Topic: wtf is happening to the DS????

[Caterkiller]

Im not worried at all. When the PSP first came out the DS sold more for a few weeks and then the launch hype died down. But see the DS is still selling at a good steady rate, its not like its being completely over looked, and it is selling much more software than the PSP. Just wait until the games already mentioned come out, especialy Pokemon.

[UncleBob]

You know what's happening to the DS?  I went into my local Wal-Mart a few days ago and look at the games... and I see *more* PSP titles on the shelf than I see DS titles.

*That* is where Nintendo has dropped the ball.

[darknight06]

Well guess what, PSP wasn't rushed out the door and games take time to make, especially 3D ones.

[UncleBob]

'Rushing' a system out is not an excuse.  In fact, it's more of an anti-excuse.

The fact is, right now, the DS does not have a whole lot of selection.  Granted, it's early on and this will *hopefully* change as time goes on, but for now, it's bleh.

I've got a whole three DS games, SM64DS, Mr. Driller DS and Wario Ware Touched!.  They're fun, but still nothing worth my $150 to buy the system...

[Bill Aurion]

A system isn't a short-term investment...

[UncleBob]

Agreed... But then, it's been five months or so and I have a port-ish game, a game that wasn't really worth $30 and a great game that was $5 more than Nintendo said first party titles would be.

Hell, we'd (mostly) all agree that the GCN had a lack-luster launch and by this time with the GCN, I had Smash Bros., Pikmin and Super Monkey Ball - still three of my favorite games for the GCN (Not to mention Luigi's Mansion, which was a *fun* game, although short).

Seriously, come on... Nintendo had a five month head start and *blew* it - they completly and totally wasted it!  I haven't counted, but judging by what I've seen in stores, there's tons more PSP games on shelves than there are DS games and that's just sad.  I mean, I use my DS more for a GBA than anything right now (and I already have two of those... and I can play Four Swords with them...)

Two things to clear up though... I do like my DS very much.  I just feel that Nintendo isn't doing a whole lot for the general public to see that the DS is worth buying.

Second, personally, I don't care of the PSP has 100 games to every one DS game, as long as the DS has the quality games - which (for the most part) - I feel that the DS has the advantage on that right now.  But again, does the general public know that?

[Zach]

Right now, this doesn't seem to good, I am hearing much more hype for the PSP now than I did when the DS first came out.  Hopefully nintendo doesnt lose it's hold on the handheld market too.  Infact I have a friend who, up untill a week or so was a big fan of the DS, and now he has jumped the bandwagon (he says he has played the psp, sure the graphics are better, but there is much more to it than graphics that you cant see just by playing it once) Unfortunately, graphics are what makes the first impression.

[WuTangTurtle]

the general public is supposed to know things? HA, the general public.......LOL.  I swear i work at a Sam Goody where we sell music and games and a bunch of other crap (my store is one of those rare big music stores) and when PSP came out i had customers thinking it was a camera and a phone and a real dvd player, yeah thats right a real dvd player, and yes a ipod (this part is shady because you have to throwdown $200 for a 1 gig memory card which you can get an ipod for that much money for 20gigs).

Heck today i had a customer tell me "i want to return this music cd i bought here a couple of days ago, because my friend just bought me this cd", i asked the lady "only 1 problem you opened your copy already i can't do anything about it, you should taker her unopened cd and return that one", she tells me "why can't you take this one back", i tell her "well its opened, people can easily burn cds nowadays" she gets really mad and asks for a manager.  Manager explains the exact same thing to her.  Customer then justs gets increasingly more pissed off, and still complains that there isnt a good reason why she can't get her money back.

That is like paying a stripper to strip only to ask for a refund, what do you expect her to say after you have seen her goods? LOL

[IceCold]

I know what you're talking about...a few people I have spoken to are the exact same way. They actually do think that the PSP is capable of playing DVDs and CDs just like that. I can't fathom it - and when I remarked that a real CD wouldn't fit because it was too big, they were dumbfounded. The people I spoke to didn't even know that you had to buy an extra memory card - they thought it was like, as Shaolin said, an iPod.  One person even thought that they could play PS2 games by just popping them in. Oh well - as soon as these types of people figure out exactly what the PSP's functions are, I'm sure they will be returned on the spot.  

