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."

Comments

Re:Maybe Not

[sgant]

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.

Re:Why I think it's so popular

[Ailure]

I'm surprised that there are no PDA software yet. It's probably only a matter of time... then it might not be attractive for the market. But you could only hope. :)

Innovation

[neillewis]

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.

Because its good at what its bought for

[el_womble]

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?

Re:Because its good at what its bought for

[Cutriss]

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?

As was mentioned by another poster, Metroid Prime Pinball comes with a rumble pack, and the rumble pack is also compatible with Mario & Luigi: Partners In Time. I expect this is the reason that DS cases have a GBA cartridge holder in them.

Not to mention the growing number of games that support GBA linking features.

I finished playing Castlevania DS the other night, and in reading a FAQ while looking for some things I had missed, I found out that if you start a new file with Aria of Sorrow in the GBA slot, you get a free Rare Ring. Since you can get that pretty easily later in the game, it's basically a free drop of cash, *plus* it helps you get more junk early on in the game, so it's super-helpful.

Megaman Battle Network 5 for the DS also supports a large amount of linking features. If you play it with any of the previous Battle Network GBA games inserted, the battle music and environments change to match those in the GBA game you used. They also each unlock extra chips for use in the DS game.

Even *neater* is the cross-company connectivity. The creator of MMBN (a Capcom employee) is good friends with the creator of Boktai (a Konami game/employee), and the two of them have worked together to put little tributes to each other in the games. You can unlock an extra Navi chip after you've finished the game if you play MMBN5 DS with one of the Boktai games in the GBA slot.

Also, there's a Japanese music game called Daigasso! Band Brothers which now has an expansion pack sold in GBA cartridge form.

It's Amazing that's why!

[MrJack5304]

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.

Re:It's Amazing that's why!

[apoc06]

i disagree when you say that nintendo has a good head on their shoulders. they like to gamble. luckily for them they gamble and they win. alot ...and BIG! lol.

every system theyve ever released has been a gamble as far back as the NES. console gaming was dead in the water. they gambled with even coming into the scene. they gambled using ROB the robot to garner shelf space.

they gambled with releasing the gameboy; the first interchangable handheld console. the strength of tetris winning over countless casual gamers.

they gambled with the virtual boy. [no comment... we all know how that one turned out]

they gambled with releasing the n64. crossing sony on the creation of a cd-based console, sticking with cartridge based media, and sticking to their rigorous third party contract agreements spelled the end of their reign of having the best third party developer backing.

with the n64, luckily they succeeded with creating reliable 3d control using the analog pad, and introducing the world to force feedback. making four control ports standard meant it was safer for developers to create "party" multiplayer games.

they released the gameboy advance while the original gameboy was already selling like hotcakes. they splintered their own market, but were able to reap the rewards accordingly since their major competition was already dead in the water.

with the gamecube they switched formats to optical media, but shunned using standard dvd. more publishers shied away from the company. the reorganized controller layout made many games difficult to port across consoles. [odd man out?]

they release the DS while the GBA is still the top selling handheld console in the world [and continues to sell strongly]. the ds has a radically different control scheme compared to a traditional handheld. something consoles have never seen before. nintendo admits that they were worried that the control scheme would frighten developers out of designing games around the "touch" concept.

and now along comes the revolution with its radical departure from the direction theyve lead controller designs in for the last 20 odd years.

nintendo is a gambling company, but what can you expect from a company that made its start selling playing cards?

Scratched to high Hell

[steveo777]

Usually the screens are scratched to high hell (I can't imagine what people are DOING with the stylus)

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.

Re:Maybe Not

[Anonymous Coward]

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.