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Nintendo DS Full Specs Allegedly Leaked
sarcastodon writes "Various sources such as GI.Biz are suggesting that detailed specifications of the upcoming Nintendo DS have been leaked. Surprising capabilities contained in the allegedly leaked Japanese-language document for the dual-screen handheld include 3D hardware acceleration, 802.11 wireless support, and the inclusion of a touch screen." However, GI.Biz notes: "Of course, a single leaked screenshot of a Japanese document doesn't constitute hard proof of any description, and this document should be taken with a pinch of salt - but if it is a forgery, it's a rather good one."
Why don't I just throw out my palm? ... network, touchscreen, hi-res screen, it's got it all! They'd better make a PIM/PDA cart for it with web/email capabilities, or bundle it in the ROM. It'd be a shame not to.
THIS THING CAN TURN ON A DIME, MACROSSZERO STYLE ALSO FUCK BETA, ~NYORON
(yeah, yeah, I know, replying to myself) All those non-gaming features could actually do things for games, unlike the stuff they put in the N-Gage for filler. I've never really thought much of multiplayer on gameboy systems, but now that I think of it, it wouldn't be half as bad as it is now if it were wireless. Of course, this goes against another thing about Nintendo's history: They usually make you buy the add-ons, and if it has wireless, they can't sell you the $15 link cable.
Hah N-Gage? or Hah I just won a million dollars?
Look it's a joke about my sig IN MY SIG! LOL!
It seems that there is quite a bit of negative views surrounding the DS from readers. In my opinion, the N-Gage's failure can be attributed to all the negative reviews it recieved. It was flamed in Penny Arcade, and other review sites rated it poorly. If it recieved opposite reviews, would it have been a success? Now we are getting a lot of press about the DS, but no product and some are already making judgements, mostly based on the fact that none of us have any idea on what exactly this device will do.
I still have high faith in Nintendo; the Gameboy's proven success gives them a stronger foot that this potentially revolutionary product will succeed. I really am looking forward to seeing what this product really does though, as it has peaked my curiosity.
The most intriguing thing to me is how the two screens will be arranged and utilized.
According to the second article, it has two screens of 256x192 pixels each (which is slightly higher resolution than the GBA screen)
So will it two equal sized screens? Will they go with a clamshell device like the GBA with a smaller screen in the base (between the controls) and a larger screen in the flip-top part?
And I'm also wondering what compromises they'll have to make on the physical dimensions and battery life in implementing dual screens in a portable.
I've never owned a handheld gaming system before (blackjack on my cell phone doesnt count), but if the dual screens leads to be a real gameplay innovation and not just a novelty that many games fail to take full advantage of, then I could be convinced to buy one of these...
Has there been any information on how many of the screens will be lit? I would hope Nintendo has learned its lesson and would now consider this such an indispensable feature that it's a given thing on any future handheld. Or maybe lit screens will just be left for the "Nitro SP" released in 2006?
Processor:
Memory:
LCD:
Sound:
Input Device:
Electric Power Control:
Nintendo needs to stop deluding itself. Saying "it's not a competitor to the GBA" a million times doesn't make it any less of a competitor to the GBA. You're talking about a standalone system with good specs and built-in screens. What are you supposed to do with the thing... leave it on a table? Strap it to your face? We all know it's competing with the GBA and the PSP, and on that note alone its release is questionable.
Sadly, it looks like this too won't be an adequate GameTessaract controller, as it lacks analog joysticks... which is really too bad, a touchscreen on a game controller would be quite convenient for inventory management. 802.11b would be a good networking standard for getting consoles to communicate, or for that matter just using the controllers wirelessly.
But the most important spec still hasn't leaked... The price. If this handheld is to compete with the PSP, it has to hit the target price sweet spot. If the PSP ships at it's current target of $250, it will be quite vulnerable to a $100 Nintendo portable. If the Nitro ships at anything approaching the PSP's cost, it will be eaten alive in the market, touchscreen or no.
Overall, this has Virtual Boy written all over it, though not necessarily. While I wish Nintendo the best of luck, I'm also looking forward to picking up one of these things for 15 bucks in 2006.
The ______ Agenda
I used to work with touchscreen videogames at my old job. While touchscreens do have some advantages for an arcade machine...
1. Simple to understand
2. Difficult to vandalize.
those advantages don't mean anything for portable machines, and they have some fairly severe disadvantages...
1. While using a touchscreen, your fingers will obscure what you are seeing on the screen, especially for the small portable screen.
2. Touchscreen's are weaker then a macintosh mouse. You can only click, it's difficult to drag an object, or anything other then just click on the screen. Your hands could accomplish more on the controller. That way you could hit multiple buttons, instead of just clicking.
Besides, imagine playing an action game, and moving your hand from the buttons to the screen, and back to the buttons. It wouldn't work in an action game, and you can do menu selection faster using the buttons. I'm all for innovation, but this is going to be a gimmick.
