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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."
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
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.
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!
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.
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.