Nintendo To Take On Apple With DSi App Store

Dave Allen writes "Despite Nintendo publicly claiming no direct competition with the iPhone or iPod Touch with its new DSi console, reports have been leaked about the Big N actively encouraging developers to begin work on small form gaming and non-gaming applications for the DSi's download service. This is the first step toward Nintendo putting together a direct App Store rival, and could be the marketing hook it's been desperately searching for to convince gamers to upgrade their DS." It seems only fair that since the iPhone is now a gaming platform, the DS is becoming a PDA. And, if the only difference between them is a 3G wireless connection, the rivalry can only get more fierce.

Comments

Re:Only difference?

[FishWithAHammer]

The DS has an ARM7TDMI and ARM9 inside. The former is clocked at something like 33MHz, the ARM9 (which is used primarily for 3D rendering) at 67MHz. Specs are a little skiffy on the DSi, but the primary processor is an ARM9E at 133MHz. It also has 16MB of RAM, which is something like four times the capacity of the regular DS.

It should allow for some much improved games.

Re:SDK?

[AndrewNeo]

Mod parent up. You'll probably still have to be a Registered Nintendo Developer (aka thousands of dollars) to develop for the DSi store.

Re:SDK?

[AKAImBatman]

~$2,000 last I checked. The price isn't the problem, it's getting into the program that's the problem.

Re:Really bad summary

[XxtraLarGe]

People won't be choosing between iPhone or DSi. They are completely different devices.

I own a DS Lite & an iPod Touch. If I had a DSi, there might be times when I'd buy downloads for it instead of my iPod Touch, hence there would be competition.

"Leaked"? It was in the press release.

[Sockatume]

Nintendo have been trumpeting the DSi Store as a WiiWare equivalent for the DS for ages, I don't see why someone would "leak" the fact that they're - gasp - getting people to develop games for it.