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Nintendo officially announces DSi (Downloadable DS Ware/Camera/Browser)
- Thread starter VideoMan
- Start date
Zombie James
Banned
A shame about the dropped backward compatibility, seems to be the trend lately...
How much longer will regular DS Lite's still be around? Thinking of picking one up now that they might be phased out.
How much longer will regular DS Lite's still be around? Thinking of picking one up now that they might be phased out.
This appears to me to be the GBA Micro of the DS Lineup. It's sleeker design will cater to a certain segment (i.e. going after iphone types) but others will still prefer the functionality of the existing DS Lite. I could be wrong but I don't see them stopping sales of the existing models and replacing it with just this. I don't see myself getting one of these until the price drops the camera/web browser functionality aren't something I really care for on a gaming portable.
Princess Skittles
Prince's's 'Skittle's
Has anybody suggested linking your Virtual Console account to this new storage capable DS?
Segata Sanshiro
Member
Lame, lame, lame. Unless the downloadable shit is *highly* fucking compelling, I wouldn't even take this in a straight trade for my DSL.
Depends whether you want to play games or masturbate on your machine, really.{Mike} said:
You forgot space savings. DSi is thinner (couldn't hardly have been with the GBA slot) + addition of internal flash + SD card slot. Takes room, nuking the GBA slot to get the room to add that must have made sense.Stumpokapow said:
Also, electronics for the bigger screen footprint.
Nah, top brightness lasts noticeably less on DSi than on DSL, as per Nintendo's specs sheet.C.T. said:
Yeah right.Odrion said:
Except no, it'll have two screens and it'll be a clamshell.
Given there's added functions and features, it isn't. It's an evolution of the DSL.larvi said:
What functionality exactly? The only losses are the inability to play GBC games, and the inability to use GBC slot expansions used by about 5 games in the whole lineup.larvi said:
Hero of Legend
Member
DSi is literally the new Game Boy Color.
The GBC also had games only playable on it, but was not the actually successor. Pokemon Crystal, DKC, are two examples.
Might as well just but the DSi for what it newly offers, not as a replacement of the Lite!
So now I can buy a Lite without worrying about replacing it entirely.
The GBC also had games only playable on it, but was not the actually successor. Pokemon Crystal, DKC, are two examples.
Might as well just but the DSi for what it newly offers, not as a replacement of the Lite!
So now I can buy a Lite without worrying about replacing it entirely.
Sorry if it was answered a thousand times already in a thread with more than 400 replies, but:
DSi will have a SD card slot and they've announced DS Ware. Were there any talks of releasing an "official flash card" of sorts or will the DS Phat and Lite users be excluded from DS Ware?
DSi will have a SD card slot and they've announced DS Ware. Were there any talks of releasing an "official flash card" of sorts or will the DS Phat and Lite users be excluded from DS Ware?
GitarooMan
Member
I know nobody knows this yet, but here is an important question: Will this finally support WPA encryption, it damn well better.
Hero of Legend
Member
sp0rsk said:
What was that for?
Graphics Horse
Member
GaussTek said:
I think so, i doubt any games would make use of it though, apart from maybe the camera software.
Masklinn said:
I'm guessing you mean GBA games, you are getting confused with the Micro which dumped GBC functionality, and that's a pretty big hit for some of us and seeing how stores are still selling new GBA games and you can no longer buy GBA SPs I can't see Nintendo dumping this ability completely. Also you lose the GBA-DS connectivity in a lot of the DS games, pokemon being a big example but there are many others.
And the features being added to me seem to be non-game related enhancements so I still stand by my micro analogy. As a gamer the only thing of interest to me in this model is the smaller size to make it more portable, but the existing DSL is already pretty good in this regard, so I'm not willing to pay a premium for a slight size reduction.
I've looked around on the nintendo site and the conference slides, and I can't seem to figure out where the 3 megapixel comes from. I only see mentions of 300,000 pixels. I know sites like engadget are reporting 3MP and wikipedia has been updated to say two cameras: 3mp, .3mp.
