Nintendo fixes Wii storage and redesigns the DS

[Halifirien]

Saw on DS Fanboy this morning that Nintendo announced another DS redesign called DSi (and not the Apple-patterned iDS! Totally different! *cough*)

* Overall size has been reduced -- DSi is 12% or 2.6 millimeters slimmer than the Lite.

* Comes with an external 0.3 Megapixel camera (for 640 x 480 pixel pictures) and a VGA camera located on the hinge, directed towards the user. You'll be able to edit pictures using the touchscreen.

* Full music playback functionality, including adjustable pitch and playback speed.

* Both screens have been expanded to 3.25 inches.

* SD memory card slot is included, and there'll be on-board memory also.

* Will ship with an built-in Nintendo DS web browser.

* DSi will allow users to download games from DSWare, a new service that operates with Wii Points -- or, as they are now known, Nintendo Points.

* Logging onto DSWare for the first time will grant users 1,000 free Nintendo Points.

* DSWare comes in four pricing categories: free (!), 200 Nintendo Points, 500 Nintendo Points, and 800 Nintendo Points.

* Will come in lovely matte white and matte black. Begone, foul fingerprints that have taunted us so!

* And finally, it launches on November 1st in Japan, and will cost ¥18,900, or roughly $179. Check out the official site at the "Source" link below!

Sooooo... who's getting one? I'll probably pass, since I get a lot of use from the GBA slot on my DS Lite, but it seems kinda cool.

I also saw on another page that the Wii will get a firmware update to allow software to run from the SD card slot. Why that wasn't implemented at launch is a mystery to me, but I'm glad to see they're finally fixing.

 

[Gerry]

So its completely confirmed then? The DS is indeed getting a redesign?

Awesome!

 

[Tiael]

Don't forget Punch-Out, Sin and Punishment 2, a new mothership "Tales of" game, and a plethora of others announced for the Wii at that fall press conference.

 

[Gerry]

Don't forget Punch-Out, Sin and Punishment 2, a new mothership "Tales of" game, and a plethora of others announced for the Wii at that fall press conference.

Looks like they are drastically trying to make up for the E3 conference, and for me, its working =D

 

[Calais]

Even if I had the money, I wouldn't upgrade solely because it loses the GBA slot.

 

[Hitaru]

I don't really get why People would get this imo, maybe for people that still don't have a DS yet but I don't see many peops trading in their Lites/Ds's to get this, simply because it got a camera? which isn't even that good D=

 

[Bustaballs]

I might get it sometime down the road. I doubt it'll be anytime soon.

I wonder when Monster Hunter for Wii will get a release date...

 

[Tiael]

Depends on what the DS Store thing has, if it's like a Virtual Console for the DSi, that'd be cool, with GB and GBC games for it. But then again, I could just pick up a cheap GBA (SP) and play those on that if I wished, I'd be missing the DSWare, but nothing big if it's anything like WiiWare.

 

[Xalioniaf]

The fact that the DS Ware store isn't backwards-compatible with the DS Phat/Lite in some way (say, a cart that goes into Slot-2 and "upgrades" the DS) kills me. I don't care about the camera, the music playback, but that... well...

 

[Koenigstiger]

Good to hear the Wii SD slot upgrade, that's awesome. As for the new DS, I may consider it. Not to sure, I still use the original bulky grey one, which is fine but the screen is a bit messy, though I still play my Mother 1 + 2 and Mother 3 games on my DS, I'll have to decide if I want to upgrade.

Either way, glad to hear anything.

 

[Moink]

It's moves like this that are going to piss off 3rd party companies to a degree... I love this new design and all but they pretty much killed all their existing accessories that actually use the GBA slot for other then a GB game.

I can see it now XMas 08 (won't surprise me if it makes it to the states just in time)

Parents get all these new DSs
Kid Opens new DS (excited)
Kid grabs Guitaro Hero out of old DS
Kid sticks in game and looks confused as to where to stick the accessorie...
Parent returns iDS...

 

[Xalioniaf]

Why wouldn't they just go back and play it on their old DS then...?
That, and afaik Activision is the only 3rd party company that actually makes use of Slot-2 accessories.
No, the customers this will alienate are the ones who've already invested in a DS and feel cheated because the music playback/DS Store/SD slot won't be somehow fitted in to the DS classic/lite.

 

[Moink]

Why wouldn't they just go back and play it on their old DS then...?
That, and afaik Activision is the only 3rd party company that actually makes use of Slot-2 accessories.
No, the customers this will alienate are the ones who've already invested in a DS and feel cheated because the music playback/DS Store/SD slot won't be somehow fitted in to the DS classic/lite.

Thats somewhat the point. Once parents find out that the new one doesn't support every game... Either they'll be pissed or the child.

Nintendo has made a few of their own plus japan and eu also have some odd accessories.

Also to add in favor of removing the GB port. It makes the DS a stand alone for DS games only... Meaning Something new may be introduced for the GB family h34r:

 

[Uzor]

I'll probably get one. Screen is slightly larger, the overall size is a bit smaller, and... well, whatever. tbh, I don't know. It depends entirely on how it turns out.

 

[Crumpet]

Sounds interesting. I'll take a look at it once it's released

 

[Xalioniaf]

So apparently the games released solely for the DSi will be region-locked.
What a load of buh-buh-buh-bulllllshit.
Also, if there's going to be specific games released only compatible for the DSi... kinda reminds me of the 32x.