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Nintendo DS to Feature Instant Messaging?
Decaffeinated Jedi writes "Following rumors of wireless connectivity, movie playback, and a touch-screen interface, CNN/Money reports today that Nintendo's upcoming dual-screen portable will also incorporate instant messaging into its ever-growing feature set. The DS would most likely offer local IM service via its radio-frequency wireless networking hardware, with users typing messages on the portable's touch screen using a stylus. The article also discusses physical design of the DS: 'The form factor will feature two three-inch screens that fold together, similar to that of the Game Boy Advance,' says one industry analyst quoted in the article. 'There will be two flipper controls, two directional pads, and an 'A' and 'B' button. The stylus will be used for gaming, Instant Messaging, and other multimedia functionalities.' The Nintendo DS: it slices, it dices, it juliennes!"
With the evergrowing list of capabilities of the DS, it seems like it's reaching well beyond being a supposed "third pillar" of the Nintendo empire.
Originally it was pitched as a machine that you'd want to have ALONGSIDE your Gamecube and Gameboy, that it'd provide some seperate function which the other two didn't and vice versa and versa vice. But what it sounds like is an all-around superior portable gaming machine to the GBA... why would you want a GBA when you have a more powerful, more versatile machine available? That smells of 'replacement' to me, not 'supplemental'.
I'm wondering if it will get to the point when we can just buy a 'Game Card' so to speak. Somewhat like an Xbox/PS2/GC PCI/AGP card containing the console itself, otherwise our living rooms are just going to get more and more clustered. Dont get me wrong, I'm all for touchscreens, IM, etc.. but we already have most of the hardware needed for it sitting at home now.
Anyone else think pcs/consoles will ever become one? Or am I just crazy...
If this is true, which I'm suspicious of, because, frankly, Nintendo is not a very leaky company, but if this is true, it looks like the speculation that Nintendo was going for some place between the GBA and the cube. That is to say, this is not something you whip out and play a few rounds of at the bus stop, but it is something that you can bring over to your friend's house and play with - it doesn't require a TV and a bunch of wiring.
I wonder if we're dealing with something that's portable in the same way that a laptop is portable - that is to say, usually going to be run off an outlet, and rather bulky, but still movable.
It would certainly be a new type of gaming device.
Philip Sandifer's academic website
As long as we're posting wild speculation and rumors, why not take a look at this *achem* "mock-up" of the DS?
You probably shouldn't click this.
More likely the next Tapwave. Except unlike Tapwave, they'll have more than 2 or 3 mediocre exclusive games for it, and it won't have a controller that breaks within a week after you buy it.
Unfortunately, unlike the Tapwave, it won't run any emulators, at least not unlicensed ones. Maybe this is the real reason Nintendo went after that emulator?
Anyway, back to my point... if the rumors we've been hearing are true then this system is fixing up to be a combination PDA/entertainment device, like the Tapwave. It's got movie and mp3 playing, game playing, and probably a touch sensitive screen. All that you need to add is the PDA software.
The N-Gage failed because as you said it didn't have good games, and it had a bad interface. However, there's no inherent reason a combination PDA and gaming device must have bad games and a bad interface. (Many PDA's devices already have a control disk that looks suspiciously like a gaming contoller). Adding a phone to the mix, however, doesn't really work though. The form factors are just incompatible.
Is there a market for such a beast? I don't know. With the PDA functionality, and higher price, they would be going after an older demographic than the GBA. Unlike the Tapwave, this sounds more like a game playing first, PDA second kind of machine. (I viewed the Tapwave as a PDA first, and a game machine second, since it ran the Palm OS). In other words the market for this are those people who want a gaming device, but could be swayed to buy this one by the additional gaming features.
I thought the Tapwave had a chance, but the lack of games, poor marketing, and the poor quality of the controller is going to be the end of them. Nintendo is unlikely to make these mistakes, but they may fail to have good PDA applications. I think the product really is an experiment to test the market, and they know it.
DS Mock-Up / Bounty
This magazine (see link) is offering a bounty for photos. They put up their own Mock-up. I say it looks good, but it needs about a ton more buttons. 2 was insane for the GBA, let alone the generation after.
--Welcome to the Realm of the Hawke--
There will be two flipper controls, two directional pads, and an 'A' and 'B' button.
Interesting that this describes the Virtual Boy *exactly*.
Sounds like some "industry analyst" is playing a joke.
"Mod, mod, mod...and another troll bites the dust."