Nintendo has finally spoken out over rumours that it’s redesigned the DS handheld console, and has released details and pictures of the upcoming machine.
Called the DSi, the machine has a three-megapixel camera integrated into the lid and a SD memory card slot built into the side. The console’s audio capabilities have been …
Hmmm... they've moved the power switch to somewhere more likely to be pressed accidentally, and they've removed the GTA slot (isn't that how you play homebrew games?)
But the camera is handily placed somewhere that won't cause suspicion when trying to take surreptitious photos...
Removing Backwards compatibility for the sake of a few mm. And introducing pointless gimmicks like a crappy camera because nobody has one of them on their phones already.
My five year old son doesn't "have a camera on his phone(s) already".
These little toys are for kids. The grown ups surely buy a PSP? The camera add-on for a PSP is £35, so the inclusion in this new DSi is nice for kids who will get a kick out of taking the odd picture or mini-video with their toy hand-held games gadget.
I'm sure it'll be a runaway success, even if it is crap compared to a PSP.
GBA isn't backwards compatibility. From Nintendo's point of view, the DS and the myriad GBA devices are of the same generation. At the moment, Nintendo officially still supports the GBA, even if you can't buy them anywhere and nobody makes games for them anymore. One could conclude from this redesign that Nintendo are finally killing off the GBA. It works out quite well for them because then the only way to play Classic Gameboy and Gameboy color titles will be on the Virtual Console, where we'll have to pay for them again.
The original ones were in two parts, a card that fitted in the DS slot (made by Datel, no less), and another one that fitted in the GBA slot with a SD or MicroSD card.
More modern ones fit into the DS slot only and carry a MicroSD card.
When I was in Hong Kong recently, it was incredible seeing how many people on the subways were playing with a DS (outnumbering PSP about 10 to 1 I reckon), and EVERY DAMN ONE of them had that little card with the micro-SD stuck into it.
There are more "homebrew" carts for slot 1 than slot 2 now & this has been the case for sometime. There are very few carts that use slot 2 now - Nintendo browser and the rumble pack are the most popular I guess. Very few games support the rumble pack so removing slot 2 won't be much of a loss for most people.
Now i will whittle on about how the PSP has had all these features and much much more and is good because its hardcore and full of great titles, movie support and lots more room for lots more porn!!
Since the Opera browser needs more memory to work, and it currently uses a GBA cartridge to provide that.
There is also a rumble pack that also fits into the GBA slot, so that will also be unavailable.
Homebrew stuff normally goes on a cart that fits into the other slot behind the hinge. The TTDS is one, but there are LOTS of other DS cartridges for homebrew.
The camera seems to be on the outside of the lid (I am assuming that the hole in the hinge is the microphone), so once the DS is open how much use is it going to be? As Steven said, it's not as though cameras aren't on phone already.
I would have thought the camera is facing the wrong way. The only time I would really use it would be to "video conference" with other gamers while wifi connected or even use it a bit like the itoy on the PS to play games with gestures.
I already have a 3mp camera in my phone to take pictures of interesting things I come accross then a 7mp camera for when I go away, I don't need one tacked on the front looking ugly
The system does indeed have a 3mp external camera...and a VGA one (as per Evil_Medic's comment) on the hinge (for game to game, video conference, skype or game ability or gesture [as it happens to be with obscure Jap release "health, spa games"]).
I can't really justify this over my DSLite, there's not really any extra features I'd like, except maybe the SD card, but then I've already got a phone with a microSD card slot and internet, so it ain't worth the cash for me.
Mind you, who are Nintendo expecting to sell this to? They've already sold a DS/Lite to just about the entire population of the world already.
Alien head because it's the only demographic left who doesn't own a DS.
Evil_Medic has noticed teh camera on the hinge, huge lose your head in it black hole, and next to it the lil hole that is the mic, god people open your eyes.
Hope the PSP fanboi wasnt trying to suggest that the PSP had a camera first.......
I dont think making it slimmer will make it any better for me to use :( and would rather it had a motion sensor in it for playing Monkeyball.
Grown up would buy OpenPandora and then use it to check email or news on the go, instead of gaming. Kids succumb to gaming, grown ups to email and news.
