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[Memles]

The question is; using Pictochat you obviously have some form of screen name; is each DS going to be tied to a screen name? Will it say "DS System in Range: User 'Memles'"? Would be nice, so you know if a friend is, in fact, nearby and not a stranger.

 

[xsarien]

The question is; using Pictochat you obviously have some form of screen name; is each DS going to be tied to a screen name?

Probably tied to a hardware address of some kind, it seems like a much easier thing to deal with.

 

[Joe]

i remember seeing some ds layout/diagram sheet a while ago that had a box labeled "user name".

 

[ironichaos]

He said it was the biggest budget for any console or handheld, but you have GC at 75 there.

That's because GameCube's marketing number contains $ used to market individual games too. That said though, I assume the $40 million for Nintendo DS does too. So one might be able to argue that the DS is actually second or even third behind N64.

Regardless of where that places it, it's still an exceptional number to be spending to market it.

 

[Mrbob]

Metroid bundle is a demo.

Looks like a bunch of Nfans got too excited and made fools of themselves again.

 

[Deg]

The box.

 

[Mrbob]

This thing is hawt for 150 bucks.

 

[Memles]

The box.

That'll see some more text, likely...but it just screams "Fondle me".

 

[neptunes]

not too bad

 

[StrikerObi]

Probably tied to a hardware address of some kind, it seems like a much easier thing to deal with.

If you look in the new screenshot of PictoChat it clearly shoes Ross talking to Donna.

I'm assuming that on the technical side of things the DS units just recognize each other by a MAC Address or something similar. But as far as humans are concerned, it looks like you're going to be able to put a name in that will display on the screen. Now the only question is, will each name be unique (ie - password protected and linked to some sorta database a la AIM) or will it just show what you tell it to, with no name registraiton at all?

I'd assume the latter for multiple reasons:

A) Nintendo won't need to keep a database server.
B) Nintendo would probably prefer it if people named "Billy" just wanted their units to read "Billy" and not have them do "Billy", "Billy0001", "Billy0002", "Billy0003", etc.

The only thing lending credibility to the other option is that deal Nintendo made with AOL like 2 years ago. If they're tied into the AIM servers then that itself becomes a HUGE killer app.

 

[CrisKre]

Wow, that box is cool. Better than the GameBoy SP one, thats for sure.

 

[AniHawk]

The box.

Oh shit yes.

 

[jett]

Nintendo has balls for not making any kind of reference to the GameBoy brand on the box.

 

[AniHawk]

The only thing lending credibility to the other option is that deal Nintendo made with AOL like 2 years ago. If they're tied into the AIM servers then that itself becomes a HUGE killer app.

According to Yamauchi, that would be around the time the DS was thought up or in planning stages.

 

[Mama Smurf]

Nintendo has balls for not making any kind of reference to the GameBoy brand on the box.

Or you could look at it as covering their asses if the DS fucks up. They've still got the strong Game Boy name then.

 

[Joe]

no free game mentioned on box?

 

[Justin Bailey]

Nintendo has balls for not making any kind of reference to the GameBoy brand on the box.

True, but people are just going to have to look at the damn thing and they'll go "hey! its the new gameboy!"

 

[AniHawk]

Or you could look at it as covering their asses if the DS fucks up. They've still got the strong Game Boy name then.

Yeah. And if this takes over the GB line, then that dynasty will die and we'll have a new one, or they can coexist. It's better than having two "Game Boys" kill each other off as far as brand recognition goes.

 

[SantaC]

oh uh, just heard that swedish launch date is march 3rd. That does it for me, I'll import from the US.

 

[Chittagong]

oh uh, just heard that swedish launch date is march 3rd. That does it for me, I'll import from the US.

Yep, fuck NOE, fuck Bergsala.

 

[nubbe]

Was the same deal with Gamecube... Nothing unexpected

 

[TheGreenGiant]

The box.

That is INCREDIBLY HOT. Shit Nintendo is getting good at this. The Revolution console will be the console to see if anything.

 

[Smiles and Cries]

sexxxxxxxxx... nice box

 

[Deg]

They should put little boxes on the side or bottom showing it closed and form other angles?

 

[Mrbob]

DS design still looks blah. Looks so lifeless.

PSP design is 1000 times sexier.

 

[Dragona Akehi]

DS design still looks blah. Looks so lifeless.

PSP design is 1000 times sexier.

Seriously, while I want both a DS and a PSP, I don't understand this sentiment.

DS is blah, yes, but the PSP is the ugliest piece of shit I've seen since, well the Lynx. No lines, and all ugly curves. It reminds me of those goddamned american cars of the 90s, curved without any sense and look like amorphous blobs. Blehhhh. The antithesis of sleek. Absolutely hideous.

Now, of course this is all opinion, but I think the SP > DS > PSP. For what it's worth, I hate the PS2 design (but it's better than PSP) and the PSX/PSOne are great designs in comparison.

 

[Smiles and Cries]

Seriously, while I want both a DS and a PSP, I don't understand this sentiment.

DS is blah, yes, but the PSP is the ugliest piece of shit I've seen since, well the Lynx. No lines, and all ugly curves. It reminds me of those goddamned american cars of the 90s, curved without any sense and look like amorphous blobs. Blehhhh. The antithesis of sleek. Absolutely hideous.

