Slashdot Mirror
What Makes The DS So Popular?
Next Generation is running down the reasons why the Nintendo DS is so popular in Japan, by analyzing an article on the subject from Famitsu. From the article: "In any department store in Japan, there are DS demo stations. Usually the screens are scratched to high hell (I can't imagine what people are DOING with the stylus), and lately, there are a lot of games to choose from. On the launch day of Xbox 360, I recall seeing a line eight persons deep to play Super Mario Kart DS, and not one person even looking at the 360. This was in Shibuya Tsutaya, statistically the most foot-trafficked game retailer in all of Japan."
>Usually the screens are scratched to high hell (I can't imagine what people are DOING with the stylus)
E)Elbereth
Makes the DS safe from meddling kids and store managers, and lets me play for longer! Oh crap...
z)d
Which direction?>
*Crash*
---- Take the Space Quiz!
Online play.
Huge library of GBA games (RPGS! FUN!).
No loading times. Not that expensive.
Kinda looks like a PDA.
In a race to get first post, I see you don't read the article - much lesd the summary! It says Japan and provides reasons. And besides, just because you only know people who don't want one doesn't make you an expert. I don't know anyone who wants a Murcury Sable, for instance.
My kid wanted one....all his friends wanted one. All his friends are playing DS Wifi games. The McDonalds here is a Wifi hotspot for the DS and they go over there to play and I counted 11 people in there one day with DS systems. They're all over the fricken place!
Where do you live, out in a corn field or something? Or maybe the "fever" just hasn't hit your neck of the woods yet.
"Leo Fender was in a 'state of grace' when he designed the Stratocaster." -- Paul Reed Smith
No, he/she's a PSP-fanbot.
He claims he can't see, when in fact he REFUSES to see. There's a big difference. Can't believe he got 1 instead of -1, troll.
Curiouly, the article mentions that Shigesato Itoi may develop Mother 3 (That'd be Eathbound Two in America) for the Revolution.
*crosses fingers*
I love my DS, but I don't see anyone with them aside from a few friends. It's all spoiled brats with PSPs around here. In fact, the only people I've seen with a DS are likely over 18. Then again, I don't leave the house so much unless I'm going to work or a friend's, so I may not be the right person to ask.
It's like sex, except I'm having it!
The DS is a strange and unique beast for gaming, with its dual screens, touch screen, stylus, microphone, etc. I think its this innovative approach that has led to some interesting games. I have a PSP and a DS, and evn though the PSP is more spangly in design and screen size, the PSP is positioned for the trad gamer market and the DS is going after a wider non-traditional market. That's why its puzzle games and sims are so popular. I never expected much from the DS, but I can't find many compelling games on the PSP. Whereas I've spent hours on Nintendogs, its just so clever. The DS is much cuter than I expected.
DS, that's that handheld Nintendo thing, right?
I guess Montreal is the equivalent of a cornfield to some people. Up here, DS is a non-event as far as I can tell. But then again, my kid's now 14 and more interested in his girlfriend and World of Warcraft these days. Plus, we're all French here.
Zonk's game section is dying, I only keep it in my preferences for the occasional good story.
It's the same reason why mobile data services are so popular in Japan. i-mode hit japan a lot before the rest of the world understood 2G or 3G...
You don't realise how much a PSP is missing a touch screen until you use a DS.
You don't realise how slow UMD is until you buy DS.
You don't realise how time consuming transcoding video is until you buy a PSP.
The one area where the PSP kicks the DS is graphics. The graphics on the PSP are incredible for a handheld system, but they come with a heavy price: game loading time and battery life. Whats worse is that once its loaded your still left playing with an analogue stick and 6 buttons. Its a platform thats been done to death.
Cartridges make a lot of sense for a mobile platform. Low battery consumption and instant on are what gaming on the move is all about. Having two cartridge slots was a work of genius. Not only do you get a huge back catalogue, but you also get an explansion slot. How long will it be until you can buy a DS game that comes with a tilt cart, or a rumble pack? Thats simply not an option for the PSP.
As for games?
I haven't been as consumed with a gaming system since I got my first console, a NES. Mario 64 took a while for me get into, but now I'm hooked. Mario Kart is genuily the best in the series and Nintendogs is the most bizarly addictive game I've ever played, it really snook up on me. I'm looking forward to the port of Viewtiful Joe, Mario Soccer and the inevitable Pokemon game. I think, as a platform it shows a lot of promise.
However, I only know of one other person with a DS, everyone else owns PSPs... so what do I know?
