Where is the DS ultimately headed?

G

GDJustin

stuck my tongue deep inside Atlus' cookies
I got my DS and I love it, but does anyone really feel like this system is going to have a lifespan comparable to that of the GBA? I just don't really see the DS being relevent for another 3 years or anyone really having anything left to do with the system and it's new input by that time.

I'm not "worried" about the system, or bashing it, or anything else. I'm just looking at the release lineup for the next 4-5 months, and... I dunno. You'd think into 05 we'd have at least 10-15 games releasing a month, but there aren't.

If the DS were to have a 2 year lifespan and have at least a dozen *new* was to play outside of the minigame arena (Yoshi's Touch and Go looks perfect), then I'll be completely happy with the purchase.

Really though, I'm wondering where this hardware is ultimately headed. I guess it depends on what happens with it going online. If Nintendo doesn't say something in the next 6 months, they aren't going to, and I think this prediction is gonna hold true. If they do, well then that changes its lifespan considerably.
 
I feel it's kind of a tester to see if new ideas really can change how you play games.
The success of the DS is squarely in the hands of the developers coming up with uses
for the touchscreen.
 
revolution.jpg
 
It seems to me that the fact that all the important GB franchises are going to be on DS is a more revealing sign of its health than online support.
 
If it's a big success, I would love to see the Nintendo TS, with TRIPLE screens, and 2 of them are touch screen. You could have the 2 touch screens used in tandem with 2 thumb straps replacing 2 analog sticks.
 
paul777 said:
It seems to me that the fact that all the important GB franchises are going to be on DS is a more revealing sign of its health than online support.
Click to expand...


I dunno. I mean, the situation the DS is in right now is just WEIRD. Every week websites and print mags should be showing off a bunch of newly announced titles, but they aren't. Where are the RTS titles? Where are the SRPGs? Hell where are the standard RPGs? It's a NEW HANDHELD from NINTENDO. Every publisher that deals with portables should have products in the pipeline for the next 6 months.
 
The hardware is there... Nintendo just needs to find the killer app. I don't want to sound like a broken record, but this thing is all set-up for online gaming. Let's see it put to use.
 
I don't want to sound like a broken record, but this thing is all set-up for online gaming.
Click to expand...
Actually, you don't sound like a broken record...you previously made statements to the effect that it wasn't "all set-up" for online gaming because Nintendo wasn't supporting standard wireless and communication protocols. So this is a new tune you're singing :P
 
There's something like 100+ games in development for the thing.

I dunno.

I think in the end there will be enough games to warrant the purchase.

I do suspect it'll eventually fall behind the PSP though and that'll spur Nintendo to bring out Game Boy Next in 2006, which hopefully has a touchscreen as well.
 
Where's it heading? Into my hands in a few months. :)
I think the DS looks great, especially with stuff like Animal Crossing and Mario Kart coming in the not that far away future. I believe there's room for two handhelds in the market. The PSP will most likely sell more than the DS, but I don't think the DS (or GBA:SP) will fade away completely like most are convinced they will once the PSP "dominates" (which I don't think it will.. not COMPLETELY dominate anyways)..

I'm looking forward to the DS more than the PSP, but hey.. if the PSP is the right price, and has some killer games.. I'll pick that up as well.. it's like how I use the PS2 second to my GameCube. :)
 
I think the bigger threat to the DS is actually the Game Boy Next, not the PSP.

If Game Boy Next comes out and incorporates some of the features of the DS (WiFi, touch display) but has all the bells and whistles of a GCN level visuals, bigger/higher resolution display, analog joystick, etc. it's going to be difficult for me anyways to see the DS sticking around unless Nintendo is willing to price the thing at $50-80.

The thing is with Sony being so aggressive with PSP, it may really force Nintendo's hand, if they wait too long and let the PSP gain too much marketshare then Game Boy Next is going to be playing catch up for a long time.

They're kinda stuck in a weird market position.

I believe there is room for two handheld platforms ... but not three. Once the Game Boy Next comes out, the DS is likely going to have to go, unless the PSP flops (doubtful).
 
soundwave05 said:
I think the bigger threat to the DS is actually the Game Boy Next, not the PSP.

If Game Boy Next comes out and incorporates some of the features of the DS (WiFi, touch display) but has all the bells and whistles of a GCN level visuals, bigger/higher resolution display, analog joystick, etc. it's going to be difficult for me anyways to see the DS sticking around unless Nintendo is willing to price the thing at $50-80.

