Nintendo 3DS

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
http://kotaku.com/5650705/here-are-the-final-nintendo-3ds-specs

On February 26 of next year, the Nintendo 3DS is launching in Japan. The following month, the portable will go on sale in the West. Let's have a look at what's included and at the portable's official and final specs:

The Nintendo 3DS comes bundled with a charger stand (above), an AC adapter, a 10cm Nintendo 3DS touch pen, a 2GB SD card, six augmented reality cards as well as instruction booklets.

According to Nintendo, the new functions include a slide pad, a motion sensor and a gyro-sensor.

The portable will have parental controls like the Nintendo DSi and the DSi XL portables before it.

It is possible to play games downloaded off the 3DS's Virtual Console as well as games downloaded onto a Nintendo DSi and DSi XL. The Nintendo 3DS works with game cartridges in the Nintendo DS series.

The Nintendo 3DS is 134mm by 74mm. It is 21mm thick and weighs 230 grams.

The top screen is 3.53 inches and with an liquid crystal display of 800 x 240 pixels. The button screen is 3.02 inches with a liquid crystal display of 320 x 240 pixels.

It has two outer 0.3 megapixel cameras and one inside the portable's clamshell.

The Nintendo 3DS has WiFi functionality.

There is a game cartridge slot, an SD card slot, an slot for the AC adaptor and headphones jack. Stereo speakers are on the right and left of the portable's upper shell.

Cartridges for the Nintendo 3DS are the same size as cartridges in the Nintendo DS line. As with the DS line, the Nintendo 3DS is powered by a lithium ion battery.

Price in Japan: 25,000 YEN

-Comes with a 2 GB SD card.
-Comes with charging cradle.
-3DS online service will sell Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Classic Games in 3D, DSiWare, and 3DSware titles.
-Always on passive Tag Mode that can do data exchange, even for games not being played.
-Japanese launch colors are Aqua Blue and Cosmos Black.
-Home button brings up an ingame menu enabling users to browse the web, turn Wi-Fi on/off and modify other settings without exiting.
-"Mii Studio" Application: Take a picture of yourself and have it auto converted into a Mii.
- "AR Games" Application: Built in augmented reality games (comes with six paper cards for these).
-"Nintendo 3DS Cameras" Application: The 3DS can automatically merge two photos into a single image. I'm assuming this is also for taking pictures.
-"Nintendo 3DS Sound" Application: Unsure, guessing something like Mario Paint.
-"Chance Encounter Mii Plaza" Application: I'm assuming this is a place for Miis to hang out that you've picked up from tag mode and/or QR codes.
-"Book" Application: Maybe an ebook reader?
-3DSWare games can be moved from one 3DS to another, and some DSiWare games can be moved to the 3DS as well.
-Is compatible with Wifine if you live in Japan.

Line-up video: http://kotaku.com/5650702/

Mega Man Legends 3 Project is in development for the Nintendo 3DS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep-J6aMSNFo
Street Fighter IV trailer: http://kotaku.com/5650704/a-super-street-fighter-iv-3ds-trailer-with-gameplay

3DS' new functions: http://kotaku.com/5650691/see-the-nintendo-3dss-new-functions-in-action

MGS3: http://www.konami.jp/mgs_se/

Titles announced:

Samurai Warriors Chronicle
Resident Evil Revelations
Super Street Fighter IV
Dynasty Warriors Musou
Ninja Gaiden
Dead or Alive
Kingdom Hearts 3D
Chocobo Racing 3D
Super Black Bass 3D
Super Monkey Ball, Sonic
Licca-chan 3DS
Animal Crossing
Kid Icarus: Uprising
StarFox 64 3D
Steel Diver
Nintendogs + Cats
Mario Kart
Pilot Wings Resort
Paper Mario
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Marble Mania
Deca Sporta
Bomberman
Gundam
Super Robot
Dragonball
Pac-Man & Galaga
Ridge Racer
Harvest Moon
Professor Layton and the Mask of the Miracle
Crash-City GP
VS-robo
Class of Heroes 3D x 3D
Combat of Giants Dinosaur 3D
Ghost Recon: Lead The Ghosts
Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
Driver Renegade
Love Plus
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Biggest new info here is the inclusion of the rumored GB and GBC downloadable game service. Launch titles, please god... LINKS AWAKENING and/or Metroid II. :mozgus: The price is high, but it doesn't make a bit of difference. Launch day purchase for me.