Scared of flying, pointy things snce 1979!
Could be the age thing then...my kid's only 12 and so are all his friends. I don't see the DS as a teenagers or adults game console really and honestly, I don't see what the draw is. But hey, he's happy with it.
"Leo Fender was in a 'state of grace' when he designed the Stratocaster." -- Paul Reed Smith
It appeals to me (I'm 28) because of the innovative games, built in WiFi, and the touch screen.
Plus, I get a mild kick out of using the stylus for gaming...
Maybe it's a status thing, but my kid and his generation was never big on showing of technology at school. He once brought a CD player and that got stolen - you have to wonder about that, but it's probably a "you got something others don't, so I'll take it from you" high school thing.
Now he's got a cel phone that has tracking built-in (plus, his mom works for the company) so it'll be interesting (to say the least) to see what happens if that gets stolen.
I think the reason the DS is so popular is a simple one... It's fun to play with.*Gasps* There have been alot of fresh games come to the market that really showcase how bland gaming has become lately. It's these games that give the DS such appeal. Gamers want something new, even if they say they don't. I think the article points that out very well.
Not to mention that people who don't play video games want the DS because it looks like something manageable. It has a simple interface and looks like fun. Little kids are starting to want it because of games like Nintendogs, The Urbz, The Sims 2, Mario Kart, etc. For somebody like me, a hardcore gamer, there is just and endless supply of awesome games, that are portable to boot. There seems to be a little something for everyone in the DS whereas the PSP doesn't have that kind of appeal at all.
I agree whole-heartedly with the writer that we shouldn't count Nintendo out yet. They have a better head on their shoulders than some may think. The Revolution just may be the system everyone is looking for and personally I am curious to see where Nintendo takes this crazy world of gaming. All I have to say is, Nintendo, you have my vote, continue kicking ass.
First of all, the current school aged generation is so about showing off technology at every turn. But perhaps since you are in the wooly wild north you don't notice this.
How many people know someone that has a cell phone, an iPod(or iPodlike device), a DS/PSP and is under the age of 18? I know of atleast 5 or 6 kids like these. But of course since we are Americans we HAVE to flaunt technology to make up for our lack of education... Right?
It's odd, but I've never seen anyone with either a PSP or a DS in the UK. I remember seeing maybe five kids with a GBA SP when I lived in London,but nothing else.
since we are Americans we HAVE to flaunt technology to make up for our lack of education... Right?
Nice try. America has the same percentage of buffoons (OK, maybe a bit more) as any other country. Most other countries don't try to export their middlebrow culture so forcefully though. Manifest destiny, Right?
"I have a kid that doesn't want one. But apparently they are "popular". With whom?"
I was just browsing through the video game section of my local Tar-zhay and there was a 10 year old girl with her face plastered on the glass case, feverishly explaining to her mother how the DS was the "best video game system ever" and how all her friends had one.
Of course, this is just an anecdote, as is your post. You can't rely on them. That's why we have statistics like the one TFA is using.
I allowed my nieghbor's kid to play with my DS a few months after I got it. I knew by then that the screen was pretty durable, so I wasn't concerned if she was a bit rough. But this kid didn't know what "tapping the screen" ment. This kid maliciously stabbed my screen... as if it were her arch-enemy. She dragged the stylus across the screen like she had to cut a trench in it to get things to move (I think I had her playing Feel the Magic XX/XY). I gave her a few gentle reminders to be gental. I told her that the weight of the pen was enough for it to be recognized. She didn't let up. I took it away and held the power button saying, "Oh, sorry the batteries are dead." She never saw it again.
I imagine many a DS suffers this fate when the owner is young or away. Especially when in the stores. A lot of people know how to treat electronics, and a lot of people don't. This is why a few months after the 360's displays were out the tops of the control sticks were already missing.
This sig isn't original enough, it's time to come up with something witty...
I still see a lot of kids with GBAs, and I laugh at them because my machine is superior. Then my fiance hits me and calls me a jerk.
It's like sex, except I'm having it!
Anyone reading this have the game and can give a brief summary as to what it is? Is it a glorifed Magic 8 Ball? The game 20 questions for the DS?
-Rob
Biblical fiscal responsibility
"On the launch day of Xbox 360, I recall seeing a line eight persons deep to play Super Mario Kart DS, and not one person even looking at the 360."
And this suprises you, how?
Nintendo = Japanese company. They heavily advertise and have a very deep market penetration there. Microsoft = American, they heavily advertise and have great market penetration here.
