Well theres rumors that the new Nintendo portable will be powered by the Nvidia Tegra 2, as will the PSP.
From seeing what the Zune HD is capable of with an older Tegra, I can only image how much better games will look.
Also, you only want 1 GB of internal storage? Thats not much at all, considering how much bigger games will likely become. I would say at least 4GB, but 8 would be nice.
Oh and music and movie playback should allow for COMMON formats. I dont have any music in ATRAC3 format or video in whatever wonky format PSP used. And I dont want to have to convert everything all the time.
You know you are old when you see that kind of product and remember that in the 90s Nintendo and Sega were the biggest fighter in the home console arena and that thinking about seeing Sonic in a Mario game would be a blaspheme by itself.
Things have change now but Sonic still try to have the top position over Mario.
My daughter spent a couple of quid on some felt and snap fasteners and made me the best DS cover in the world for winter solstice.
Sorry but Sonic the Hedgehog pales in comparison to my Birmingham City case.
@mouthwash: I have to agree there. The wallets look a bit off putting with Sonic's hair cut off at the side and that....sticker? on the DS looks cheap.
The DS sock protectors look great though
@Monoxide1: I remember as a kid that it would be a huge dream to see Mario and Sonic in the same console. Then it happened, and it didn't seem all that wonderful....
@MajinMexican: It wasn't Nintendo that won the war against Sega. The Playstation 2 killed the Dreamcast and Sega's failures of the Sega CD and other add on's didn't help at all.
@Bitter_Monkey: Maybe....its price would have been higher then. The hype of the PS2 was so big though makes you wonder how things would have turned out
"...and since casual gamers aren't likely to be as comfortable making digital purchases as they are bringing a box home from a store..."
Casual, nothing! I don't like digital-only schemes!
1. Physical game collections look cool on shelves, and boxart is sometimes cool.
2. Print manuals are much easier on the eyes than digital ones.
3. Physical games are easy to find on sale, not being controlled by a single outlet.
4. I don't have to wait for hours to download physical games.
5. If it sucks, I can get rid of it, and get some money back.
The only advantage to digital games is they can be installed onto the device, so you have access to multiple games without changing cartridges/discs. But even this could be done with physical games, would there to be a "license" to come with the physical games that'd allow a digital copy of them.
I'm worried about DS backwards-compatibility. I have a feeling Nintendo might think that, with so many DS's sold, they don't need backwards compatibility, and can instead rely on people hanging on to their DS's to play DS games (similar to how Sony has moved on from PS2 backwards-compatibility in PS3s).
I say this because I think they're going to try to go in another, fairly radical new direction with their next handheld. I don't think they'll want to be tied down by requiring that they include, at the very least, two screens, one of them a touch screen, four face buttons, two shoulder buttons, and a d-pad. I doubt even further that they'd bother releasing two analog nubs, as they'd view that as stepping into the past even more, including what's already been done simply presented in a portable form, only this time it would involve them adding a substantial amount of extra features to the system that limits how much new they can still do with the system (except widescreen and two touch screens).
With the DS, all they needed to include for GBA backwards-compatibility was a d-pad, two face buttons, and a couple shoulder buttons. No big deal, clearly they were sticking with that scheme anyways, as they even introduced four face buttons.
But it's hard to deny that the Nintendo of today is not the same Nintendo of 2005, and they're always looking for more ways to innovate and bring in more people to the gaming audience, and including things like dual analog sticks certainly does not help that vision.
Is it too much to ask for a video/audio cable to connect to my TV? I know it may sound silly, but I would enjoy that option. I fell in love with the GBA player that went underneath my gamecube.
hmmm...if there's one thing Sony did well on the PSP Go, it was the sliding top/bottom. I'd think something like that would be cool on a new DS. If both were touch screens, you could have some games designed with just the top screen (ala iPhone), while others allowing you to slide out the 2nd screen for more...traditional (?) DS games.
You already have MP3 playback, SD card slot, web browser, and camera. It's not like nintendo to remove features as they go forward. [though if there aren't some games that use the cameras, I'll be peeved about having to pay for them.]
Telescopic styluses are $3, so I'm not too worried about those.
I don't like using the mic in games [including TWEWY and Bowser's Inside, games I otherwise loved], but it would be great for VOIP [which is a pipe dream, if you ask me].
Disagree:
- Dual thumbsticks. No Nintendo console has ever made good use of dual analogs. OK, you have Met. Prime, but that's not enough justification.