I know there are a lot of confirmed games, but I wonder which will be available at launch? Surely Pilotwings and probably Nintendogs & Cats but what else?
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Walter said:
Biggest new info here is the inclusion of the rumored GB and GBC downloadable game service.

Indeed... I prayed for it and they didn't disappoint. Let's hope the rest is as good. Maybe they'll even add Virtual Boy games at a later date? :void:

Walter said:
Launch titles, please god... LINKS AWAKENING and/or Metroid II. :mozgus: The price is high, but it doesn't make a bit of difference. Launch day purchase for me.

The Super Mario Land series is also a must. Honestly there's so many good titles on the Gameboy that it's hard for me to imagine them ever running out of games to add.

Walter said:
I know there are a lot of confirmed games, but I wonder which will be available at launch? Surely Pilotwings and probably Nintendogs & Cats but what else?

At this point I can't say it matters much to me. Everyone announced so far looks great and I'm sure third party developers will rush to publish on it.
 

Johnstantine

Skibbidy Boo Bop
I'm intrigued by this. Haven't had any desire to pick my DS up in quite some time. Maybe I'll pick this up due to the classics coming back.
 
I'm definitely gonna get this. I don't even know what to say. It's like the perfect handheld: filled with updated classics, ports of great games, new promising titles... And this is only what's been revealed months before the launch. I've never felt so confident about spending my money on entertainment.

Square-Enix is probably gonna port its whole library! :SK:
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
This looks pretty fucking amazing, sci-fi stuff, and a lineup like the '27 Yankees.

BUT... having said that...

While I totally respect the technology being employed and software lineup here, as well as the fact that the DS famously "prints money" for Nintendo, I kinda wish this effort was going into a state of the art home console. Wii still doesn't have HD, but the umpteenth DS reincarnation is going 3D? Should your handheld really be better (and more expensive) than your home console in terms of graphics and lineup? Just sayin'. Handhelds are admittedly not my thing, but I don't think it's just me, it's a little backward too; the tail is wagging the Nintendog. :iva:

Johnstantine said:
Haven't had any desire to pick my DS up in quite some time.

Yep. Also, how many people even play their DS while out and about? Part of me thinks handhelds are like the Pet Rock that won't die because we like the idea of them so much... oh, and because now we don't have a choice. =)
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Griffith said:
I kinda wish this effort was going into a state of the art home console. Wii still doesn't have HD, but the umpteenth DS reincarnation is going 3D?
The DS came out first. It's first in line for an upgrade. That makes sense to me.

Should your handheld really be better (and more expensive) than your home console in terms of graphics and lineup?
I admit, I was a little shocked at the price tag being higher than the Wii. But that discrepancy has a logical explanation. Consider that the 3DS is completely new hardware, whereas the Wii was old hardware before it even launched. Technically it's just a 2002-era console (Gamecube) with a few extra bells and whistles. They're already overcharging for what the Wii is worth to manufacture, whereas the 3DS is composed of much more modern/expensive components.

Just sayin'. Handhelds are admittedly not my thing, but I don't think it's just me, it's a little backward too; the tail is wagging the Nintendog. :iva:
Your opinion of the DS here speaks of a lack of first-hand experience with its library. When it comes to the breadth and quality of games, the Wii doesn't hold a candle to what's available on the DS. If I had to pick the 10 best games to come out among both platforms, the list would be disproportionately cluttered with DS games.

Also, suddenly going HD wouldn't necessarily invite a gaming renaissance for the Wii. That system has other issues to deal with, like its severe lack of consistent, quality third-party games. Which, ironically, is the strength of the DS, allowing it to flourish even after 6 years at market.