Now, of course this is all opinion, but I think the SP > DS > PSP. For what it's worth, I hate the PS2 design (but it's better than PSP) and the PSX/PSOne are great designs in comparison.

IAWTP

 

[Deg]

The DS has a more up to date look. The PSP look isnt exactly whats popular right now in handhelds. GBASP of course is the one that gets the whole package right interms of looks.

 

[Mrbob]

Well, it isn't so much how great the PSP is designed (Though i do think it is really good), but the fact that the DS is the most boring piece of hardware I've ever seen. Silver slightly angled thick rectangle pieces superglued together with solid black buttons on the face. I almost feel like I'm falling asleep when I look at it.

 

[snapty00]

While I may get a DS over a PSP (at least initially), the PSP is definitely the better-looking machine. It looks so damn good cosmetically.

 

[duderon]

Well, it isn't so much how great the PSP is designed (Though i do think it is really good), but the fact that the DS is the most boring piece of hardware I've ever seen. Silver slightly angled thick rectangle pieces superglued together with solid black buttons on the face. I almost feel like I'm falling asleep when I look at it.

All you aspiring trolls out there take note. This is how you do it.

 

[Ristamar]

Speaking of the PSP design, I'm surprised Sony didn't try to implement some sort of protective cover. Any word on how resilient it is? The screen is so big and exposed, it's just screaming "PLEASE SCRATCH THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF ME." After spending $300, I'd be too damn scared to take it out of the house.

 

[Dragona Akehi]

Well, it isn't so much how great the PSP is designed (Though i do think it is really good), but the fact that the DS is the most boring piece of hardware I've ever seen. Silver slightly angled thick rectangle pieces superglued together with solid black buttons on the face. I almost feel like I'm falling asleep when I look at it.

And the PSP is hideous.

It's really shocking because outside of the PlayStation line, Sony has some incredible design for their hardware. So it's strange to see their bread-and-butter suffer from atrocious hardware design.

 

[Deg]

Well, it isn't so much how great the PSP is designed (Though i do think it is really good), but the fact that the DS is the most boring piece of hardware I've ever seen. Silver slightly angled thick rectangle pieces superglued together with solid black buttons on the face. I almost feel like I'm falling asleep when I look at it.

well sure its your opinion. But bear in mind for the mass market means hardcore gamers opinions can differ. A good example is the NES GBASP. But this is also why GBASP wins by far on this front as there are so many looks.

 

[KarishBHR]

So what happened exactly?

 

[AniHawk]

So what happened exactly?

At the conference? Well:

Nintendo DS is $150 + PictoChat is embedded + Metroid Hunters: First Hunt demo being included in the box (as pointed out in another thread this means that carts [or whatever the DS is using] has gotten cheap enough that Nintendo can produce demos).

 

[Dragona Akehi]

It's what the 64DD was meant to be. But now it's portable.

 

[Fatalah]

Question --- Who's designing the innards? I suppose its an IN-HOUSE project now? No ATI or IBM?

Or leftover N64 chips?

 

[AniHawk]

It's what the 64DD was meant to be. But now it's portable.

What do you mean by the 64DD comment?

 

[Dragona Akehi]

Downloading demos, online play, chat interface, Microphone support. Blah blah blah. Seriously, the 64DD was supposed to do all that and present you with a packet of crisps upon boot up. And then do your laundry while playing Ura Zelda.

 

[snapty00]

Question --- Who's designing the innards? I suppose its an IN-HOUSE project now? No ATI or IBM?

Or leftover N64 chips?

A developer at the IGNboards said that, as far as he knew, it was Nintendo and ARM only. He thinks that Nintendo made the 3D chip itself.

Downloading demos, online play, chat interface, Microphone support. Blah blah blah. Seriously, the 64DD was supposed to do all that and present you with a packet of crisps upon boot up. And then do your laundry while playing Ura Zelda.

That's true, but unless someone steps in with an add-on, it's missing 64DD's biggest feature: an extremely huge, fast rewriteable storage medium for every game.

 

[AniHawk]

Downloading demos, online play, chat interface, Microphone support. Blah blah blah. Seriously, the 64DD was supposed to do all that and present you with a packet of crisps upon boot up. And then do your laundry while playing Ura Zelda.

Ooooooooooh yeah, now I'm remembering some articles on IGN and ANT about it. Heh, DS really is connectivity and the 64DD in a clamshell portable design.

 

[Dragona Akehi]

That's true, but unless someone steps in with an add-on, it's missing 64DD's biggest feature: an extremely huge, fast rewriteable storage medium for every game.

That's pretty much the only thing it's missing. And I have a feeling it won't be entirely lost...

 

[MaddenNFL64]

$150 + PictoChat + MP: Hunters demo = sold.

 

[aparisi2274]

 

[Scalemail Ted]

So we get the NDS games info on Oct 7???? :-/


Its the games I want to see more of.

 

[cvxfreak]

Nice box.

 

[Dragona Akehi]

While the the logo and its placement are nice, the rest of it looks like a bad photoshop. I'm sure the "final final" box will look much better.

 

[DDayton]

I have a feeling that the GAF is in the midst of a love/hate relationship with Nintendo again... and it's time for love.

 

[Ranger X]

Bow down before the next ruler of the portable videogame market (if there's really such a thing)