The thing is with Sony being so aggressive with PSP, it may really force Nintendo's hand, if they wait too long and let the PSP gain too much marketshare then Game Boy Next is going to be playing catch up for a long time.

They're kinda stuck in a weird market position.

I believe there is room for two handheld platforms ... but not three. Once the Game Boy Next comes out, the DS is likely going to have to go.
Click to expand...


I do definitely agree with that statement, and yeah, I can see the GBNext being a possible problem for the DS. I think we need to look at how the GBASP will be doing alongside the DS this season and next year.. that should give us a little bit of an indicator about how well the DS could do next to the GBNext, I think. And if the DS isn't quite a huge success.. I could see the GBNext dropping the touchscreen.. or at least, they won't be pushing the touchscreen much, and they'll include an analog stick (~prays~)..
 
Ok, I played Mario multiplayer in my Oracle database class today with three other guys in my class; the whole damn class watch watching over our shoulders. One person asked me "Hey, do you know when the PSP is coming out?" "Probably fall of 2005" "Screw that wait I'm getting this!"

Like half of the class is getting a DS this weekend, and most of them are as casual as you can get. I think the DS has a bright future ahead of it.
 
GaimeGuy said:
Ok, I played Mario multiplayer in my Oracle database class today with three other guys in my class; the whole damn class watch watching over our shoulders. One person asked me "Hey, do you know when the PSP is coming out?" "Probably fall of 2005" "Screw that wait I'm getting this!"

Like half of the class is getting a DS this weekend, and most of them are as casual as you can get. I think the DS has a bright future ahead of it.
Click to expand...


Awesome.. :) I'm at my campus right now (Penn State Schuylkill) and I haven't seen anybody around with 'em, unfortunately..
 
like it or not the DS IS the next Gameboy.
Going head to head against Sony in a graphics war just isn't going to happen.

Don't believe the 3rd pillar BS. That was an excuse incase the people didn't accept the DS (which didn't happen).

Now there's no reason to release a new Gameboy for at least the next couple years.
Which is good if you ask me. The DS has good battery life and Mario 64 proves it can do decent 3D. We'll see some amazing games in the next couple years.
 
DS is the next Game Boy, until the next Game Boy.

I seriously don't think the DS can beat the PSP, not with just a $50 difference.

The PSP just doesn't have better graphics, the display on that thing is unbelievable. It will change the way you view portable gaming (literally and figuratively).

I like the DS a lot, but I can't reccomend it to my friends, simply because I know they don't have as much disposable income for games as I do. So what they buy, they're stuck with for a couple of years, and if they see a PSP a few months after the DS for only $50 more, I know they're gonna be pissed off at me later on for reccomending it.

DS is an interesting machine that will have some great games down the line. If you have a large budget to spend on your gaming needs, then I would reccomend it if you're itching to try something a little bit different.
 
kaching said:
Actually, you don't sound like a broken record...you previously made statements to the effect that it wasn't "all set-up" for online gaming because Nintendo wasn't supporting standard wireless and communication protocols. So this is a new tune you're singing :P
Click to expand...


Well it's true... Nintendo isn't supporting it. I doubt any of the development tools support it. IMO, Nintendo is just ignoring the possibilities. As far as the hardware goes, it's internet capable.
 
should do OK. Simply having first party support from Nintendo will be enough for me.

After a launch there is often a drought, so I wouldn't worry until next fall. Next spring you should get some of the Japanese launch titles, and Animal crossing, Yoshi etc. Thats plenty for now.
 
jedimike said:
Well it's true... Nintendo isn't supporting it. I doubt any of the development tools support it. IMO, Nintendo is just ignoring the possibilities. As far as the hardware goes, it's internet capable.
Click to expand...

We don't know this yet. If in a year Nintendo hasn't released any games that are capable of going online, or hasn't supported third parties that want to create an online infastructure for the DS, then i will wholeheartedly agree with you.
 
AlphaSnake your opinion is worthless anyway.

As for the DS goes, I think it's going to be the middle son, ultimately passed over for it's big brother (the Gameboy) when it comes out. I personally don't see anything I want on the DS until Advance Wars comes out and I'm not really sold on touchscreen yet until there is some software that proves otherwise... on the flipside I'm the same with the PSP. I don't want only PS2 games stripped down to their skivvies to play on the PSP. I don't care about it's other capabilities either.