Yep. Also, how many people even play their DS while out and about? Part of me thinks handhelds are like the Pet Rock that won't die because we like the idea of them so much... oh, and because now we don't have a choice. =)
*Shakes head* I bring my DS with me every day to work, and always manage to carve out a 15 min break here and there to play a game of Picross 3d or more recently, Etrian Odyssey III. I've easily invested 10-20x the amount of time playing my DS than I have my Wii.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Walter said:
The DS came out first. It's first in line for an upgrade. That makes sense to me.

If you're going by the logic of which should be first in line for an upgrade...

Walter said:
the Wii was old hardware before it even launched. Technically it's just a 2002-era console (Gamecube) with a few extra bells and whistles. They're already overcharging for what the Wii is worth to manufacture, whereas the 3DS is composed of much more modern/expensive components.

Does it still make sense? I guess it's better they overcharge for new hardware.

Walter said:
Your opinion of the DS here speaks of a lack of first-hand experience with its library. When it comes to the breadth and quality of games, the Wii doesn't hold a candle to what's available on the DS. If I had to pick the 10 best games to come out among both platforms, the list would be disproportionately cluttered with DS games.

You're making my point for me. Also, that's not my opinion of the DS's library, it's clearly the best Nintendo has out there, if not the best in general. It is my opinion of handhelds, and if I had the choice, I'd always want to play those games on a dedicated home console, unless I wanted something specifically for gaming on the go (novel concept). Give me that library on a home console so I can play the games I'm going to play in bed anyway on an HD TV. =)

Walter said:
Also, suddenly going HD wouldn't necessarily invite a gaming renaissance for the Wii. That system has other issues to deal with, like its severe lack of consistent, quality third-party games. Which, ironically, is the strength of the DS, allowing it to flourish even after 6 years at market.

See above. My point isn't that they need to upgrade the Wii in HD, or that they could even do something like this on a new home console (I recognize the DS's size and built in screens are what make the 3D so easily feasible, not to mention the market advantage they hold there), I was just highlighting the disparity; Nintendo has practically abandoned the home market. It's like they're just exploiting it at this point, which is fine from a business standpoint (in the short term), but as we've seen with Sega, Sony, and Nintendo before, it eventually catches up with you.

Walter said:
*Shakes head* I bring my DS with me every day to work, and always manage to carve out a 15 min break here and there to play a game of Picross 3d or more recently, Etrian Odyssey III.

*nods* That sounds great, that's what it's for.

Walter said:
I've easily invested 10-20x the amount of time playing my DS than I have my Wii.

*shakes head* That's not. Too bad it has to be that way. I don't have a problem with the DS itself or what Nintendo's doing with it, it's very exciting, I just wish they were doing work as exciting for the home console market as well.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Griffith said:
If you're going by the logic of which should be first in line for an upgrade... Does it still make sense? I guess it's better they overcharge for new hardware.
Whether or not the Wii had older hardware, it's logical that the older product gets an upgrade first. Besides, you already know this but the cheap-o graphics capabilities and price point were a large factor in Nintendo's pitch of the Wii to a broader market.

You're making my point for me. Also, that's not my opinion of the DS's library, it's clearly the best Nintendo has out there, if not the best in general. It is my opinion of handhelds, and if I had the choice, I'd want to play those games on a dedicated home console. Give me that library on a home console so I can play the games I'm going to play in bed anyway on an HD TV. =)
Well, that's just a matter of taste. Personally, if it's not a PC game, I'd rather have it portable. But that's likely a factor in the set up of my own personal living space, where the TV is in the center of the home, and is often being used by my wife and/or friends. As a result, the vast majority of my gaming happily takes place elsewhere -- away from those distractions :iva:

Nintendo has practically abandoned the home market. It's like they're just exploiting it at this point, which is fine from a business standpoint (in the short term), but as we've seen with Sega, Sony, and Nintendo before, it eventually catches up with you.
A few years ago, I'd have agreed with you wholeheartedly. Ask Aaz, and how annoyed he was at hearing me complain almost daily about how Nintendo had abandoned its fans, and dropped the ball this generation. But this year, Nintendo made it pretty crystal clear that they aren't fucking around. By November, they'll have released New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Metroid: Other M, Kirby and Donkey Kong Country Returns, all within the span of one year. This list doesn't include Pikmin 3, and the new Zelda, which don't have dates yet.