Sangloth
I appreciate any comment with a logical basis...it doesn't even have to agree with me.
I found some end-of-2003 numbers here:
http://print.pcvsconsole.com/?hank=549
Which unfortunately do not come with a source. The numbers seem to be roughly in line with expectations, though.
I believe that Nintendo has previously confirmed that the two screens will be next to each other, and can be used as one. This pretty much means that it's going to be layed out GB/GBC/GBASP style, with the controls below the screens, and not GBA classic style, with the screen between the controls, which would give it a really funky form factor that nobody would want to hold. Assuming this has been confirmed, there is almost no way that one of the screens will be touch sensitive, since you'd have to move one hand to reach a screen. However, with the two screens side by side, to make a rectangular clamshell form factor, there would be space in between the standard button sets, perfect for a standard touchpad.
Now let's think about this. Nintendo only really started doing 3d with the N64, when they introduced an analog stick to the controller. It's quite difficult to play a true 3d game with only a digital pad. However, you can't throw a stick on a handheld unit, it'll break off leaving many-a-user pissed. So the touchpad is probably going to be a replacement for the analog stick.
Basically I got all this from the premise that both screens are going to be next to each other, so in any case I'm almost definitely wrong, but speculation is fun!
Nope, Nintendo has already stated they are VERTICALLY stacked.
...which if it is shared between both ARM cores is a very good idea.
THIS THING CAN TURN ON A DIME, MACROSSZERO STYLE ALSO FUCK BETA, ~NYORON
I bet it's just in ad-hoc mode (peer-to-peer) and not infrastructure mode.
EDIT:
We just realized, the guys who got the "leaked" document, didn't read japanese very well at all. The documents are not entitled "DS design specs" but "N-Gage design specs" their Comment: "Seriously, that first Kanji kind of looked like "DS" if you look at it from this angle." Moderator note:"there's no such thing as a "DS" kanji you moron!"
--Seriously. Nintendo has stated like a 1000 times their best card against the PSP wont be technology but price, how could anyone with a realistic mind believe the freaking DS will have bluetooth and a 3d card? that will price it around $200-$300 bucks!
Go ahead MOD my day!
More opinions here
No, I believe Nintendo said that they're going to be vertically stacked... ...if that is the case, I'd like to see a layout like the Danger hiptop where the touchscreen is on top, for palm-pilot like use, or for games that only require one screen.
The second screen could be hidden under the first, with the top screen swivelling up and 180 degrees for two-screened games. This also means that the second screen could be used as an option, not all games would have to incorporate it, and it would be hidden and protected when not in use.
I don't see a touchpad as a replacement for an analog stick, though. Touchpads/screens STINK when used as controllers. I think it's more likely that an analog controller will take the form of a standard crosskey that responds to how hard you press. It's also possible to make a (recessed) analog control ball, instead of a stick. The old sega saturn analog controllers had these, and they were almost impossible to break.
with the GB series then Ninento will slaughter Sony just like how they slaughtered every other handheld thats come out. Same with Sony and ps3 if ps3 is compatible with the early PS series they will continue to dominate the market. Both Companys have shown supirer tech doesnt = owning the market Compare Phantasy star 1 for master system to Final Fantasy 1 for NES. The Master system was a supieor system tech wise but nintendo slaughtered genesis. also I think if Sony hadnt made ps2 backwords compatable with ps1 therefore giving them a huge advantage in number of games avalible to there system Nintendo might have had a chance of retaking over the console market oncd agien.
Let me see how much time it takes for nintendo to denny this specs are real. Any bets?
Go ahead MOD my day!
More opinions here
This seems to be a nice chunk of hardware to develop applications on. The 802.11 provides for easier connectivity, and the two ARM processors could provide quite some power for a handheld. Just look back at the original psone, and N64 specs. It looks good when comparing them on paper. Even though this is just speculation at this point.
psone
CPU 32-bit
CPU Speed 33.8688... MHz
RAM 2 MB
Video RAM 1 MB
n64
Processors:
CPU: 64 bit Risc
CPU Speed, (R4300I series) 93.75 MHz
Graphics CPU 64-bit MIPS Risc Co-processor 62.5 MHz
Memory:
4.5 MB Rambus DRAM
Custom 9-bit Rambus Bus (to the DRAM)
Or... the NGage was just a bad product. It got flamed because it deserved to get flamed. It failed, because it deserved to fail.
As a gaming system:
. you have to remove the battery to change the game. wtf?
. it cost more than 2x what a GBA SP did, even if you include the price of a seperate 3G phone.
. it had very little developer support. (likely due lame SDK, bad design, pricing)
As a phone:
. it looked absurd. (taco-phone is a deserved critique)
. it's friggin huge.
. the button layout and centrally located screen made it awkward to hold and manipulate effectively one handed (common use for a phone).
. battery life is unacceptably short, unless you never, or rarely, use it for gaming - which obviates its dual functionality and makes the added cost unjustifiable.
The press around the DS revolves around legitimate concerns.
