainly can't remember the last time I played any games on mine anyway...

valleyoftheunos

PSP isn't exactly a huge seller in Europe or the US but apparently it and DS are neck and neck in terms of current sales. A new model DS that is fully backwards compatible and has loads of new bits could make all the difference in that market.

Retr0gamer

xbox36016 wrote: »

ds are shi.t and psps rule

Has anyone broken his code yet or is it another language entirely?

TestTransmission

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Has anyone broken his code yet or is it another language entirely?

Scientists are still working on it.....:D

herobear

are we all staying up for the announcements ? haha....


1 1/2 hours to go

Mr E

Ta-daaaaaa.... the Nintendo DSi

During their Fall Press Conference today, Nintendo have - as expected - announced a new version of the Nintendo DS. Called the Nintendo DSi, it eschews the GBA slot (boo!) in favour of a slight downsizing (it's a little thinner) and a range of improvements. The handheld's screens have been enlarged, and will now be 17% bigger (at 3.25 inches) than those found on the DS Lite. As for the rumoured additions, both have proven to be correct, with "audio enhancements" made to the handheld, while it will also now include a .3 megapixel (640x480) camera. And that's just the start of it.

The DSi also features an SD memory card slot, making it possible to take pictures with the DSi and then view them on the Nintendo Wii. The DSi features a built-in browser, and it's possible to download games and keep them on the DSi.

For digital delivery purchases, there is a DSi Shop, from which users can download DSiWare from. Pricing categories for the DSiWare are: Free, 200 points, 500 points and "Premium" or 800 points. Customers will get 1000 free points to spend at the DSi Shop that are good until March 2010.

The DSi will be released in Japan on November 1. It will retail for ￥18,900 (USD$180), and will be available in two colours, white and black. It will be released in other markets sometime "next year".

Pics on Kotaku

tba

Easy backwards compatibility out the window, whats the betting it gimps my hb cart too.

I like the flat matt finish though

F.A.

Oh, bugger! I wanted to treat myself to a new DS Lite in red in November. Not sure now. Camera or music is of no importance to me whatsoever, but a bigger screen would be nice indeed... Hmmm...

Has the rumour about two touchscreens been confirmed?

RobertFoster

F.A. wrote: »

Has the rumour about two touchscreens been confirmed?

Nope, it's been denied. engadget

Oafley Jones

Getting rid of the GBA slot is a big loss imo. Not just for the backwards compatibility but it limits the potential for innovation such as the recent guitar-hero game. Much prefer the current position of the power button on the ds-lite as well. All in all a bit of a disappointment.

Atavan-Halen

Hmm, im not sure what to make of it, getting rid of the gba slot is a big minus i mean the ds lite is slim enough, do we really need something thiner instead of playing our old gba games? however, they could make gba and original gb games available on the new download service which would be quite awesome. the bigger screens and sd slot is a plus. not sure about the camera though, .3 megapixels isnt alot... also are both cameras .3 mp?

hmm, overall i dont know what to make of it yet...

flogen

atavan-halen wrote: »

Hmm, im not sure what to make of it, getting rid of the gba slot is a big minus i mean the ds lite is slim enough, do we really need something thiner instead of playing our old gba games? however, they could make gba and original gb games available on the new download service which would be quite awesome. the bigger screens and sd slot is a plus. not sure about the camera though, .3 megapixels isnt alot... also are both cameras .3 mp?

hmm, overall i dont know what to make of it yet...

I think that's exactly what they're planning on doing - it's not very awesome to someone who has the physical carts and has to buy them again if they want to play it on the DSi, though (although in fairness those people would probably just buy a lite, assuming this doesn't eventually replace it just like the lite replaced the phat when it wasn't really supposed to).

The bigger loss for the GBA slot is its potential use for accessories and so on... ah well.

Generally I think it's a step back.

The very pretty design of the lite is ruined by the ugly big camera in the front, which IMO has a limited functionality in terms of games and is of too poor a quality to be useful as a stand-alone camera. The loss of the GBA slot is bad for the already stated reasons too and the decision to move the power button (and make it a button again) seems odd to me. Going by the specs given on Kotaku the battery isn't as good as the lite's too.