Their trouble this console generation has never been lack of dedication to their own franchises, rather it's been in landing quality third-party titles. Which you could argue is a direct result of playing the middle of the field in terms of hardware capabilities, and not attracting heavy hitting companies to develop for them. But that's really the individual companies' failings at not finding ways to capitalize within the constraints of the hardware. Nintendo certainly hasn't had trouble finding new ways to innovate for it, because SMG2 and Kirby by their own design aren't restricted by the limited graphics capabilities.

Ironically, on the DS it's almost the complete opposite. The best games on it aren't all first-party, they're mostly third.

*shakes head* That's not. Too bad it has to be that way. I don't have a problem with the DS or what Nintendo's doing with it, it's very exciting, I just wish they were doing such exciting things at home.
That's just a matter of perspective. A large factor in how the DS manages to have such fresh games is the budget approach to developing them. There's little risk in developing a pioneering game concept for a handheld device when the investment is a fraction of what it costs to develop a home console title. That's sort of what scares me, in the back of my head, about the 3DS' future. Of course, that fear has shrunk to a little baby penis in light of the confirmed titles.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Walter said:
Whether or not the Wii had older hardware, it's logical that the older product gets an upgrade first. Besides, you already know this but the cheap-o graphics capabilities and price point were a large factor in Nintendo's pitch of the Wii to a broader market.

I guess they're going in a different direction in more ways than one. Got us by the balls now.

Walter said:
Well, that's just a matter of taste. Personally, if it's not a PC game, I'd rather have it portable. But that's likely a factor in the set up of my own personal living space, where the TV is in the center of the home, and is often being used by my wife and/or friends. As a result, the vast majority of my gaming happily takes place elsewhere -- away from those distractions :iva:

Heh heh. Of course, your PC being your de facto home setup then, if you could play your DS games on it and take advantage of its capabilities, wouldn't you want to?

Walter said:
A few years ago, I'd have agreed with you wholeheartedly. Ask Aaz, and how annoyed he was at hearing me complain almost daily about how Nintendo had abandoned its fans, and dropped the ball this generation. But this year, Nintendo made it pretty crystal clear that they aren't fucking around. By November, they'll have released New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Metroid: Other M, Kirby and Donkey Kong Country Returns, all within the span of one year. This list doesn't include Pikmin 3, and the new Zelda, which don't have dates yet.

Their trouble this console generation has never been lack of dedication to their own franchises, rather it's been in landing quality third-party titles. Which you could argue is a direct result of playing the middle of the field in terms of hardware capabilities, and not attracting heavy hitting companies to develop for them. But that's really the individual companies' failings at not finding ways to capitalize within the constraints of the hardware. Nintendo certainly hasn't had trouble finding new ways to innovate for it, because SMG2 and Kirby by their own design aren't restricted by the limited graphics capabilities.

Well, I'm probably being impatient with Nintendo's situation considering where they were when the Wii and DS came out. It's not like they planned it this way, they're still coming off hitting the jackpot, and the 3DS itself is an all-in raise nobody could have expected, I just hope they make the same bet with their next home console, Wii3D or something.

Walter said:
Ironically, on the DS it's almost the complete opposite. The best games on it aren't all first-party, they're mostly third.
That's just a matter of perspective. A large factor in how the DS manages to have such fresh games is the budget approach to developing them. There's little risk in developing a pioneering game concept for a handheld device when the investment is a fraction of what it costs to develop a home console title. That's sort of what scares me, in the back of my head, about the 3DS' future. Of course, that fear has shrunk to a little baby penis in light of the confirmed titles.

Yeah, I can't argue with the success of the DS itself, or it's outlook which is somehow infinite still with the 3DS. I'm just an old grouch that wants to return to the days of Super Nintendo-like dominance and unification, no compromises, when cutting edge power and creativity wasn't a trade off. I've said it before, but every system today has an asterisk next to it that scares me away, including the DS, and maybe I'm just pissed that I'm going to be compelled to buy this expensive piece of high tech and I don't even like the format. =)
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Eluvei said:
I'm definitely gonna get this. I don't even know what to say. It's like the perfect handheld: filled with updated classics, ports of great games, new promising titles... And this is only what's been revealed months before the launch. I've never felt so confident about spending my money on entertainment.

