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Nintendo's First Podcast

Posted by Zonk on from the big-n-entering-the-modern-era dept.

celerityfm writes "With the US release of an MP3/multimedia player add-on for the Nintendo DS and Gameboy Advance just around the corner, Nintendo is already busy creating content for it with their first Podcast, produced by podcast pioneer Carl Franklin. Check out the first episode, it's all about Nintendogs." Commentary is available at Press the Buttons. From that post:"From the sound of things, girls love Nintendogs. Dog training tips are exchanged, fans are briefly interviewed, and even a parent weighs in now and then. Ms. McCollom's segment goes in to why girls are apt to love raising portable puppies and just how the Nintendo DS's wireless mode enables gamers to meet new players and their dogs. Teen People even proclaims the experience 'better than Barbie', so if that's not a young girl stamp of approval, I don't know what is. "

3 of 49 comments (clear)

  1. Stop Podcasting - or the puppy gets it by tod_miller · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Look, there is no reason for the word podcasting to exist.

    It is one of those words when you first hear it you imagine this immense technology behind it. But no, it is a URL to an audio file, inserted into XML.

    Wow. I realise that Audio available through a non-html interface, i.e. a 'play list' application is good, but there is no reason to call this crap podcasting, any more than it is to call downloading a zip file of the internet spudcasting.

    It makes no sense.

    --
    #hostfile 0.0.0.0 primidi.com 0.0.0.0 www.primidi.com 0.0.0.0 radio.weblogs.com
  2. The New M3 Adapter is More Interesting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Aparently a new device for the GBA and DS that supports Homebrew is to be released soon called the M3 Adapter and boasts these features: With unique Super Real Time Save Function, easily operates and it can revive without limits. CF/SD card +Reader can be used as a U disk and it only needs drag here and there when the game is burning. Saves money: CF/SD card can also be used in digital camera and other products, and you can share your card as you need it without the need to buy a dedicated card for your NDS/GBA. Supports GBA Games, FC games, Emulator games, GBA Movies, E-book, Cartoon books, browse pictures, enjoy music and so on. Supports 4-key reboot to Rom menu function, and supports 4-key reboot beginning function.

  3. Re:Isn't it really just a GBA product? by Guspaz · · Score: 2, Interesting

    While streaming podcasts and videos seems neat at first thought, I don't think in practice it would be all that handy. Any place I have a wifi connection I'd rather be using something like a laptop. If I'm at home I'd rather not be watching stuff on the small screen of a DS, and even if I wanted to, I could copy stuff to the SD card.

    Extending the Play-Yan to take advantage of the DS's capabilities would be nice, though unlike you I'd say that using the full screen size would be more important than stylus support. After all, once you're watching/listening to something, you're non-interactive, but using all the screen instead of black borders around the image would certainly improve the user experience.

    I suppose it IS possible to do this with the play-yan. Since Nintendo can change the DS's firmware all they want, it is certainly possible for them to add support for this to the DS itself. After all, hacked firmware is already available to do it, the difference is that Nintendo would be able to apply security so that you can't just run any DS code off the GBA slot. However without knowing more about how the Play-Yan and DS interact, I don't know if you could also upgrade that with a simple software update.

    So while it is possible to get the DS doing what you want with a simple software update, I think that a hardware update might be needed for the Play-Yan. I'm no expert though, I'm only guessing.

    It doesn't look like they have any immediate plans to do this, though. Nintendo seems to think the Play-Yan is good enough, and it might very well be; there is a lot to be said for having ONE single product that will work on the GBA, GBA SP, GBA Micro, and DS, without modification. That certainly helps keep the costs down rather than having to produce a seperate unit for the DS. I would also guess that part of the reason they're doing it this way for now is that the number of DS users is currently tiny compared to the number of GBA users.