The addition of an SD card slot is great - especially if they use it to its full potential (buying a NES, SNES, N64 or GB/GBA game, putting it on your SD card and being able to play it on both your Wii and DS), the bigger screens are good too but not nearly enough to warrant a purchase; even if you don't already own a DS of any kind.

The DSi Shop is a great idea but I'm guessing it'll only be available to DSi owners (given the name and the storage issues you'd face if you didn't have an SD card to put games onto). That's a shame as it's easily solved (a GBA card that gives DS Phat and Lite a SD slot of its own?).

Likewise it looks like the interface has been improved but I won't count on it being upgraded across the board; another shame, the DS's interface is terrible.

valleyoftheunos

I'm disappointed that they haven't done more with this but I'm also pleased as I'll be able to resist it without too much trouble.

Atavan-Halen

flogen wrote: »

I think that's exactly what they're planning on doing - it's not very awesome to someone who has the physical carts and has to buy them again if they want to play it on the DSi

(a GBA card that gives DS Phat and Lite a SD slot of its own?).

true, but if there were some gba games you wanted, but couldnt find the carts, it would be awesome.

and that would definitely be something id buy for my phat ds, but since the ds dosent have a browser, i dont see how it would work (unless they packaged a browser with it, but they already released a browser which required you to use the gba slot anyways)

i havent seen the interface, whats it like?

flogen

atavan-halen wrote: »

true, but if there were some gba games you wanted, but couldnt find the carts, it would be awesome.

I think having it available would be great alright - I just think the choice should be there (so the cart if you have it, the download if you want it.)

I may have mis-read an article earlier but I think they're bringing some GC games to the Wii VC... that's a great idea to me as it makes it easier (and maybe cheaper) for people to pick up GC games and maybe increases the chance of them getting it... it also means you might find games for download that are impossible to get in the shops given that it's so hard to find GC games nowadays.

Of course the Wii still allows you to play GC discs, so if you do happen to find a good game cheap or a classic game somewhere you can still play it on your console, so the balance is perfect.

and that would definitely be something id buy for my phat ds, but since the ds dosent have a browser, i dont see how it would work (unless they packaged a browser with it, but they already released a browser which required you to use the gba slot anyways)

I'm not sure but I would have guessed that the DSi Shop will be an option you select on the device's menu rather than a website you visit through the built-in browser (like how the Virtual Console shop is separate from the Wii's internet channel, or how the iTunes shop on the iPhone is separate from the Safari browser). If that's the case they'd just need to update the Phat and Lite's firmware.

i havent seen the interface, whats it like?

It looks like it's a new interface, just going by one of the shots floating around Engadget or Kotaku; might not be, though. Doesn't look like anything amazing, just a bit neater than the existing one.

xbox36016

no more gba games noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Atavan-Halen

ah, i seen that article about the gc games on the wii, would be useful if they released hard-to-find games on the vc, although mind you ive never bought anything off the vc :P

ah yes, i never thought of updating the firmware

and i seen those pics on kotaku that could be the interface, looks good!

now they're also saying that the sd slot could cause lots of piracy, as it might work just like the r4 card, if it does i may consider buying one

rainbow kirby

If I can't play a DECENT Metroid game on it (aka Fusion or Zero Mission) it's not worth a ****e.

seraphimvc

tempting!!since i dont have one with me (can borrow psp/ds anytime from not-so-gamer friends ),if there is news on some software can emulate old GB/GBA games i might consider getting one!

kaiser soza

Action Replay update,Argos is the only shop that stocks them in Dublin at the moment and I can't see Nintendo getting rid of the gba slot as it would crush all sales of Pokemon Platnium in Europe and America.

valleyoftheunos

kaiser soza wrote: »

Action Replay update,Argos is the only shop that stocks them in Dublin at the moment and I can't see Nintendo getting rid of the gba slot as it would crush all sales of Pokemon Platnium in Europe and America.

emm they have just gotten rid of the GBA slot.

I expect we'll see al the popular GB, GBC and GBA games get released through this new DS Shop along with a heap of NES and SNES games of varying quality. Personally the ability to play VC games on the go is the only thing that might tempt me into it, but not if I have to by them twice (Wii and DS) and knowing Nintendo I assume I would.