Fuck yeah. I've never looked so much forward to a console before, not even when I was a kid.

Griffith said:
I kinda wish this effort was going into a state of the art home console. Wii still doesn't have HD, but the umpteenth DS reincarnation is going 3D?

I'm afraid you're mistaken. The 3DS isn't "umpteenth DS reincarnation". It's a new console. Not like the DS Lite or the DSi. Not sure why some people have trouble understanding this. The GBA wasn't just a new GameBoy model. And I doubt Nintendo's ever going to release a special Wii that would support HD. They'll just release a new console directly (one that will of course support HD). And when you know that half the Xbox 360 owners play in SD, I can't really fault Nintendo for not including it in the Wii back in the day (even though I have a HD TV). It went along with their business strategy at the time.

Griffith said:
Should your handheld really be better (and more expensive) than your home console in terms of graphics and lineup? Just sayin'. Handhelds are admittedly not my thing, but I don't think it's just me, it's a little backward too; the tail is wagging the Nintendog. :iva:

There's absolutely nothing backwards here. It's not like the 3DS is from the same generation than the Wii. It's the next one. Nintendo's next home console will obviously be more powerful than the 3DS. And the 3DS isn't being sold for a higher price than the Wii. Both will have launched at ¥25,000.

Griffith said:
Yep. Also, how many people even play their DS while out and about? Part of me thinks handhelds are like the Pet Rock that won't die because we like the idea of them so much... oh, and because now we don't have a choice. =)

I play the NDS all the time. It's by far my favorite console of these past 10 years. I take the train everyday and I see people playing the NDS in the train everyday. That you might not like handhelds is your loss, but I suggest you don't delude yourself by thinking that your views are shared by a majority of people.

Walter said:
I admit, I was a little shocked at the price tag being higher than the Wii.

The price tag isn't higher than the Wii's, it's the same. People just converting the price in yen to the current raw worth in US dollars is retarded, but then what else should I expect, right? Here's how prices work in the video game world:

$250 = 250€ = ¥25,000

Griffith said:
If you're going by the logic of which should be first in line for an upgrade...

Does it still make sense? I guess it's better they overcharge for new hardware.

Of course it makes sense. The NDS has reached its limits, not just in terms of hardware but also of marketing. It was out first, that's all there is to it. And that's all that matters. The PS2 still sells games despite its ancient hardware. Your argument is misguided.

Griffith said:
Nintendo has practically abandoned the home market.

You must not be well informed because that's a ridiculous statement. Nintendo's doing a lot on the Wii. Much more than on the NDS. The lack of 3rd party support isn't something they can just magically fix. It's the reason the N64 and the GameCube failed, and god knows they tried to get editors back with the GC, but to no avail. The NDS had the same problem at first, and it only got better after a couple of years. You also don't seem to realize that the situation was very different for Nintendo back then than it is now. They couldn't make the Wii into a powerhouse because they were on the decline.

Griffith said:
*shakes head* That's not. Too bad it has to be that way. I don't have a problem with the DS itself or what Nintendo's doing with it, it's very exciting, I just wish they were doing work as exciting for the home console market as well.

I play my NDS more than my Xbox 360 or my computer. The NDS' success has nothing to do with a lack of dedication to the Wii. As a matter of fact, Nintendo has been developing a lot more games on the Wii than on the NDS these days.

Walter said:
Their trouble this console generation has never been lack of dedication to their own franchises, rather it's been in landing quality third-party titles. Which you could argue is a direct result of playing the middle of the field in terms of hardware capabilities, and not attracting heavy hitting companies to develop for them.

Actually I don't think that argument holds any water. The GC was more powerful than the PS2, and the N64 more powerful than the PSX. See what good it did them. Why else do you guys think they chose to go down a different path with the Wii? The other way hadn't worked for them. Not like they had the resources to beat the PS3 in the power department anyway.

Griffith said:
It's not like they planned it this way, they're still coming off hitting the jackpot, and the 3DS itself is an all-in raise nobody could have expected, I just hope they make the same bet with their next home console, Wii3D or something.