Just FYI, the screen resolution is the same across all DSes: 256 × 192px
256x192 is 49,152 pixels or .05MP
.3MP is 640x480 -- 6.25 times the resolution of the DS screen
Also, the Wii outputs up to 480p, which is 640x480.
Just FYI, the screen resolution is the same across all DSes: 256 × 192px
256x192 is 49,152 pixels or .05MP
.3MP is 640x480 -- 6.25 times the resolution of the DS screen
Also, the Wii outputs up to 480p, which is 640x480.
DayShallCome
Member
Is there ANY word of supporting WPA? That would be worth the upgrade alone for me.
Is that why most of the launch games are normal DS games?sp0rsk said:
I don't think Hero of legend is so off here, I think it'll be more like GBC. If there were 2 touch screens things would be different but since that was confirmed wrong I don't think there's that much different for most retail games to take advantage of here.
twinturbo2
butthurt Heat fan
.Slurpy said:
jj984jj said:
There are games that use things like the camera and what not though. It may be like the GB Color, but there will be games you won't be playing on your DSlite. This doesn't even count the DSware stuff.
And you know, eventually they won't be selling the DS lite anymore.
P.S. Why do they need high resolution cameras on the DS? The DS is not supposed to be your new digital camera. You're not going to be shooting your family photo album with the DS. You get a real camera for that.
Kung Fu Jedi
Member
shidoshi said:
Well, it does show that things can be added to the device. You have to know that the GBA port wasn't being used very often for those things to begin with. I appreciate that you used it, but for the vast majority of the audience that it's aimed at, it wasn't used at all. I'm pretty sure Nintendo thought about these things before killing it off, and thought that the benefits outweighed the deficiencies it might create.
Besides, the DS Lite isn't being replaced and is still an option.
sp0rsk said:
Fixing my spelling gaff, I said "lack of any kind of real add-on support," and I stand by that statement. My guess is that, at this point, the pedometer will connect either through the SD slot or via WiFi, and I'd consider neither of those a real solution.
Kung Fu Jedi said:
My point is, though, that while they didn't have to keep the GBA slot, I think they should have kept something. A lower-profile expansion slot on the bottom would have been fine. Something where a sturdy add-on could have attached, and not just for the things that I listed, but for the things still yet to come.
I'll never support the backward movement in presenting options for a piece of hardware / software, simple as that.
Either you guys haven't made the connection, or you just don't care as much as I do, but the only reason I'm interested in this is that, including the DS Ware, a portable Virtual Console is practically promised.
Playing GB, GBC and potentially GameGear, WonderSwan, NGage, Game.Com, Japanese Cell Phone and whatever other portable systems on the DSi would be awesome. Even if they don't offer GBA games on the system, you can just buy a fucking GBA or DSL!
I'm just hyped that I probably won't have to go searching around for Metroid 2, or that we might actually get the Mother 1+2 Compilation, or that I can finally toss out those crappy GB cardboard boxes taking up shelf space.
Playing GB, GBC and potentially GameGear, WonderSwan, NGage, Game.Com, Japanese Cell Phone and whatever other portable systems on the DSi would be awesome. Even if they don't offer GBA games on the system, you can just buy a fucking GBA or DSL!
I'm just hyped that I probably won't have to go searching around for Metroid 2, or that we might actually get the Mother 1+2 Compilation, or that I can finally toss out those crappy GB cardboard boxes taking up shelf space.
A new Nintendogs with camera support and this thing sells millions all over again.
I'll be buying one for the DSware alone, that in and of itself is the upgrade I wanted. The rest is gravy.
And believe me, Activision doesn't give a shit. They'll design a new peripheral and sell millions again. What, Activision hates money now?
I'll be buying one for the DSware alone, that in and of itself is the upgrade I wanted. The rest is gravy.
And believe me, Activision doesn't give a shit. They'll design a new peripheral and sell millions again. What, Activision hates money now?
