Loose Threads: Is the DSi a worthy upgrade?

[Fraser]

The DSi is the newest refresh of the Nintendo Dual Screen console. That much we know you already know, what we don't know is what you think about the new hardware.

Does the DS really need a camera?
Will current DS lite owners feel left out?
Will people use the DS Store when it's launched?
Does this bring the DS more into line with the iPhone?
Is a third DS a hardware revision too far?
Would you have preferred a completely new console from Nintendo?

Better get that flame retardant suit at the ready folks because this one will almost certainly touch a nerve with some of us.

Ready, steady... Wait for it... RANT!

[danskmacabre]

Does the DS really need a camera?

Sure why not? lots of possibilities here, the taking photos and using software like Goo (where you could stretch faces and stuff) and online chat, some new possibilities for games.
Quite cool how it has 2 cameras, one for taking pics and whatever.

Will current DS lite owners feel left out?

I'm sure some people will be very annoyed, but it's not like it's a surprise a new revamped model would come out, it happens with cars and just about everything else and noone is forcing you to buy one.
Those who have a DS or DS Lite won't be able to play stuff that requires the new hardware will miss out, but there's thousands of DS games anyway.

Will people use the DS Store when it's launched?

I for one will, changing cartridges is a real pain.

Does this bring the DS more into line with the iPhone?

Not IMO, the Iphone is a phone primarily, the DS is a games machine.

Is a third DS a hardware revision too far?

Not really, I'm not surprised at all, not sure if it was really necessary though.

Would you have preferred a completely new console from Nintendo?

The bottom line is Yes, I would have preferred a new console.
What would have been ideal is if Nintendo just stopped at the DSlite and spent all that dosh they're raking in on a new handheld with a faster processor and lots of other features and brought it out say about late 2009, early 2010.
They could have had 2 touchscreens (and bigger), better wifi, battery life, faster processor, personally I think an internal HDD is a stupid idea, various flash cards storage is getting bigger all the time, more than enough for a handheld.
And on top of that, there wouldn't have been the incompatibility problems that the DS and DSlite is gonna have with the DSi.

However at the end of the day, would I buy one?
Well, as it turns out, it's my daughter's birthday in a few weeks, I'm giving her my DSlite, which means I'll have several months to salivate over the DSi, so if it turns out to be everything it's cracked up to be, yep, you can be sure I'm gonna get one.

[hunter_alien]

Well to be honest I was surprised. I wasnt expecting the DSi to be such a major evolution. The camera is a gimmick I agree, but the data storage capability is a great thing, and something that I always taught that it misses. Even tough I dont want DL games to completely replace cartridge games, this possibility is still a great one, and it could open up a whole new flash-like-games market for the DS, something that we had already discussed here. Think about the possibilities that this could have... low-budget ( and I mean low-budget, not XBLA 100k$ low, but more like 5-10k$ low development cost) games could be sold via this new feature, and smaller devs could easily become pretty big ones.

Other then that I think the bigger screen size and slimmer body is again a great deal, even if the battery life will shrink a bit ( something that wont bother me, especially being a PSP gamer). The web browser is a cool feature to, but we will still have to see some hands-on previews before I can have any real opinion about it.

The only downside is the music player... it has no mp3 support.... thats lame and to be honest I have absolutly no idea why they made it like this... terrible choice. Where this options added to counter the Iphones popularity? Possible, but I dont think that Nintendo has any worries about it. I really cant find any major minuses for the DSi and to be honest I believe thats this is a worthy upgrade. Much better at least then what Sony did in the last couple of years, so yeah Nintendo, I take my hat down before you.

[Mandark]

I think the DSi will give more value to new buyers but it's rubbing early adopters' noses in it with all the significant upgrades Nintendo keeps making. I for one will not buy the newer versions and take financial hits on the old ones.

[hunter_alien]

I dont know... but lets be honest, it arrives here 3 years after the DSL and to be honest its a pretty big upgrade. The download option and the cameras could make games much more interesting. So IMO this financial hit will be a worthy one for me

[Accelorata Jengold]

I don't care about the camera really, but the addition of a storage solution and the impending wireless DS Store have me jumping up and down clapping my hands like an over excited child.

[Bludhavenn]

Absolutely. Utility is key for success. That's one of the major factors of economics. A camera is a neat addition aswell.

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