I expected/hoped the 3DS to be exactly what it is in the sense of it taking the NDS concept to the next level and bringing in the Wii's innovations. And it'll be the same with the Wii. Bigger, better, more refined, and more expensive.

Griffith said:
I'm just an old grouch that wants to return to the days of Super Nintendo-like dominance and unification, no compromises, when cutting edge power and creativity wasn't a trade off.

Well at the very least you can be sure they'll try their hardest to go back to it with the Wii's successor.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
This relates to a lot of what we just discussed: http://kotaku.com/5652877/why-nintendo-made-the-3ds-so-powerful

According to Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, the reason why the company went with a more powerful machine is that Nintendo did not want developers to shy away from developing for it under the pretext of specs.

"The biggest reason why we developed the portable [with high specs] is because," Nintendo president Satoru Iwata told investors earlier this week, "we didn't want developers to think that they couldn't develop their titles for Nintendo game machines due to the specs."
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Thanks for the link. Is anyone surprised? There's no mystery to Nintendo's decisions here, never has been. All they ever do, like the other constructors, is try to seduce developers and consumers alike.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Not a surprise at all, just surprising to hear Iwata put it that way himself, since it's what everyone's been thinking all along.
 

Aphasia

ALL MYSTERIES MUST BE SOLVED
RIIIIDIGGEEEE RACER! RIDGE RACER! : )

I'm a huge not-fan of 3D. But this looks cool, not gimmicky. There's so much fantastic software coming out, too. The thing will sell like hotcakes. Nintendo predicts I think 4 million units moved in the first month.

Golden Sun and an inevitable harvest moon game have me excited.

I'll probably wait for a price drop or revision though. Doesn't nintendo usually come out with a superior handheld like 6 months down the road? I never had a DS.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Aazealh said:
I'm afraid you're mistaken. The 3DS isn't "umpteenth DS reincarnation". It's a new console. Not like the DS Lite or the DSi. Not sure why some people have trouble understanding this. The GBA wasn't just a new GameBoy model. And I doubt Nintendo's ever going to release a special Wii that would support HD. They'll just release a new console directly (one that will of course support HD). And when you know that half the Xbox 360 owners play in SD, I can't really fault Nintendo for not including it in the Wii back in the day (even though I have a HD TV). It went along with their business strategy at the time.

It's not about releasing a special Wii or whether 3DS is a new console or not, I was expressing frustration in the disparity between the two. Sorry if I was blowing hot air while letting off some steam. :carcus:

Aazealh said:
There's absolutely nothing backwards here. It's not like the 3DS is from the same generation than the Wii. It's the next one. Nintendo's next home console will obviously be more powerful than the 3DS.

Yeah, whenever that happens. My point was that to me it's backwards that their handheld is clearly preferable to their home console, and that if any system of theirs had lineup and technology issues to address, it's the Wii. Don't start quote/replying this just yet, I acknowledge the practical issues with that later. =)

Aazealh said:
I play the NDS all the time. It's by far my favorite console of these past 10 years. I take the train everyday and I see people playing the NDS in the train everyday. That you might not like handhelds is your loss, but I suggest you don't delude yourself by thinking that your views are shared by a majority of people.

I can tell it's your favorite, but I honestly can't recall seeing more than two people playing an NDS in public since it came out, on buses, trains, or wherever; just my personal experience (and it may in fact be very different here).
Also, technically, among all people on Earth, the majority is on my side. Now who's delusional!? :troll:

Aazealh said:
Of course it makes sense. The NDS has reached its limits, not just in terms of hardware but also of marketing. It was out first, that's all there is to it. And that's all that matters. The PS2 still sells games despite its ancient hardware. Your argument is misguided.

I don't think so from the standpoint that the Wii is the console most people find lacking (compared to not only the other home consoles, but the NDS). I wouldn't say they needed to upgrade their handheld either, your point about the PS2 speaks to that, I see it as them taking an aggressive step to stay ahead of the curve.