- Motion-sensing. NO. I'm not going to ride the bus and have games react to potholes and my input in similar fashion. This would be a deal breaker for me.
-dual touch-screen. No thanks. It would only lead to more broken hinges.
You're off your rocker for thinking you will get:
- NO MORE FRIEND CODES
- region-free [first you tell them to 'just live with' piracy, then demand that they remove the least obtrusive counteraction to it? Idiocy.]
- A Mini-USB charger
- $199 at launch. You are describing a $299 device, easy. A weaker dollar ensures that this is $250 launch if in the next 2 years.
I would also like Nintendo to return to the long-forgotten "GameBoy" name.
The GameBoy has for years been the "symbol" of video gaming, so it would be nice if they would market the next handheld as a successor to the GameBoy rather than the DS, if only for the sake of keeping the classic name around.
@emmenite: Perhaps because, in their eyes, gender neutrality would be removed from the product. Furthermore, adding "game" back into its name may turn potential consumers away whereas "DS" is simple.
I agree with everything on the list except Movie playback. I mean... not even the Wii has it. I don't think Nintendo will be so kind to allow us to load up our SD cards with a bunch of avi or mp4 files unless they get a cut, which will in turn make them open up a video store and make a faux proprietary format with DRM on other things all being purchased with the godawful Nintendo Points. Why can't we just all use money? Like real money. I'd rather not add increments.
I appreciate these ideas, but I fear Nintendo will not let go of friend codes... I know it's a stereotypical statement, but Nintendo's consoles are often geared toward children, and the company is very cognizant of that. The possibility to meet strangers over their console will catch heat from the new demographics to which Nintendo is pandering; not gamers, but everyone. Friend codes are an unfortunate safeguard for Nintendo.
@Pretty Sneaky Sis: Man, making people happy with their purchase sure is pandering.
I don't like friend codes either, but if there's some large segment of folks who want them and Nintendo caters to that, it's not pandering. It's delivering what they want.
Now if it's upside down, with a small segment wanting FCs and Nintendo placating them, that's a bit pandering.
@herogear: I don't know if I'm alone in this but all my friends have a Wii (Even if we really don't play them anymore) we all had games we could play against each other but we said to hell with it because of friend codes
@PacJack360: Oh, I get the same thing too! Its usually easier to just invite them over for multiplay on the Wii.
But in relation to comment, I don't think it's fair to call something pandering if its really done at the majority's behest. If such is the case, then I know I'm in the minority and can either deal with FC or just not use the Wii for online play.
If it's the other way around and the majority of people feel hamstrung by FC and would prefer system parental controls, then Nintendo is doing a dumb thing by forcing a thing most folks don't want.
@herogear: I think they should just divide them system down the middle offer a username side and a friend code side completely separate from each other
@Pretty Sneaky Sis: I do think that friend codes suck, but I understand what they want out of it.
Best solution: One system-wide friend code. This would without a doubt be the best solution.
I'm still hoping for/expecting a single physical widescreen display that can be split into two virtual screens for DS backwards compatibility. Of course, this would require the display/controls to rotate, which may be a bit awkward.
The DS proved that there's no gameplay benefit to having two separate physical displays. I suspect that the cost savings argument will also lose this time around, given the advancement in LCD displays over the last few years.
As for the controls, I'm not particularly keen on analog sticks (I don't play FPS/3PS). I'd just like to see a SNES-sized d-pad and SNES-sized buttons. Motion sensing will likely akin to WarioWare Twisted. Anything on the scale of Motion+ is entirely unnecessary in a handheld. Beyond that, it's possible that the camera will come into play for "motion controls", a la Natal or PS Eye.
Of course, no one anticipated the DS or the Wii, even with all the hints Nintendo dropped. It may be just as difficult to guess what Nintendo has in store with their next handheld system.
@emag: Control sticks on the PSP have utterly pissed me off. Played Dissidia on a friend's PSP, and it took me all of one minute to say "I hate this damn analog stick" to him. Not sure why, it just feels really fumbly on a portable.