If you go to a game store here you see the exact opposite. The 360 has people huddled around and fighting over the chance to play COD2, and the DS is laying around unplayed.
What's amazing with this system is that an article like this is being written 1+ years after the system debut! The system went through quite a slum in Spring/Summer 2005 (in my opinion), but a mix of loyalty and good games allowed it to sustain AND climb in sales and popularity. AWEsome. DS-to-DS play is unbelievably fast & responsive, online play is fast & responsive, plays all my GBA games, closes like a clam-shell so you can throw it around without damage, touch screen makes for easy menu navigation... ...and a mix of unique games and age-old platform games. Games for everybody. No wonder it's popular.
It's impossible to determing wide spread apeal based on personal experience. Back in the day ...
When I was in High school everyone I knew owned a N64 and played Mario Kart and Goldeneye endlessly; in fact every party you'd go to had one of those games playing with four players (and nearly a dozen watching). I never even saw a Playstation until a friend borrowed one from his cousin, and everyone made fun of how crappy the games looked, the terible load times and how bad Tomb Raider and Metal Gear really were.
Guess what? The Playstation was one of the most popular systems ever and Metal Gear and Tomb Raider were some of the best selling games.
The reality is that everyone lives in a pocket of like minded individuals, which react in a very similar way (this is why in certain communities all you really see is Fords/Lincolins and in other communities you see more Hondas/Acuras. I'm not surprised that You and Everyone you know doesn't want a Nintendo DS; it could be that the DS isn't your thing, or you could be the type of braindead morron who thinks that Realistic Breast Physics is the most important thing in gaming.
Of course, this is just an anecdote, as is your post. You can't rely on them. That's why we have statistics like the one TFA is using.
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but "statistics" regarding videogame/machine sales are likely to be highly suspect (no, I don't have data to back that up).
Just the fact that the primary market is kids would indicate that there is manipulation going on, since kids are notoriously indiscriminate when it comes to getting stuff (since they usually don't have to actually pay and want to look cool to their peers).
MS fully intended the 360 to at least crack the Japanese market. It just hasn't. We're not even talking about people buying the system; we're talking about whether they're even curious about it on launch day, yes? And they're not.
If you go to a game store here you see the exact opposite. The 360 has people huddled around and fighting over the chance to play COD2, and the DS is laying around unplayed.
Judging by my kids and their friends, the reason they're looking at the 360 in the store is because their parents aren't going to be spending that kind of coin. The circle around my kids, anyway, definitely do own the DSes though. Because I could afford it. (And honestly because I wanted to send mail to my kids in Animal Crossing. They're 12, it's good to communicate.)
"Fundamentalism" isn't about divine morality. It's about human authority.
On a forum my sister's on, a forum for mothers and pregnant women, a lot of moms are praising it and want one... for themselves.
Like a previous poster has stated, Nintendo's going for the untapped market, which doesn't include "hardcore gamers" that are obsessed with graphics, violence, half-naked women 'superheros' and looking cool in front of their peers.
It's a much broader market... one that's less likely to brag about what video game systems they have around their friends and their friends' fathers.
Oh and to remain on topic. DS sells because A. it is fun B it can be played on the road C it is fun D it can be played without a tv when dad wants to watch baseball E it is fun.
Nintendo sells handhelds and does it well because they are (repeat from above)
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
"Please correct me if I'm wrong, but "statistics" regarding videogame/machine sales are likely to be highly suspect"
So instead you're just going to pull anecdotal "evidence" out of your ass?
"Just the fact that the primary market is kids"
It is?
"since kids are notoriously indiscriminate when it comes to getting stuff"
"Indiscriminate?" Apparently you weren't one of those kids that ask for Optimus Prime for his birthday and got a Go-Bot isntead. More often than not it's the parent that's indiscriminate ("Maybe he'll shut up if I just get him this...").
I'm 43, all we got to play with were Hot Wheels and Play-Doh.
I've been pulling stuff out of my ass for years, eventually I graduated to pulling stuff out of my nose. Do you generally believe corporate sales figures and advertising?
If you think that videogames are not primarily marketed towards kids, you'll be in for a big surprise when/if you have some.
But, by then you'll be a good parent and *not* buy the evil spawn what it wants, right?
For the record, I sit and watch my kid when he plays his games (not so much these days, since he's becoming adulty).
The reality is that everyone lives in a pocket of like minded individuals, which react in a very similar way (this is why in certain communities all you really see is Fords/Lincolins and in other communities you see more Hondas/Acuras.
Yes, this is the danger in relying on anecdotal evidence; we all have a pitifully limited sphere of experience, and things may be very different outside of it.