Aazealh said:
You must not be well informed because that's a ridiculous statement. Nintendo's doing a lot on the Wii. Much more than on the NDS. The lack of 3rd party support isn't something they can just magically fix. It's the reason the N64 and the GameCube failed, and god knows they tried to get editors back with the GC, but to no avail. The NDS had the same problem at first, and it only got better after a couple of years. You also don't seem to realize that the situation was very different for Nintendo back then than it is now. They couldn't make the Wii into a powerhouse because they were on the decline.

Actually, I already acknowledged that in my previous post. It's just too bad Nintendo can't seem to make a home console that gets 3rd party support for one reason or another, and the Wii obviously hasn't helped. I simply hope they can do in the home market again what they've clearly been so successful with in the handheld market, to the point it's become their de facto flagship system. Which is, again, what I find backward and in need of rectifying. Obviously there's practical concerns that make that an improbably in the short term, such as getting their money's worth out of the Wii's lifespan, and their desire to maintain their dominant position in handheld market with a new DS.

Aazealh said:
I play my NDS more than my Xbox 360 or my computer.

It has the best games, sure. Like I said, I'm just sorry it has to be that way, not that I want the DS to be any worse, I want everything to be better.

Aazealh said:
Actually I don't think that argument holds any water. The GC was more powerful than the PS2, and the N64 more powerful than the PSX. See what good it did them. Why else do you guys think they chose to go down a different path with the Wii? The other way hadn't worked for them.

A few things, while the N64 was more powerful, it certainly wasn't more capable than the PSX with its CD capacity, and by the time Nintendo caught up with GC, it was Sony's market to lose. Basically, if it wasn't one thing it was another, the consistent problem throughout being a lack of third party support, and I think that does speak to the capability and marketability of the systems Nintendo was releasing. Hopefully they can rectify this by making their next home system one more attractive to 3rd party developers, like their competitors and the DS itself.

Aazealh said:
I expected/hoped the 3DS to be exactly what it is in the sense of it taking the NDS concept to the next level and bringing in the Wii's innovations. And it'll be the same with the Wii. Bigger, better, more refined, and more expensive.

Well at the very least you can be sure they'll try their hardest to go back to it with the Wii's successor.

I hope so, Super Nintendo Wii3D. =)

Walter said:
This relates to a lot of what we just discussed: http://kotaku.com/5652877/why-nintendo-made-the-3ds-so-powerful

Awesome.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Griffith said:
My point was that to me it's backwards that their handheld is clearly preferable to their home console, and that if any system of theirs had lineup and technology issues to address, it's the Wii. Don't start quote/replying this just yet, I acknowledge the practical issues with that later. =)

What is preferable to what is a matter of point of view though. There are people who prefer the Wii to the NDS, and others who prefer the PSP to the NDS, and yet others who prefer the iPhone to everything else in the world. As for the lineup, again, I don't think the Wii had any problems there compared to the NDS, and the technology gap between the Wii and its competitors isn't any wider than between the NDS and the PSP.

Griffith said:
I don't think from the standpoint that the Wii is the console most people find lacking (compared to not only the other home consoles, but the NDS). I wouldn't say they needed to upgrade their handheld either, your point about the PS2 speaks to that, I see it as them taking an aggressive step to stay ahead of the curve.

I don't know if it's the one most people find lacking actually. It did outsell its competitors anyway, which is what the manufacturer cares most about. The NDS has problems of its own, not the least of which is rampant piracy. I think the time is right for the 3DS, and I expect a new home console to be announced at E3 2012 at the latest. The Wii's gotten its fair share of upgrades (like the Wii Motion Plus) that still need to be decently exploited.

Griffith said:
It's just too bad Nintendo can't seem to make a home console that gets 3rd party support for one reason or another, and the Wii obviously hasn't helped.

I don't think they're the ones most to blame for that though. Third party editors were very late to react to both the Wii and the NDS' success, to the point that Miyamoto publicly called them out on it.

Griffith said:
I simply hope they can do in the home market again what they've clearly been so successful with in the handheld market, to the point it's become their de facto flagship system.

Sure, but again, the NDS having more success than the Wii isn't something they wished for. In fact they didn't expect the NDS' overwhelming success. Hell, when the PSP was announced the whole Internet had already buried the NDS, calling it a stillborn console and so on. I know I felt pretty lonely at the time in my support of the system. And the Wii's been very successful too... Especially considering where they stood with the GC.