. lack of perceived purpose for a second screen
. effect of 2 backlit screens on battery life
. resultant unit pricing from added screen, necessitated battery
. lack of certainty on backwards compat.
Any handheld that Nintendo announces, but won't confirm backwards compatibility for, is going to be met with heavy skepticism imo. If the DS truly isn't meant to be a successor to the GBA SP -- then what market could they possibly be aiming at? Why have 2 incompatible handheld products? Particularly when facing Sony's PSP, which will be its first legitimate challenge in the mobile arena in years.
The sketchy details, the possibility of no backwards compat and the lack of consumer demand for its key feature (the second screen) are valid concerns.
The notable failure of the pseudo-portable Virtual Boy is still rightly fresh in the minds of consumers and investors when they see a 'potentially revolutionary' functionality that no-one has really been asking for. Nintendo's strength and first party developers/licenses cannot make a success out of a bad product.
// "Can't clowns and pirates just -try- to get along?"
If they make it backwards compatable
with the GB series, then Nintendo will slaughter Sony just like how they slaughtered every other handheld that has come out. Same with Sony and the PS3; if the PS3 is compatable with the earlier PS series they will continue to dominate the market. Both companies have shown that superior tech doesn't = owning the market.
Compare Phantasy Star 1 for the Sega Master System to Final Fantasy 1 for the NES. The Master System was a superior system tech wise but Nintendo slaughtered Genesis. [Ed note: Perhaps he meant Master System here?]
Also I think if Sony hadn't made the PS2 backwards compatable with the PS1, therefore giving them a huge advantage in the number of games available on their system, Nintendo might have had a chance of retaking the console market once again.
By posting this, I must waive my right to EVER again make fun of Apple users. Oh well....
Sharp a while back developed a way to display stereo 3D images by placing a "switching" LCD (which acts as a parralax barrier) on top of a conventional LCD. They used this tech to make a 3D notebook(very good for government and corporate R&D, the flaws inherant in this system would actually be a good thing).
Flaws in the system: you have to be looking straight at it, the optimal viewing range is 40cm[1.3 feet](otherwise things go out of sync a little), and you'll see a "dimmer" image because it will have little vertical lines through it(do an erase every other row operation on something in the Gimp/Photoshop).
However, none of these problems are really problems in handhelds (In fact that pretty much describes how I personally use a laptop or a handheld product[if you could tweak the distance a little to suit your needs it would be perfect]).
Biggest pro: by turning the "switching" LCD off you can revert the image to a normal 2D as displayed on a conventional LCD.
Now, as some of you may know, Sharp provides Nintendo with the screens for the GBA. Nintendo(as well as Sony[Sony is one of the big contributors]) are both members of the so called 3D consortium with Sharp. Nintendo has experimented with stereo imaging before(the VirtualBoy). The DS is supposed to be "revolutionary". No one is leaking anything.
Well, not quite. We know the basic specs of the DS(per Nintendo), but we don't know much about the screens(apart from that it will have two). There is a supposedly leaked spec sheet out(see article) there that claims that ONE of the screens is a touchscreen(oh and 802.11g wireless for multiplayer, 3D acceleration, etc.).
Remember, Nintendo has claimed that this is their "laptop" product. (The Gameboy series would be a Palm Pilot esque product, and the Gamecube/Dolphin/SNES/NES/N64 would be the desktop)
So I think I have some idea about the layout. Take a GBA, now attach a folding LCD(clamshell, SP style) above the center LCD. To the left of the center LCD you have your D-Pad, below it you have the start/select buttons, on the right of it you have the a and b buttons(and possibly X/Y[please add X/Y])) on the top edge you have the L/R buttons. The center screen is a backlit touchscreen, the one above it is a backlit Sharp 3D LCD. The top screen folds down to protect the center one(or it might be wider, with more guts stored in the top clamshell). That's how I would design it anyway. (Nintendo has confirmed a vertical layout)
The things you could do with such a setup(oh and up to 128MB of cart space), well, they really set off my geek factor. If I'm right, even if no games are released for it, if you can homebrew stuff like you can for the GBA, I'm definately getting one. This is mindless speculating, of course, but it definately excites me.
The key to the enjoyment of pop music is to replace any instance of "love" with "C.H.U.D."
Ok, when did the moderators find the stash and is there any left?
The ______ Agenda
I've heard a statistic somewhere that add ons tend to sell 10% the amount of the system itself. Stuff that's not built-in generally isn't worth it for a company to support because not enough customers will buy the game (not having the hardware).
The DS isn't being made to compete with the PSP. Nintendo is working on a "Next Gen" handhold that will be competing with the PSP. There's no way the DS would be able to compete with PSP and Nintendo knows this. DS is more of a quirky little handheld that probably won't do great but could be a neat little toy for the more hardcore gamers out there. The GBA2 or whatever it'll be called will be Nintendo's answer to the PSP.
"Armed forces abroad are of little value unless there is prudent counsel at home" - Cicero