Anyone else a bit worried about DSi Ware?

[Fraser]

Hopefully my fears are completely unfounded and all will turn out rosy, but Nintendo's approach to this so far is a bit poor to say the least.

What is the point in including card based storage if all you are going to release are minuscule game spin-offs - like that Animal Crossing watch thing. Why can't we have a full on SNES version of Super Mario World or Pilot Wings. Or what about some N64 games. Surely the file sizes for things like Jetforce Gemini or Goldeneye wouldn't be too big?

*grumble*

[Spanner]

I don't actually have a DSi, but I'm not seeing any news appearing around the blogoshpere about exciting DSiWare events. I was under the impression that it was going to be chocka with retro goodies and new games to rival the App Store.

I think Nintendo needs a poke in the ribs to remind it that DSiWare is still there.

[jonmonkey]

Perhaps they don't want to detract from their own Wiiware service by offering the same games on DSiware. I'm not saying it's a good reason, only a possible reason.

I'm more interested to see how the third party developers take to DSi. If Nintendo are left to carry their own system (hardly unheard of) then we could be left with a portable N64 in more than mere technical terms.

[Fraser]

The thing that's so frustrating about all of this is that the trump card that both Sony and Nintendo have over Apple, is their respective back catalogues of titles just waiting to be unleashed. If both companies got the frequency and price points right for the PSP Store and DSi Ware, there's no reason why we couldn't be looking at a very different handheld gaming landscape by this time next year. As it stands, unless Sony and Nintendo get the finger out, the iPhone is going to continue to gain ground.

Not that I have a problem with that, I love iPhone gaming. It would just be nice to see two of the established industry titans playing to their strengths rather than sitting idly by while a clever disruptive technology supplants them.

[Spanner]

It would just be nice to see two of the established industry titans playing to their strengths rather than sitting idly by while a clever disruptive technology supplants them.

Yup. What the iPhone needs to keep it healthy is some stiff competition, and both Sony and Nintendo are in a position to deliver it - although they're not doing. I'm starting to think it's just ignorance and pride that's actually stopping them from taking the iPhone on properly. They've got the goods, they just won't deliver for some inexplicable reason.