The NDS is the reason they made the Wii like that too. They tried to replicate its success by following the same philosophy.

Griffith said:
A few things, while the N64 was more powerful, it certainly wasn't more capable than the PSX with its CD capacity, and by the time Nintendo caught up with GC, it was Sony's market to lose.

And Sony lost the market to the Wii. :slan:
 
I dream of a world where handheld and home consoles don't need to be separate entities. Someone needs to take a step up and just make a machine that you can play on the go or come home and hook up to your TV when you want that high-res experience. I honestly play more games on my handhelds than I do on consoles these days simply due to the fact that I can take them everywhere. I can play in bed, hit the bathroom and then go out to the kitchen and never have to stop playing. Not to mention that all I have to do when I want to stop is flip the lid closed/put the system into sleep mode and continue whenever I want without having to find a save point or something arbitrary like that. Now imagine playing on your couch in the evening and then being able to unplug your handheld and play the same game the next day on the bus.

There's always been attempts with such an idea with add-ons such as the Gameboy player for the SNES and the Gamecube, the Nomad, and more recently the av cable for the PSP, but I want something that has more support for both formats simultaneously. Systems like the PSP and the 3DS have brought me a little closer to the reality of at least having console-like graphics in my hand so I fully support them and almost believe that we might be heading in the direction of a more interchangeable world.

That said, in at least the midwest, no one plays their handhelds in public unless you're a kid in school and even then I don't think it happens that much. Most find it too embarrassing, I think, to use anything outside of a phone. There's too many stereotypes of gamers being losers. I ride the bus into the city almost every day and I think I'm the only person I've ever seen playing my DS. I've seen a couple ipads recently though.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
CowTip said:
There's always been attempts with such an idea with add-ons such as the Gameboy player for the SNES and the Gamecube, the Nomad, and more recently the av cable for the PSP, but I want something that has more support for both formats simultaneously. Systems like the PSP and the 3DS have brought me a little closer to the reality of at least having console-like graphics in my hand so I fully support them and almost believe that we might be heading in the direction of a more interchangeable world.

Yeah I was about to say that the PSP already took big steps in that direction. I don't think anything's planned with the 3DS in that regard (would be complicated... 2 screens, one in 3D), but the PSP2 might have what you're looking for.

CowTip said:
There's too many stereotypes of gamers being losers. I ride the bus into the city almost every day and I think I'm the only person I've ever seen playing my DS. I've seen a couple ipads recently though.

Haha, playing games is for losers but the iPad is cool? What a world. I saw a guy whip out his iPad and fail to connect to Facebook for 5 minutes straight before putting it back down earlier this week, looked real cool. :ganishka:
 
Remember, you're hip if you love Apple and purchase everything they put out. :troll:

I've actually seen a few with Kindles and the few iPad people I saw were using theirs as e-readers too. Perhaps the coolest thing I've ever seen was a girl who looked about 20 who sat next to me reading Batman comics, but yeah. Video game systems have a long ways to go before they're really readily accepted by adults here. I think the iPhone still has the best chance at breaking the mold a little. It's one of the reasons that people hate all these adhoc features in handheld games here. You have to attend one of those small unofficial groupings of people you find on other message boards or attend anime or video game conventions just to use the features in Dragon Quest 9 for instance.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
CowTip said:
I've actually seen a few with Kindles and the few iPad people I saw were using theirs as e-readers too.

Never saw anyone with a Kindle here, but I'm interested in getting one. I have been for years but I'm continuously hesitating. Maybe this year, for Christmas...
 
I'll stop jabbering about this after this post since I'm getting pretty off topic, but I keep holding out for a kindle capable of color. The iPad just doesn't do it for me and the Kindle, while great for regular books, isn't so great for stuff like magazine and news reading (I read a lot of Newsweek, the Times etc.).

On topic, I'm going to say that it's a tossup between the MGS3 re-release and that RE game for what looks the best graphically so far. I wonder what they plan to use the second screen for in MGS. Easier inventory management? Radar? :???:
 
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