Nintendo's Masato Kuwahara, project lead on the Nintendo DSi hardware, revealed that games playable only on the latest revision Nintendo DS were in the works at this year's GDC. Those first DSi-only games will hit this fall, sources tell Kotaku.
Software that will only work on a Nintendo DSi will join titles playable on a Nintendo DS or DS Lite that also feature DSi-specific enhanced capabilities, like Ubisoft's Jam Sessions 2 and My Healthy Cooking Coach. Games and apps that will only be playable on a DSi will be visually distinct from past product, sources say.
Those DSi-only games will be packaged in all-white game cases, making them stand out from the standard dark gray cases of currently available Nintendo DS games. Those cases will sport a warning that the software is only compatible with the Nintendo DSi. DSi-only game cards themselves will use a similar white plastic, but it's unclear if those re-colored cards will have any difficulty fitting into a DS or DS Lite cartridge slot.
Another unknown is if DSi-only software will take advantage of the expanded tech specs unique to the Nintendo DSi.
It appears that, like Wii MotionPlus, that Nintendo will be letting third-party publishers take the lead in offering DSi-only software. Nintendo itself has offered plenty of downloadable DSiWare games that are system specific, but it has yet to announce any DSi-only retail games as part of its future lineup. Still a risky proposition, considering the comparatively smaller userbase of the DSi platform and the possibility for consumer confusion.
We contacted Nintendo for comment on the introduction of DSi-only games this year, but the company did not respond to requests before publishing.