No gameplay benefit to two screens? What? I've played quite a few games, and it's not just platformers that feel improved with the addition of an extra screen. Dungeon crawlers are less awkward to play, and games like "The World Ends With You" uses the complexity to create an insane battle system. The second screen allows menus to be much more maneuverable, allow maps to be displayed at all times, and in the case of some RPGs (Saga 2 DS and FF Gaiden DS are prime examples of this) it allows an experience that feels much more professional and well done than what would be possible with merely one screen. Cutscenes have almost always taken advantage of this 'taller' feeling of two screens, and a game like Legendary Starfy can accomplish it's "comic book styled" storytelling so much better with two screens. So, given the fact that nearly all DS games make use of both screens, some even turning it visually in to one screen, saying "The DS proved that there's no gameplay benefit to having two separate physical displays" is sort of an ignorant statement.
The PSP's widescreen is really nice, don't get me wrong, but the reason I don't have a PSP is that its nothing NEW. Sure, call the DS 'gimmicky' if you will, but its not a bad gimmick. The DS has provided some damn amazing games that just plain wouldn't be possible to duplicate on a single screen, games that work the two screens like it's a standard.
@FearfulInsomniac: Certainly having two GBA-sized screens is better than having one GBA-sized screen.
However, I don't see the benefit of having two GBA-sized screens instead of one double-GBA-sized screen.
It's perfectly possible to use half of a physical display to show a map or menu or whatnot (as most DS games do with the second screen), but it's relatively difficult to use two physical displays to show the main gameplay (as very few DS games do). As such, there are a number of DS games where that second screen is essentially wasted (including many of the best and most notable titles on the system).
06:48 PM
From seeing what the Zune HD is capable of with an older Tegra, I can only image how much better games will look.
Also, you only want 1 GB of internal storage? Thats not much at all, considering how much bigger games will likely become. I would say at least 4GB, but 8 would be nice.
06:53 PM
06:19 PM
Things have change now but Sonic still try to have the top position over Mario.
06:15 PM
06:14 PM
Sorry but Sonic the Hedgehog pales in comparison to my Birmingham City case.
06:07 PM
06:10 PM
06:23 PM
(HYPER SUPER 3 ???) ULTRA MOTHERFUCKING SONIC!
06:23 PM
(HYPER SUPER 3 ???) ULTRA MOTHERFUCKING SONIC!
05:54 PM
05:57 PM
The DS sock protectors look great though
05:51 PM
05:52 PM
05:52 PM
05:53 PM
05:55 PM
05:55 PM
Damn how time flies. =/
05:59 PM
06:00 PM
06:03 PM
04:56 PM
Casual, nothing! I don't like digital-only schemes!
1. Physical game collections look cool on shelves, and boxart is sometimes cool.
2. Print manuals are much easier on the eyes than digital ones.
3. Physical games are easy to find on sale, not being controlled by a single outlet.
4. I don't have to wait for hours to download physical games.
5. If it sucks, I can get rid of it, and get some money back.
The only advantage to digital games is they can be installed onto the device, so you have access to multiple games without changing cartridges/discs. But even this could be done with physical games, would there to be a "license" to come with the physical games that'd allow a digital copy of them.
01:56 PM
I say this because I think they're going to try to go in another, fairly radical new direction with their next handheld. I don't think they'll want to be tied down by requiring that they include, at the very least, two screens, one of them a touch screen, four face buttons, two shoulder buttons, and a d-pad. I doubt even further that they'd bother releasing two analog nubs, as they'd view that as stepping into the past even more, including what's already been done simply presented in a portable form, only this time it would involve them adding a substantial amount of extra features to the system that limits how much new they can still do with the system (except widescreen and two touch screens).
With the DS, all they needed to include for GBA backwards-compatibility was a d-pad, two face buttons, and a couple shoulder buttons. No big deal, clearly they were sticking with that scheme anyways, as they even introduced four face buttons.
But it's hard to deny that the Nintendo of today is not the same Nintendo of 2005, and they're always looking for more ways to innovate and bring in more people to the gaming audience, and including things like dual analog sticks certainly does not help that vision.
01:36 PM
01:28 PM
12:49 PM
12:18 PM
12:02 PM
- graphics, better lower screen quality, 1GB+ storage, DS compat.
You already have MP3 playback, SD card slot, web browser, and camera. It's not like nintendo to remove features as they go forward. [though if there aren't some games that use the cameras, I'll be peeved about having to pay for them.]
Telescopic styluses are $3, so I'm not too worried about those.
I don't like using the mic in games [including TWEWY and Bowser's Inside, games I otherwise loved], but it would be great for VOIP [which is a pipe dream, if you ask me].
Disagree:
- Dual thumbsticks. No Nintendo console has ever made good use of dual analogs. OK, you have Met. Prime, but that's not enough justification.