But also remember that, in this area, reality is in effect the sum total of everyone's experienece. So the parent poster's observation has value as a representative sample.
It would be a better sample, though, were it randomly collected instead of volunteered. Hm.
I guess my point, ultimately, is... er, hey! Look over there!
(runs)
It's fun. Just fun to play with. Anytime!
The DS still works! I had the same experience with my nephew on my DS. He borrowed it and scratched the hell out of the screen. The only conclusion I can come to is he used the screen as a cutting board as there's no way the average person could scratch a screen that much. Anyway, when the unit is on you can't see the scratches and the touch sensitivity works fine.
Ninetendo knows how to build a durable machine.
I'd just like to say that maybe most people who own a DS don't bring it out often.
Any time I'm waiting for a movie, on the bus, in a car, I'm with my friends. It'd be rude of me to sit there and play Mario Kart. I talk with them. My DS isn't really portable to me: I play it on long plane rides, road trips, etc. That, coupled with the fact the DS isn't "cool" looking like a PSP, and not as socially acceptable among non geeks like my iPod is, are also factors.
Plus, my school does not allow electronics of any sort except TI calculators to be used at school, even during free periods. Only on the bus. And who pulls out a gameboy for a five minute bus ride?
If it's like this in high school, imagine how the pressure to conform in the corporate world would influence a DS owner. Considering how many gamers are 21+, and the fact that most people of that age grew up on the (S)NES, it could show why the DS seems less popular than it is.
Sony made a huge mistake with the PSP, thinking that "better graphics" was going to make them the automatic winner in the handheld business. Wrong. All you need to do is take a look at the mobile gaming market to realize this.
There are a ton of stupid PC/console ports to mobile phones with "great graphics". Games like Tony Hawk, Splinter Cell, Need For Speed, etc. Yeah, those graphics look great, but gee whiz, the games cost a small fortune and I don't really care about graphics when I just need to play something quick to pass 5 minutes of time. That's why the best sellers for the mobile space are titles like: Tetris, Bejeweled, Zuma, Bowling, Mini-golf. You don't need killer 3D graphics to sell games, just something nice and bite-size.
At first I was hesitant towards the DS, since the touchscreen seemed too gimmicky, and I was annoyed at having to buy a new handheld every year it seems (GBA, GBA SP, and now the DS). But I bit anyway, and I've thoroughly enjoyed the games: Advance Wars, Castlevania, Nintendogs, Animal Crossing, just to name a few. You don't need outstanding 3D graphics, and many of these titles can be played for a short time and then quick-saved as needed.
The only thing I'd like is an "SP-like" form factor improvement for the DS. (I say "SP-like" because the SP upgrade was incredible for the original GBA) I still hit the power button accidentally on the DS, from time to time, and it just feels too heavy after a while. But it's still my platform of choice whenever I go travelling or need to kill some time (jury duty, yay).
-- jchenx
you could be the type of braindead morron who thinks that Realistic Breast Physics is the most important thing in gaming.
Wait, I think you got it wrong. Nobody wants Realistic Breast Physics!
Got Apathy?
You can trust sales figures from Japan. Japanese sales figures are compiled by a 3rd party company that does nothing but gather data and release it. They have no stake in what the numbers are, only in how accurate they are. They've been doing it for over 10 years. Japan is the only country that has reliable games sales numbers. In the US we have the NPD, but their numbers are not currently 100% reliable, but they're at least 80% reliable, and they're the best we've got.
just some guy
>thinking that "better graphics" was going to make them the automatic winner in the handheld business.
Except that for the PSP there is a lot more then "better graphics". If all you want to do is play games then DS is for you. If you are looking for an entertainment system then the PSP wins out.
The primary market is kids? Did you even look at the article?
The primary market for the DS is most certainly not kids. It's anyone, and everyone. That's kind of the point, and it's the reason that the DS is doing so well in Japan. While the DS and the PSP may have the same number of traditional gamers (the PSP may have more, in fact), the DS is selling far better (until Nintendo ran out of them), the games are selling better, and (shock!) the games that sell the best are the kind of games that gamers don't like.
On the other hand, the primary market for the PSP is kids / teenagers / American adults who are so insecure than they wouldn't touch a DS in case someone thinks they're a kid / people who don't like change.
Its because japs are fucking narrowminded and boring people. They only care about pokemon style crappy games, and will happily pay 10 times over for the same game with just a different color!
And not to mention they are ultra fanboys, they will buy anything Nintendo, even if it's total shite.