[thepoga]

unclebob: "Second, personally, I don't care of the PSP has 100 games to every one DS game, as long as the DS has the quality games - which (for the most part) - I feel that the DS has the advantage on that right now. But again, does the general public know that? "

Really? Because the PSP has several top notch games right now, and they aren't even ports. I see the DS having the quality games later on. But not right now. Right now the games all feel incomplete/not innovative/too short. It's weird that people were shooting down the PSP as being a system that's basically for portable PS2 games, but it has no ports and the DS already has 2.  

[Renny]

That's easy to explain. New DS games require new game design. The PSP simply requires tweaking to controls and game engines. And this is reflected in the software so far. We see a couple mostly straight ports on the DS, balanced by some incredibly unique, innovative games that are limited by development time. On the PSP we have franchise games; continuations of series. Sports sequels like whatever EA churned out, 'compilations' like Ridge Racers. And a couple novel games.

The lineups are comparable so far. Each system has their cash-ins, and each system has their new stuff. Keep in mind I'm including other regions' games. The Western DS lineup is unacceptably limited. They need to localize games now, not for Q4.

[KDR_11k]

When I go into a store, I can spot maybe 5 or 6 DS games. Compared to that, there is nothing on the PSP. That's because the PSP will launch here in Septembre. THAT's what I call "dropping the ball".

[Blackknight131]

Quote
Originally posted by: Renny
...On the PSP we have franchise games; continuations of series. Sports sequels like whatever EA churned out, 'compilations' like Ridge Racers. And a couple novel games.

The lineups are comparable so far. Each system has their cash-ins, and each system has their new stuff. Keep in mind I'm including other regions' games. The Western DS lineup is unacceptably limited. They need to localize games now, not for Q4.

Yea...I give the PSP launch lineup due credit. They have some really sweet original games...Lumines, Metal Gear Acid...and some awesome franchise extensions like WipeOut Pure. And of course it has a crapload of EA sports games/ports with pretty graphics, and games for the Cool People like Tony Hawk.

In the US, where many members of this board are from, it generally smokes the current DS library (much less the DS launch lineup).

As Renny pointed out tho...the lineup is far more fleshed out in Japan, where the likes of Another Code, Kirby, METEOS and Daigasso Band Brothers represent a bright glimpse of what the unit can deliver.

The question is: why is Nintendo's localization as slow as it is? Are they simply understaffed? Is it...strategic? Because personally, I feel its a bit cold to have the first territory they chose to release in subsequently the most ignored territory in terms of game releases.
We don't even have Polarium yet.

Time will address these issues: E3 will likely be Tremendous, and Fall will at long last bring the Big, Full-length Titles...but its feeling awfully chilly from Nintendo's direction right now.

 

[seen33]

i had a DS and returned it.. It wasent very fun.  I guess because there are no good games for it other then ports from other systems.  And a lunch list of 20 games in the next year didnt thrill me.  IMO nintendo should not have made the DS.  they should of waited and made the gameboy advanced 2 and forget the touchs creen thing and have it online at launch with plenty of games coming out.

PSP seems to be catering mroe to what people want.. and not what the company wants.  

Oh well.. in the end I choose not the PSP or DS but nothing.  they only time im away from home and available to play games is in between classes at school.. and I got a laptop for that.  playing video games in a car/bus makes me car sick so I cant do anything there.  I think ill stick to my home consoles.

[NWR_Lindy]

The PSP's launch lineup is solid, and KILLS the DS' lineup even after the DS' four-month head start.

I've owned my PSP for two weeks and I've already bought 3 games (WipeOut Pure (amazing), Lumines (great), Untold Legends (good)).  Meanwhile, I've had my DS since last November and literally have not bought ONE game for it.  It sits on the shelf.  And I'm a friggin' Nintendo fan!  I write for a Nintendo website for crying out loud!  I should be the easiest person on earth for Nintendo to suck money out of.  But as God is my witness, there is not one DS game worth my money coming out until the end of June (Meteos).  That's pathetic.