The DSi has a 0.3megapixel camera on the hinge in order to take pics of yourself while playing.
Also, it has extra memory for the browser which is now built in. I rarely play gba games with mine so the loss of the slot 1 isn't too important for me. Besides, I'm sure someone will come up with a way to run emulators for gbs games by reading what's on the SD card on the side.
What I really would have liked is a 2nd touchscreen...
..but I cant use my DS for more than 10 minutes before my right hand's thumb joint really starts to get sore. Doesnt look like the ergonomics have changed.
I know from expereince that I can grip other stuff for quite some time before it starts to ache...er hold on..anyway.....
Will the new DS have Opera built-in? Will it finally have a PDA function? Support downloads?
It looks like they're all "gee-whiz" on the hardware updates, but what's it going to have "under the bonnet?" Seriously, I love mine, but a few more practical functions would be welcome!
Register
Nintendo has finally spoken out over rumours that it’s redesigned the DS handheld console, and has released details and pictures of the upcoming machine. Called the DSi, the machine has a three-megapixel camera integrated into the lid and a SD memory card slot built into the side. The console’s audio capabilities have been …
So...
Hmmm... they've moved the power switch to somewhere more likely to be pressed accidentally, and they've removed the GTA slot (isn't that how you play homebrew games?)
But the camera is handily placed somewhere that won't cause suspicion when trying to take surreptitious photos...
Yeah, it will probably sell well...
So they're...
Removing Backwards compatibility for the sake of a few mm. And introducing pointless gimmicks like a crappy camera because nobody has one of them on their phones already.
@Steven Foster
My five year old son doesn't "have a camera on his phone(s) already".
These little toys are for kids. The grown ups surely buy a PSP? The camera add-on for a PSP is £35, so the inclusion in this new DSi is nice for kids who will get a kick out of taking the odd picture or mini-video with their toy hand-held games gadget.
I'm sure it'll be a runaway success, even if it is crap compared to a PSP.
Still WEP...
...or will it have WPA?
Erm...
Wouldn't it have made a damn site more sense to have put the camera on the front???
Could have been useful for some inovative games I'm sure.
@Steven Foster
GBA isn't backwards compatibility. From Nintendo's point of view, the DS and the myriad GBA devices are of the same generation. At the moment, Nintendo officially still supports the GBA, even if you can't buy them anywhere and nobody makes games for them anymore. One could conclude from this redesign that Nintendo are finally killing off the GBA. It works out quite well for them because then the only way to play Classic Gameboy and Gameboy color titles will be on the Virtual Console, where we'll have to pay for them again.
Wonder if they'll stop the pirate cartridges?
The original ones were in two parts, a card that fitted in the DS slot (made by Datel, no less), and another one that fitted in the GBA slot with a SD or MicroSD card.
More modern ones fit into the DS slot only and carry a MicroSD card.
When I was in Hong Kong recently, it was incredible seeing how many people on the subways were playing with a DS (outnumbering PSP about 10 to 1 I reckon), and EVERY DAMN ONE of them had that little card with the micro-SD stuck into it.
Jolyon
MicroSD?
No no!
SD cards not MicroSD
Nice
There are more "homebrew" carts for slot 1 than slot 2 now & this has been the case for sometime. There are very few carts that use slot 2 now - Nintendo browser and the rumble pack are the most popular I guess. Very few games support the rumble pack so removing slot 2 won't be much of a loss for most people.
DS IS CRAP
BUY A PSP.
Now i will whittle on about how the PSP has had all these features and much much more and is good because its hardcore and full of great titles, movie support and lots more room for lots more porn!!
SONY FOREVER!!! HEAR ME!
Whining?
So buy the current model before this comes out!
And no 'home brew' games are played using Slot 1 devices like the M3 these days.
Hopefully they have put more memory in
Since the Opera browser needs more memory to work, and it currently uses a GBA cartridge to provide that.
There is also a rumble pack that also fits into the GBA slot, so that will also be unavailable.
Homebrew stuff normally goes on a cart that fits into the other slot behind the hinge. The TTDS is one, but there are LOTS of other DS cartridges for homebrew.
