Chittagong
Gold Member
My theory of what happened in Nintendo's R&D, in chronological order - one event leading into another.
1. Nintendo was working on a next gen handheld with ARM9 with a spec aimed at being able to create a N64 level experience on a handheld, complete with a new storage format to go with it. This would have been the logical continuation of the GB range (sub-NES, NES, Super NES, N64)
2. Nintendo wanted to ensure backwards compatibility with GBA. Originally they probably figured that ARM9 would take care of it, but it must have been a dead end. So, they had to put ARM7 in, too, in a similar way as bc works in PS2.
3. With two chips in, they realized that they have slack in they way they utilize their hw if one out of the two processors is always not in use. Nintendo hates inefficiency in hw design.
4. Doing dual processor with a single screen would have been confusing for programmers to grasp and master.
5. Somebody came up with a totally out-of-the-box idea of having another screen for the other processor. Simplifying development by having one processor for one screen and still providing full utilization of the hardware, such a disruptive idea could have gone forward only at Nintendo. The announcement of PSP must have helped this decision, since creating an oddball device would give Nintendo the possibility to claim that this is "something else", instead of being the next Game Boy. While still a major distraction to PSP, it doesn't risk the GB lineup and buys Nintendo some time to come up with a more powerful handheld.
6. With the two screens in place, Nintendo had to come up with ideas on to utilize the second screen. Touch screen vendors must have given also Nintendo their usual pitches. As a stroke of Nintendo genius, they realized that the touchscreen could be put in at this point as it was cheap and durable enough for mass market.
7. Wireless came in from the Pokémon + Motorola heritage. Although not a major breakthrough in the success of Pokémon, the fact that Nokia was pushing wireless hard made it a necessary addition.
8. The addition of wireless was originally only aimed at the Pokémon type usage, close range gameplay. However, with Reggie and his "crackberry" thinking in, Nintendo created a PR story out of the potential of DS connecting over internet. Now they are playing catch-up. Initial concepts support only close range gameplay, and at the moment they must be trying out a userfriendly and simple way to the consumers to utilize this functionality.
9. Because this work is ongoing, it is still possible that the true online experience will go the way of the NES, Super NES and N64 expansion ports (Japan only, because Nintendo can handle the whole country cohesively, but not the whole world), or the way of the GCN broadband adapter (third-parties can use it at their own risk).
Ok, thats the theory. Now, two significant unanswered questions from the development process I just can't figure out.
- What happened to the analog controller? It sure must have been in the spec for a N64 level handheld. Great, cheap and durable solutions are available (no, I don't mean the shitty nub in PSP, but a decent portable analog - they exist).
- What's the story behind the two wireless protocols?
Finally, my comments on all this:
- Nintendo DS is not future proof in any way. Because Sony messed up the tech curve of portables, Nintendo has a major problem in coming up with a powerful yet cheap and durable concept for a follower.
- No follower for DS can be ever made. The necessary requirements of two screens, touchscreen and compatibility with two ARM processors render it not feasible.
- The rapid pace of mobile phone development must have caught Nintendo off-guard, too - see Ngage stuff appearing for Nintendo DS.
- The initial success of DS will distract Nintendo of the necessity of a swift follow up. The low spec will hit them in the head late 2005 as phones and PSP have better specs.
- The novelty of the two screens and touch screen won't carry Nintendo for long. Not having a solid follow-up plan in place, there will be a point of time where Nintendo does not have an attractive offering in the market. The impossibility of Nintendo loosing the portable market will come true, with Sony, Nokia and maybe Microsoft in some way eating up a majority part.
Some recerences from other threads:
That, I think, is my longest post ever.
1. Nintendo was working on a next gen handheld with ARM9 with a spec aimed at being able to create a N64 level experience on a handheld, complete with a new storage format to go with it. This would have been the logical continuation of the GB range (sub-NES, NES, Super NES, N64)
2. Nintendo wanted to ensure backwards compatibility with GBA. Originally they probably figured that ARM9 would take care of it, but it must have been a dead end. So, they had to put ARM7 in, too, in a similar way as bc works in PS2.
