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Nintendo To Take On Apple With DSi App Store

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the they-could-merge-and-give-me-one-button-nintendogs dept.

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.

9 of 165 comments (clear)

  1. Only difference? by Crock23A · · Score: 3, Insightful

    How about Dual Screens, Dual Cameras, expandable memory, clamshell design. Not to mention the thing plays DS GAMES!

    1. Re:Only difference? by Volvogga · · Score: 3, Insightful

      That would be nice, but I doubt it will much happen. Your talking about a device that plays standard DS games and is marketed as the next unit in the DS line... more of a model number increase with a few gadgets than a new system.

      As such, I highly doubt developers will decrease their available market and make 'Only for the DSi' games. If you mean improving games that ran like crap from before, or downloadable games from this new store, then maybe. The possibility would also exist to maybe download a HQ-texture patch or something from the store for a cartridge, but I still highly doubt very many games and game makers, if any, would subscribe to such a trend.

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      Vol~
  2. But... by Joehonkie · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The DS has a totally different resolution, control structure, a minimal API set, and the big thing: no WWAN connectivity. It's just not even the same thing. It is much better at playing games, though.

  3. Really bad summary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    How does providing a download service for DSi "directly compete" with Apple's Appstore (to paraphrase the summary)? If you own an iPhone, you won't be able to access the DS store, and if you own a DSi you won't be able to access the iPhone Appstore, so how is that competition?

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

  4. Re:In other words... by AKAImBatman · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Not in the slightest. Nintendo has been operating their Wii online store since before the iPhone App Store was a gleam in Jobs' eye. Their DSiWare track appears to be something they've been working on for some time. The iPhone App store and the DSiWare store are coincidental competitors, not reactive competitors. i.e. Nintendo no more reacted to the iPhone than Apple reacted to WiiWare.

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    Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
  5. SDK? by Viking+Coder · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So, will there be SDKs for download?

    Are there already SDKs for download, and I just didn't know about them?

    --
    Education is the silver bullet.
    1. Re:SDK? by Chyeld · · Score: 4, Insightful

      On the other hand Big N has understood something that Apple doesn't seem to get yet.

      Quanity does not beat quailty.

      How many complaints have we heard lately over the level of dreck in the iPhone App store? About how hard it is to find the diamond in the rough, or how long it takes to get an app approved unless you are a big name and able to talk Apple into fast tracking the approvals?

      How many complaints have you heard about the same for the WiiWare store? I'm going to bet you that it's far fewer.

  6. Nintendo DS != a PDA, Game Store = Win by GameGod0 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Nintendo's online game store is probably going to be a precursor to a full-blown AAA-title download store for them. They're not interested in making the DS into a PDA, they're interested in cutting out Walmart as a middle-man.

    (You don't have to look very far to see how digital distribution is changing the gaming market. Eg. XBox Live Arcade, Steam, D2D, etc. Nintendo wants a piece of the sweet sweet pie that Valve cooked with Steam.)

  7. Re:In other words... by Toonol · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Not at all. The Nintendo DS has sold over a hundred million units; that's 2-3 times more than Apple has sold iPhones. The moment Nintendo begins competing against Apple in the 'portable gadget' field, they will immediately become one of Apples biggest competitors.

    Plus, Nintendo has a similar emphasis on quality and user experience as Apple, and much moreso than most of Apple's other competitors. However, I think Nintendo isn't interested in direct competition, but is probably trying to exploit an untapped market (like they did with the Wii).