Oh, and also, on this DS Ware thing, if we're just getting games then Nintendo loses. I want a full-blown "app store" like on the iPhone. No way Nintendo would be as open as Apple is (who isn't terribly open in their own right), but I want to see companies - Nintendo, whomever - release stuff of the non-game variety. Address book, calculator, e-mail app, whatever. Push the DSi to hell, really beef up the non-gaming stuff. Nintendo could absolutely make a killing with this thing in the non-games market if they really put out the effort.
This is probably the DSlite mod they should have come out with 2 years ago.
That said, Camera still needs justification for existing IMHO. It's nice to have it but I don't see the point of it.
Then again, this camera feature seems to cater to a very specific mobile culture in Eurasia and Japan, not so much North America.
That said, Camera still needs justification for existing IMHO. It's nice to have it but I don't see the point of it.
Then again, this camera feature seems to cater to a very specific mobile culture in Eurasia and Japan, not so much North America.
shidoshi said:
I'm not sure apps is the point of DS ware, not that 3rd parties won't make then. The free >> 800 points range of software almost guarantees some apps will come out.
But the gaming possibility is what's most intriguing to me.
Again, they need to 'sell' DSi more now that its unveiled. Much of the negativity in here over shortened batterylife and lack of GBA support are not unwarranted. Batterylife especially.
That's what killed their competititors.
Kung Fu Jedi
Member
shidoshi said:
Like I said, I appreciate that YOU want an expansion port, but the vast majority of DS users couldn't care less about the feature, and would never miss it. For Nintendo, it's all about streamlining the system and cutting costs.
Wait so DSi is THE THIRD PILLAR now?
Remember before DS came out, there was all this talk of it being the third pillar, being seperate from the Game Boy line and Nintendo consoles. But then DS came along and replaced the Game Boy line, there was no GBA successor with the GB brand, there was just the DS and console.
What is the point of DSi as far as a new platform, new software that won't play on DS?
I thought it was going to be two touchscreens but that info was wrong.
I understand DSi being a new model of DS, a refresh, but what's the main point beyond that?
edit: what's the deal with the chipset and RAM, has it been upgraded over DS & DS Lite,
or not ?
Remember before DS came out, there was all this talk of it being the third pillar, being seperate from the Game Boy line and Nintendo consoles. But then DS came along and replaced the Game Boy line, there was no GBA successor with the GB brand, there was just the DS and console.
What is the point of DSi as far as a new platform, new software that won't play on DS?
I thought it was going to be two touchscreens but that info was wrong.
I understand DSi being a new model of DS, a refresh, but what's the main point beyond that?
edit: what's the deal with the chipset and RAM, has it been upgraded over DS & DS Lite,
or not ?
Kung Fu Jedi
Member
marc^o^ said:
Yeah, I asked about video chat a few pages back. Seems like it should be a natural.
larvi said:
1.) If that's true, shit, I should sell my NES-flavored GBA SP.
2.) If you care that much, buy a DSL now and be future-proofed. And potentially, GBA games will be on a Virtual Console for the DSi. Either way, if you want to play GBA games, you can. You may just have to work a little harder to get it. Times change, deal with it.
This is like being pissed that may Game Boy Player doesn't work on the Wii. Would I have preferred to have that? Yes. But I couldn't, so I just bought a GBA. I dealt with it, and I grew up.
Like the hat?
Banned
how many people complaining that you now cant use gba-slot expansions and craving more gba-slot expansions are the same people that complain about the wii having too many different control expansions?
Deku said:
And I think that's one perfect way to sell the system, as you mentioned Nintendo needs to do. Especially in Japan, where younger people are likely to have a DS and a mobile phone but possibly no access to a computer. Giving them a DS that can do basic computer functions quickly and easily would, I think, be huge.
JodyAnthony said:
Not me, but that's partially because I don't much give a shit about the Wii.
monchi-kun
Member
JodyAnthony said:
GBA slot potential is waaaay overblown.
Kung Fu Jedi
Member
shidoshi said:
Personally, that does nothing to help your argument with me, but to each his own.