The camera seems to be on the outside of the lid (I am assuming that the hole in the hinge is the microphone), so once the DS is open how much use is it going to be? As Steven said, it's not as though cameras aren't on phone already.
Overall not a particularly compelling upgrade.
ttfn
Look closely...
Am I the only one who sees a second camera along the inside hinge near the microphone? That "spot" is not on the original DS.
Glasses, cos' I spy with my all-seeing eyes.
Camera
I would have thought the camera is facing the wrong way. The only time I would really use it would be to "video conference" with other gamers while wifi connected or even use it a bit like the itoy on the PS to play games with gestures.
I already have a 3mp camera in my phone to take pictures of interesting things I come accross then a 7mp camera for when I go away, I don't need one tacked on the front looking ugly
Two cameras...
So Im not the only one who' s seeing double...
No GBA slot
Isn't that where the Guitar Hero bit that is being heavily advertised right now fits? Hmm... well done Nintendo.
Overall, it looks like a DS Lite with everything they could think of slapped on for no particular reason. I'll not be upgrading.
Guitar Hero
Activision will be pissed - Will immediately put the brakes on their "Guitar Grip" peripheral.
Multi-Cam
Multi-Camera
The system does indeed have a 3mp external camera...and a VGA one (as per Evil_Medic's comment) on the hinge (for game to game, video conference, skype or game ability or gesture [as it happens to be with obscure Jap release "health, spa games"]).
I think I've used my DS as a GBA
more than I've ever used it as a DS.
Mine already takes SD cards ;o)
Few things about the design. Doesn't the guitar hero use the GBA slot for its four buttoned thingie?
And the user facing camera next to the mic will get covered in spit from all those 'blow on' games.
Who doesn't have one?
I can't really justify this over my DSLite, there's not really any extra features I'd like, except maybe the SD card, but then I've already got a phone with a microSD card slot and internet, so it ain't worth the cash for me.
Mind you, who are Nintendo expecting to sell this to? They've already sold a DS/Lite to just about the entire population of the world already.
Alien head because it's the only demographic left who doesn't own a DS.
Look at the Hinge
Evil_Medic has noticed teh camera on the hinge, huge lose your head in it black hole, and next to it the lil hole that is the mic, god people open your eyes.
Hope the PSP fanboi wasnt trying to suggest that the PSP had a camera first.......
I dont think making it slimmer will make it any better for me to use :( and would rather it had a motion sensor in it for playing Monkeyball.
@Everyone talking about the camera
ITS GOT 2 CAMERAS ONE ON THE INSIDE ONE ON THE OUTSIDE!!
Unfortunately El Reg scoped on the details again. This place is falling apart.
@Andrew Bush
Grown up would buy OpenPandora and then use it to check email or news on the go, instead of gaming. Kids succumb to gaming, grown ups to email and news.
According to Wikipedia...
The DSi has a 0.3megapixel camera on the hinge in order to take pics of yourself while playing.
Also, it has extra memory for the browser which is now built in. I rarely play gba games with mine so the loss of the slot 1 isn't too important for me. Besides, I'm sure someone will come up with a way to run emulators for gbs games by reading what's on the SD card on the side.
What I really would have liked is a 2nd touchscreen...
Yes
it has 2 cameras.
Paris, because she always prefers 2 lenses over 1
hmm alternative ofc...
is the Pandora, pre-order is still open for it but they are going like hotcakes :)
Hinge camera?
I grabbed one of the images and adjusted the gamma a lot, it looks very much like a small camera lens on the middle hinge.
All nice and that...
..but I cant use my DS for more than 10 minutes before my right hand's thumb joint really starts to get sore. Doesnt look like the ergonomics have changed.
I know from expereince that I can grip other stuff for quite some time before it starts to ache...er hold on..anyway.....
This post has been deleted by its author
But what about that software?
Will the new DS have Opera built-in? Will it finally have a PDA function? Support downloads?
It looks like they're all "gee-whiz" on the hardware updates, but what's it going to have "under the bonnet?" Seriously, I love mine, but a few more practical functions would be welcome!