At this rate I might as well not even own a DS.  I really should have taken the $150 I spent on it and put that towards a 1GB Memory Stick for my PSP (which only costs $120 by the way - a bargain when you consider the 1GB iPod Shuffle costs $149 and does practically the same thing).

Another reason I like the PSP so much (and I'll admit this is purely subjective) is that I actually know people that own one.  Two friends of mine at work already have them, and we're going to play Untold Legends with three players during our lunch break.  I haven't done that since college, and I can't wait.

I really hate to be so negative towards the DS but Nintendo has really disappointed me so far.  I shouldn't have to wait a year for the really good games to start coming out.

silks

[darknight06]

Right now, I'm seeing two prominent issues concerning the DS and it's current state:

Issue no. 1 is the delays of certain games as of late.  Need for Speed Underground 2 was delayed twice, and Nanostray looks like it just took a delay itself.  Now this I wouldn't mind too much and wouldn't even be that big of a problem since those two games look to really be coming out good and making the DS stand proud, however....

My second issue is that I already know some or even most third parties are just going to have some half baked developer port their console games over to it. (see Ubisoft and DC Studios)   As long as Rayman DS was delayed, it DID NOT need to come out the way it had, dark, shoddy controls, and with a nasty fluctuating framerate, especially during a time like PSP launch. Same goes for Retro Atari Classics and it's botching up of 20+ year old games.  Both of which I was looking forward to and both of which I was going to buy and keep until I saw how bad they came out.  Those two games could've eased the delays a bit for me, but after seeing the results of them I was left a bit uneasy, returning Rayman to the shelf and just ignoring RAC.  What's worse is that most of these third parties, especially EA and Activision, have a team dedicated entirely to the PSP and I can already take a wild guess that they're probably not anywhere close to as dedicated to their DS games, with the exception of NFSU2DS.  That game simply looks gorgeous on there and has some great features to boot.

On one hand it was smart to release early so those userbase figures could fly, but on the otherhand with the bad games and delays it's becoming clear that from a development point of view, this system probably could've waited til March or even later to release. At least that way we could've gotten optimized and thought out gaming experiences.  Right now, it seems like everybody's trying to rush games out the gate just to get them on the shelves. Even Nintendo is doing it with Pokemon Dash and to me that's not a good sign.    

[PaLaDiN]

"The PSP's launch lineup is solid, and KILLS the DS' lineup even after the DS' four-month head start."

I'm on the fence... I think both lineups suck at the moment, except for Lumines, Mario 64 and Yoshi. I'm just waiting for Meteos (which should obliterate Lumines) or Mario Kart to wow me into purchasing a DS. I will say this for Sony though... they've managed to hype up a mediocre batch of games into the talk of the town.

[darknight06]

"I'm on the fence... I think both lineups suck at the moment, except for Lumines, Mario 64 and Yoshi. I'm just waiting for Meteos (which should obliterate Lumines)"

I dunno about that, apparently Meteos has a major exploit that makes the game braindead easy by simply rubbing the bottom of the screen randomly to line everything up.  Haven't seen what they're calling "THE FLAW" for myself, but it's something to think about.  

About the rest of your statement, yeah I can agree with that except I'd add WWTouched to that as well.  

[ruby_onix]

Quote
The PSP's launch lineup is solid, and KILLS the DS' lineup even after the DS' four-month head start.

The PSP was announced in May 2003 at E3 2003. The Nintendo DS was announced in January 2004.

The PSP has had eight months of a head start (in terms of game development time), during which time everyone in the industry was said it was going to utterly obliterate the GBA.

(The PSP was originally supposed to launch worldwide in 2004, as fast as Nintendo in America, and faster than them in Europe, but Sony obviously couldn't, so it didn't.)

(And at E3 2004 Nintendo revealed playable DS hardware while Sony revealed hunks of "sexy" molded plastic, with screens running feeds from PS2 games.)