- Motion-sensing. NO. I'm not going to ride the bus and have games react to potholes and my input in similar fashion. This would be a deal breaker for me.
-dual touch-screen. No thanks. It would only lead to more broken hinges.
You're off your rocker for thinking you will get:
- NO MORE FRIEND CODES
- region-free [first you tell them to 'just live with' piracy, then demand that they remove the least obtrusive counteraction to it? Idiocy.]
- A Mini-USB charger
- $199 at launch. You are describing a $299 device, easy. A weaker dollar ensures that this is $250 launch if in the next 2 years.
12:46 PM
11:49 AM
The GameBoy has for years been the "symbol" of video gaming, so it would be nice if they would market the next handheld as a successor to the GameBoy rather than the DS, if only for the sake of keeping the classic name around.
04:30 PM
06:50 PM
10:49 AM
I agree with everything on the list except Movie playback. I mean... not even the Wii has it. I don't think Nintendo will be so kind to allow us to load up our SD cards with a bunch of avi or mp4 files unless they get a cut, which will in turn make them open up a video store and make a faux proprietary format with DRM on other things all being purchased with the godawful Nintendo Points. Why can't we just all use money? Like real money. I'd rather not add increments.
10:22 AM
Recently shown by Tokyo University:
[www.youtube.com]
10:14 AM
12:21 PM
I don't like friend codes either, but if there's some large segment of folks who want them and Nintendo caters to that, it's not pandering. It's delivering what they want.
Now if it's upside down, with a small segment wanting FCs and Nintendo placating them, that's a bit pandering.
12:32 PM
01:06 PM
But in relation to comment, I don't think it's fair to call something pandering if its really done at the majority's behest. If such is the case, then I know I'm in the minority and can either deal with FC or just not use the Wii for online play.
If it's the other way around and the majority of people feel hamstrung by FC and would prefer system parental controls, then Nintendo is doing a dumb thing by forcing a thing most folks don't want.
01:32 PM
05:26 PM
Best solution: One system-wide friend code. This would without a doubt be the best solution.
06:54 PM
10:06 AM
The DS proved that there's no gameplay benefit to having two separate physical displays. I suspect that the cost savings argument will also lose this time around, given the advancement in LCD displays over the last few years.
As for the controls, I'm not particularly keen on analog sticks (I don't play FPS/3PS). I'd just like to see a SNES-sized d-pad and SNES-sized buttons. Motion sensing will likely akin to WarioWare Twisted. Anything on the scale of Motion+ is entirely unnecessary in a handheld. Beyond that, it's possible that the camera will come into play for "motion controls", a la Natal or PS Eye.
Of course, no one anticipated the DS or the Wii, even with all the hints Nintendo dropped. It may be just as difficult to guess what Nintendo has in store with their next handheld system.
10:34 AM
No gameplay benefit to two screens? What? I've played quite a few games, and it's not just platformers that feel improved with the addition of an extra screen. Dungeon crawlers are less awkward to play, and games like "The World Ends With You" uses the complexity to create an insane battle system. The second screen allows menus to be much more maneuverable, allow maps to be displayed at all times, and in the case of some RPGs (Saga 2 DS and FF Gaiden DS are prime examples of this) it allows an experience that feels much more professional and well done than what would be possible with merely one screen. Cutscenes have almost always taken advantage of this 'taller' feeling of two screens, and a game like Legendary Starfy can accomplish it's "comic book styled" storytelling so much better with two screens. So, given the fact that nearly all DS games make use of both screens, some even turning it visually in to one screen, saying "The DS proved that there's no gameplay benefit to having two separate physical displays" is sort of an ignorant statement.
The PSP's widescreen is really nice, don't get me wrong, but the reason I don't have a PSP is that its nothing NEW. Sure, call the DS 'gimmicky' if you will, but its not a bad gimmick. The DS has provided some damn amazing games that just plain wouldn't be possible to duplicate on a single screen, games that work the two screens like it's a standard.
03:51 PM
However, I don't see the benefit of having two GBA-sized screens instead of one double-GBA-sized screen.
It's perfectly possible to use half of a physical display to show a map or menu or whatnot (as most DS games do with the second screen), but it's relatively difficult to use two physical displays to show the main gameplay (as very few DS games do). As such, there are a number of DS games where that second screen is essentially wasted (including many of the best and most notable titles on the system).
09:56 AM