DS NEWS
Will the DS2 be a Nintendo-phone?
Iwata and Miyamoto aren't saying no |
It's not been an easy couple of weeks for Nintendo on its native shores. Hardware sales have been causing the company some perturbing chest pains and forcing it to pour a lot of resources into PR efforts to ensure we all know it's business as usual in the Nintendo household.
President
Satoru Iwata has been talking to the media a lot lately, mostly attempting (and failing) to publically ignore the iPhone and think up
believable reasons for people to upgrade to a
DSi, though he may have offered some small ray of hope that Nintendo's dominance is ready to be reasserted.
Although he was being very careful not to draw attention away from the recently released DSi, Iwata insisted Nintendo would not release a console as a mobile phone;
unless it could do so without the need for a monthly subscription.
Quite an encouraging choice of words, which game design guru Shigeru Miyamoto casually reinforced when he said: "I'm interested in [a system] when you're walking in town with your DS, you can use various services."
A system that sounds very much like current mobile and smartphone usage. Could this be Nintendo's upper echelons thinking out loud about the possibilities the DS2 could offer? Or is something already on the R&D bench?
We'll have to wait and see, but if the DS2 turns out as we dare to hope, it might be Apple stood in front of the media before long, insisting Nintendo is no threat whatsoever...
Joined:
Dec 2008
Post count:
947
I doubt it seriously. A DS/touch/phone device aimed at blowing the PSP2 and iPhone out of the water is possible... but not cost effective. Prices on such a device would range in the $500-600 range. Since Nintendo is all about "value" and "availability", they will fold when it comes to such a price point.
Honestly... I dont think sales would do too well either... The device would easily be larger than the new DSi so using it as a mobile phone is out of the question due to size... and if they are able to shrink the device to the massive size of the G1 price would go up even more.
I think that Nintendo is on the right track with the DSi... but since the "upgrade" promotes little incentive it is flopping right now. In addition I dont see Nintendo being able to put out a cost effective iPhone killer - next gen/phone device.
tim
p.c. | 15 April 2009
the dsi is what he's talking about. he's saying that an app could be made for the dsi for a phone but will not until there would be no monthly subscription which i think is great. He also states that he's intrested when your're walking around with your DSI you can do many things from the app store. I'm interested in when you're walking in town with your DS, you can use various services." so he's saying he's intrested in a system you can use when you're walking around with your ds? no of course not. thats why a system is in paryentheses. he talking about the ds duh.
Joined:
Dec 2008
Post count:
947
p.c.,
what? did you even read the article? - or do you just want to get in a debate?
The "DS" isnt capable of the stuff discussed in the article... wow.
The article is about a possible "DS2" as in "2" or second. Not to be confused with the 1st DS or the DSi which is just a DS with more stuff on it.
My point was that in order to create the device discussed in the ARTICLE the price point would be above the limit at which consumers would be willing to pay - ie: the thing would cost too much money.
Plus if Nintendo did produce the aforementioned, theoretical product (DS2 - see I can use parentheses too!) the execution of the "phone" aspect would probably be terrible in order to cut costs.
So on one hand you could have an expensive device that successfully executes all areas of its design: phone, next gen graphics, app store, wifi, size, touch screen... - but the price would be enormous!
On the other hand you could have a device that half heartedly executes the above points, (the the point of failing at them) allowing for a more affordable device.
So in short, I do not think that a happy balance can be attained between proper execution of the needed hardware while keeping within an acceptable price point.
---Just for clarity: The article and I are talking about the DS2 not the current DS... because the current DS cannot do the stuff we discussed... nor can the DSi.
k?
tim
junglebear | 29 April 2009
All the DS2 needs to have is an integrated, efficient web browser. That is about the only useful extra you can put on a handheld console. No one cares about cameras, you'll take 5 pictures then forget about it. The 'apps' from Apple are not only a load of crap, they cost money as well.
With an internet browser on your DS, you could email, mesage, skype, browse, download, whatever you want. All the gimmicks would be obsolete.
I have no idea about the viability of doing this (with its own connection, not relying on crappy public wi-fi), but it would be awesome.