3. With two chips in, they realized that they have slack in they way they utilize their hw if one out of the two processors is always not in use. Nintendo hates inefficiency in hw design.
4. Doing dual processor with a single screen would have been confusing for programmers to grasp and master.
5. Somebody came up with a totally out-of-the-box idea of having another screen for the other processor. Simplifying development by having one processor for one screen and still providing full utilization of the hardware, such a disruptive idea could have gone forward only at Nintendo. The announcement of PSP must have helped this decision, since creating an oddball device would give Nintendo the possibility to claim that this is "something else", instead of being the next Game Boy. While still a major distraction to PSP, it doesn't risk the GB lineup and buys Nintendo some time to come up with a more powerful handheld.
6. With the two screens in place, Nintendo had to come up with ideas on to utilize the second screen. Touch screen vendors must have given also Nintendo their usual pitches. As a stroke of Nintendo genius, they realized that the touchscreen could be put in at this point as it was cheap and durable enough for mass market.
7. Wireless came in from the Pokémon + Motorola heritage. Although not a major breakthrough in the success of Pokémon, the fact that Nokia was pushing wireless hard made it a necessary addition.
8. The addition of wireless was originally only aimed at the Pokémon type usage, close range gameplay. However, with Reggie and his "crackberry" thinking in, Nintendo created a PR story out of the potential of DS connecting over internet. Now they are playing catch-up. Initial concepts support only close range gameplay, and at the moment they must be trying out a userfriendly and simple way to the consumers to utilize this functionality.
9. Because this work is ongoing, it is still possible that the true online experience will go the way of the NES, Super NES and N64 expansion ports (Japan only, because Nintendo can handle the whole country cohesively, but not the whole world), or the way of the GCN broadband adapter (third-parties can use it at their own risk).
Ok, thats the theory. Now, two significant unanswered questions from the development process I just can't figure out.
- What happened to the analog controller? It sure must have been in the spec for a N64 level handheld. Great, cheap and durable solutions are available (no, I don't mean the shitty nub in PSP, but a decent portable analog - they exist).
- What's the story behind the two wireless protocols?
Finally, my comments on all this:
- Nintendo DS is not future proof in any way. Because Sony messed up the tech curve of portables, Nintendo has a major problem in coming up with a powerful yet cheap and durable concept for a follower.
- No follower for DS can be ever made. The necessary requirements of two screens, touchscreen and compatibility with two ARM processors render it not feasible.
- The rapid pace of mobile phone development must have caught Nintendo off-guard, too - see Ngage stuff appearing for Nintendo DS.
- The initial success of DS will distract Nintendo of the necessity of a swift follow up. The low spec will hit them in the head late 2005 as phones and PSP have better specs.
- The novelty of the two screens and touch screen won't carry Nintendo for long. Not having a solid follow-up plan in place, there will be a point of time where Nintendo does not have an attractive offering in the market. The impossibility of Nintendo loosing the portable market will come true, with Sony, Nokia and maybe Microsoft in some way eating up a majority part.
Some recerences from other threads:

Shogmaster said:Like I originally suspected, the original DS design apparently was just a 66Mhz ARM9 CPU feeding a 256x192 single screen. This was back when PowerVR was pimping the MBX everywhere.
But at the same token, I think Sony aims way too high (IMO, PSP's chips are couple years too early: They should have been relased for sub .05 micron process). PSP will suffer in battery performance until the fab process catches up with the PSP chips' power dissipation.
I still think the ideal portable for early 2005 should have been a 3.5" 320x240 16bit LCD screened, 200Mhz ARM9 supporting a 100Mhz PowerVR MBX with 16MB of RAM and a none-optical ROM for around $130 or less.
That, I think, is my longest post ever.