The DS will sell like a firecracker when Pokemon Diamond comes out though, no doubt about that. If Nintendo wasn't serious about selling the DS they wouldn't bother putthing that franchise on the handheld and save it for the next gameboy to make a bigger splash.
 
Man I can see the gba next having one large wide screen display that is a touch screen and you just could split the screen for ds games but w/e. I think the ds is really going to do well the touch screen gimmicky or not is a very cool idea many of my casual friends are enthralled with the idea of it. and right now I think that touch screan really is going to have an impact on the way some games fuction. It is perfect for controlling fps, rts, rpgs, point & click adventures, puzzle games and it really isnt that bad in mario 64 ds [it takes some getting used too]. Over all the buzz about the system is great and whats coming fo it in the future looks awsome. I dont think the GameBoy line will be the same after this portable gen. In a good way. :)
 
Mashing said:
AlphaSnake your opinion is worthless anyway.

As for the DS goes, I think it's going to be the middle son, ultimately passed over for it's big brother (the Gameboy) when it comes out. I personally don't see anything I want on the DS until Advance Wars comes out and I'm not really sold on touchscreen yet until there is some software that proves otherwise... on the flipside I'm the same with the PSP. I don't want only PS2 games stripped down to their skivvies to play on the PSP. I don't care about it's other capabilities either.

The DS will sell like a firecracker when Pokemon Diamond comes out though, no doubt about that. If Nintendo wasn't serious about selling the DS they wouldn't bother putthing that franchise on the handheld and save it for the next gameboy to make a bigger splash.
Click to expand...

If everyone's expecting the next Game Boy to be a more conventional handheld with standard GB mass appeal, then what will differentiate it from the PSP? The GBA is a "portable SNES," the PSP will be a "portable PS2," and the next GB will likely be a "portable Gamecube."
 
and the next GB will likely be a "portable Gamecube."


As long as they keep the touchscreen, you'll hear no complaints from me.

If it can actually play GCN discs, then the PSP's library head start is kinda moot, because it'll have a ton of great next-gen games for itself already.
 
soundwave05 said:
and the next GB will likely be a "portable Gamecube."


As long as they keep the touchscreen, you'll hear no complaints from me.

If it can actually play GCN discs, then the PSP's library head start is kinda moot, because it'll have a ton of great next-gen games for itself already.
Click to expand...

Nothing from me, either. But then what will exempt it from PSP-like criticisms of being like it's home console brother?
 
Well the touch display does open the possibility of new styles of game play. I think even the clearly rushed DS launch does show off this feature has tremendous potential.

A lot of people are wondering what games like NiGHTS and StarCraft would be like on the DS, not because of the machine's 3D performance, but because of its input capabilities.

So that would be the main thing that would seperate it from a normal handheld.
 
Launch signifies the strength of a new console or software product. The DS has had a pretty dull launch, which does not bode well for the rest of the system's lifespan.
 
Vagabond said:
Launch signifies the strength of a new console or software product. The DS has had a pretty dull launch, which does not bode well for the rest of the system's lifespan.
Click to expand...
PS2's launch was terrible (when speaking of game content)..
 
And Dreamcast had a great launch ... that didn't really signify where that platform went. Game Boy Advance had a rather blase launch too.

What I don't understand is it seems like Nintendo of America is holding back titles.

There's five Japanese DS from Nintendo titles but only one for the US?
 
soundwave05 said:
And Dreamcast had a great launch ... that didn't really signify where that platform went. Game Boy Advance had a rather blase launch too.

What I don't understand is it seems like Nintendo of America is holding back titles.

There's five Japanese DS from Nintendo titles but only one for the US?
Click to expand...

As I was saying, nintendo's plan is to release roughly one first party title a month.
 
Soundwave: Until the PS2 hysteria caught on, the DC was doing fine. It began to get into the mainstream advertising. It had many profitable titles in the first few months. It tanked for the very reason the DS is looking mighty shaky due to: mass hype of an upcoming, competing system.

The GBA had a bigger launch. the day it came out Nintendo had PR stating how it sold over half a million in 4 days Here, and in it's first week at retail, it captured 76% of all hardware sales Here. That's not so much a quiet launch.
There were crazy reports of it selling very well pre-launch and soforth
Nintendo dedicated $75 Million (Scroll down a bit) to the GBA launch.

It was expected to break first-day sales records

I just don't see any kind of similar press for the DS.
 