CiDeRmAn

I need the DSi, the hinge on my DS Lite is now superglued together so a new one is in order anyhow, but even if it wasn't, I would probably buy the new Nintendo hardware anyway.

Gotta Catch 'em All!

Mr E

Worrying DSi development, courtesy of Reggie Fils-Aime...

First up came a question regarding region locks on the Nintendo DSi handhelds. And Reggie's answer? "To be honest I dont know for sure, I will look into it." He added that he thinks that the device will be region locked, purely on the fact that the downloads for the system are region based.

Ouch.... no more cheap games from the States or Canada...

Also...

Another question was a simple one: The DSi can play music, so can it play MP3s? And the answer is "no, it plays the AAC format. It's an easy conversion."

Who the hell is going to convert their MP3s to AAC?

Hope both of these turn out to be false in the next few weeks as we get closer to the Japanese release date.

http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6601

Atavan-Halen

any word on a european release?

theres rumours going aroung that its either early 09 or late 09

and is anyone going to get the jap version when it comes out?

F.A.

First up came a question regarding region locks on the Nintendo DSi handhelds. And Reggie's answer? "To be honest I dont know for sure, I will look into it." He added that he thinks that the device will be region locked, purely on the fact that the downloads for the system are region based.

I don't think this is likely. Maybe for dowloads, but I can't see it happening with ordinary games. If worst comes to worst, you could play games on your old DS, no? Surely they would otherwise have to introduce a new format? Now that would royally piss me off, particularly if I couldn't play it on the old DS. Can't see that being a popular move.

Maybe there are some programming experts among you who can shed some light on whether/how this would work.

K.O.Kiki

AAC being used instead of MP3 is likely a royalty issue -- i.e., Nintendo don't want to get shafted for the millions they'd have to pay to get every Wii (Photo channel!) + DSi to play MP3 files.
And lest you forget, iTunes uses AAC as default, and it's just a tiny bit popular

Big question: how long until someone runs games off the built-in SD card slot?

Mr E

Hard to know!

You have to assume that the firmware on the DSi will be upgradable, so it'll be a game of cat and mouse between Nintendo and the flash card manufacturers to stay ahead of each other.

corcaigh07

i dont think losing the GBA slot is that important(i still have the dummy cart in my lite) but i was hoping nintendo would use it to create bigger, better ds games like what the expansion pack did for the N64. im not entirely sure if thats possible but i was hoping anyway.

Dr Bob

Mr E wrote: »

Hard to know!

You have to assume that the firmware on the DSi will be upgradable, so it'll be a game of cat and mouse between Nintendo and the flash card manufacturers to stay ahead of each other.

I'd say a good part of the reason the DSi exists is to try and curb flashcard(R4/DSTT etc) usage.
if you have a the DSshop or whatever online , then you need an account, if you have an account , then its easy enough to ban users if a flashcard is detected , (a bit like the old days of hacked xboxes and xbl) .
Even if they're not banning , they can still force a bios update whenever you connect to the DSi shop, which in turn would force a lockout of flashcards.
As always there'll be ways and means around it but the average joe probably isnt going to bother.

Mr E

On the flip side, if you have a flash cart (with a 3-in-1), you probably won't need to connect to the shop. You can already play GB, GBC, GBA, NES and SNES games... Unless they offer 'DSware' original titles, the average flash cart owner will never need to connect.

K.O.Kiki

But hold on -- firmware updates did NOTHING to curb PSP piracy, right?
Maybe inconvenience for a few days, but they always found a workaround.

Also, I hope they at least increased the internal RAM size, otherwise they might have problems from people using... well, Opera DS.
*edit* Nvm, turns out it has a built-in web browser.

Mr E

Region Locking confirmed. It will only apply to new games/apps designed specifically for the DSi, and not DS/Lite games.

Atavan-Halen

fingers crossed it wont apply to future games! although given nintendos reputation of not having region locked games on handhelds, its unlikely

although im sure someone will get around the region lock on the software on the dsi

F.A.

Oh FFS! :rolleyes: Well, that's me out, so. Couldn't be bothered having to wait ages for a game which, when it's finally released here, is already old news everywhere else.

Red DS Lite, here I come.