Here, just look for Game Boy and you'll find a lot of data

-650K First day (Either games or hardware itself, not too clear)
-"20 units per second"
-"Instant Success"

I'll wait a week to see how the DS stacks up

Basically, Nintendo has about 4 months to establish the DS as the 'Cool' system in the West. They should have, IMO, worked frantically to put as many big-name titles, first and third party, to the DS in record time. They have only 4 months, and to cushion the blow the PSP will make, they could have packed those 4 months full of... Awesome. It'd undoubtedly be better profitwise for them, as well as establish the DS brand before the Playstation brand has a chance to become hip to the handheld-ers. They had 4 months to themselves with no competition and now it'll be harder, even if they hit with Grand Theft Auto 4 exclusive, to establish the DS as a strong label, on par with "Playstation" or "Game Boy".
 
Vagabond --

No earlier you were talking about software quality at launch dictating how successful a platform will ultimately be. GBA had a crappy launch lineup ... Super Mario 2 port and F-Zero ... I'd say DS is a little better (the Japanese DS launch is waaaaay better versus the GBA). A "dull" launch didn't stop the PS2 or GBA, and both the DS and PSP launches seem kinda "dull" to me.

As for sales, the thing is selling like hotcakes in my area and its Thanksgiving weekend. There aren't going to be any units left.

Nintendo generally issues a press release after the Thanksgiving weekend if they have something to crow about, and you'll be hearing about it. From the EB manager that I talked to, he actually said it's the fastest selling portable machine they've ever sold -- they were completely out of their entire shipment about an hour and a half after opening.

I really don't care if Nintendo says the DS is a third pillar. Right now, right here, at retail it is for all intents and purposes the next Game Boy.

Dreamcast sales btw had started to flounder a bit even before the PS2 came out. It had a strong launch, but had absolutely no second wind.
 
You SEGA fans are still in denial.

DC was doing shit. It wasnt selling. It had pitiful software sales. EA never even bothered with it unlike N-Gage. Thats all you need to know.
 
Oh. No I wasn't. I meant launch sales.

So you think the DS isn't selling? I bet there will be just about an effective sell out of the initial launch units by the end of the Thanksgiving weekend.

Personally I think it has a good shot at beating the GBA's record, the only thing that might stop it is Nintendo not having enough units.

The launch was never going to point to what the long term DS' success is going to be like.

Nintendo is RED HOT when it comes to portables right now, the question is can Sony change that?

The question is not whether or not the initial Christmas for the DS is going to be great -- that goes without saying.
 
Vagabond said:

Here, just look for Game Boy and you'll find a lot of data

-650K First day (Either games or hardware itself, not too clear)
-"20 units per second"
-"Instant Success"

I'll wait a week to see how the DS stacks up

Basically, Nintendo has about 4 months to establish the DS as the 'Cool' system in the West. They should have, IMO, worked frantically to put as many big-name titles, first and third party, to the DS in record time.
Click to expand...

That's essentially how I feel. I own a DS and I love my DS and will be continuing to support it as long as nintendo releases stuff like Advance Wars and Wario Ware, but that being said, I'm not really convinced at this point that the system has any direction. The DS could have potentially had a library of 80 titles and a good 4 million systems sold before the PSP's release, in some sort of alternate reality. As it is... I dunno. I'm sure the system performed well, but it's not encouraging that sunday night at 10PM I was the 2nd person to buy a DS at my local target.
 
Really? There's been varying accounts all over the place, but even on this board that loves cynical news, I haven't heard too many bad things. From what I can tell though the system is selling very briskly and its definitely going to be one of the hottest holiday gifts. Keep in mind also, the Thanksgiving rush is going to be huge for this type of a product.

The GBA did not sell out overnight either, I was able to pick one up (even in the arctic white color that I wanted) four days after launch with F-Zero.

Both the DS and PSP should perform well out of the gates. That's not the issue, that's almost a given.

I think its going to come down to when both systems are established on the market a few months down the line and consumers can look at both side by side (and the early adopters are out of the way) ... that's where the DS' success or failure will be decided.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

The one area where PC Gaming is lacking
2 3
110
239
SpokkX replied
WHERE IS THE NEXT BURNOUT GAME?
2
57
2K
Cryio replied
  • Poll
Where would you rank the Switch now that end is approaching?
2 3 4
164
5K
James Sawyer Ford replied
Where to position the PSP between the Playstation models?
2
64
1K
lakitu1982 replied
I can't stand games where the basic attacks is bound to the trigger button and doesn't allow you to remap.
48
240
cash_longfellow replied
Top Bottom