Yes, there aren't a lot of games for the DS right now. What do people expect? It practically just launched. And Japanese games always come out in Japan first, and take a few months/weeks to come to America, even if Nintendo didn't need to do that with the hardware.

What do people want? Should Nintendo have "pulled an N64" and delayed the hardware, while they waited for no third parties to arrive?    

[thepoga]

ruby_onix: just because the PSP was announced in may 2003 doesnt mean it was being developed for right there. When Nintendo announced it, I think they already had several dev kits out (I'm not sure about that fact btw). The development time isn't that much of a gap as you think.


Paladin: Wipeout Pure, Ridge Racers, Twisted Metal, and Tony Hawk's UG2 aren't mediocre games. They all had a solid 8 or above. They aren't the best games ever, but unlike the DS games (right now) they don't have any real major flaws.

WarioWare has a lot of minigames that are nearly the same, and it also can be considered too short.
Mario is a port. Analog control issues.
Yoshi's lastability is questionable to a lot of people.
Feel the Magic is too short.

And those are the best games of both. The worst thing to me is that the game that most people are looking for is Mario Kart DS when it doesn't seem to have any touch-screen control. You don't have to use all the features, but can't the same thing be said about the multimedia features on the PSP?

[PaLaDiN]

"Paladin: Wipeout Pure, Ridge Racers, Twisted Metal, and Tony Hawk's UG2 aren't mediocre games."

They are to me, because I played and got bored of them all years ago on the PS1.

I guess you could say the same thing about Mario, but I never actually played enough of that game to get bored of it.

[darknight06]

"Mario is a port. Analog control issues."

I swear I must be the only one who likes these controls.  And for the last time Mario is NOT a port.  Ridge Racer DS and especially Rayman DS were ports.  

[thepoga]

Quote
Originally posted by: darknight06
"Mario is a port. Analog control issues."

I swear I must be the only one who likes these controls.  And for the last time Mario is NOT a port.  Ridge Racer DS and especially Rayman DS were ports.

you're right about one thing. okay fine, Mario 64 is an Updated Port. It's a good example of what to do with games you're going to port, because it's enhanced and a little bit different. And the mini-games were the things that made it worth it. But why couldn't they have just made a new mario game? Besides the issue of development time.



Wipeout Pure is a lot better than the one on PS1, Ridge Racers is infinitely better than the one on DS, and all the Twisted Metal games except TW2 weren't that great until Black and this one.

[Blackknight131]

Quote
At this rate I might as well not even own a DS. I really should have taken the $150 I spent on it and put that towards a 1GB Memory Stick for my PSP (which only costs $120 by the way - a bargain when you consider the 1GB iPod Shuffle costs $149 and does practically the same thing).

The 1 GB shuffle is $150...yes, about the same price as the Memory Stick 1 GB. But to compare those two purchases is not quite fair. Form + Function is what should be considered there. The PSP for many folks, due to its form, is an inferior mp3 player...and borderline not-an-option in many circumstances (its not quite pocketable enough for most people's pockets - would make an impressive bulge to be sure.)
An mp3 player like the shuffle yet has its place for consumers - as an unobtrusive music player with a simple-to-use interface. Of course, it fails as a game device tho =p
(On a tangent, I have to say Im "ethically" against these Memory Sticks tho... =p
More than double the cost of competing flash products...for thoroughly comparable performance...to me thats serious consumer-rape.)

As for "WTF IS HAPPENING TO THE DS!!??!":

For many folks, the DS is simply not a good option right now...obviously because of release issues for its tiny game library. Frustratingly enough for American owners, in Japan it looks like a non-issue. They already have Band Brothers. They already have Meteos. They already have Pac-Pix and Another Code and Kirby...in other words, the original-style games that actually show off what the DS is about.

By that token however, the fact is there ARE sweet games out there...the DS IS capable of delivering great new games...but we seem to be at the mercy of localization/scheduling issues. Don't regret the DS itself just yet...but do regret being yet another victim of early adopter's syndrome (buying the hardware before enough of the software you really want is released).

Its hard to wait, and getting harder...so for fence-sitters there is no doubt the best option is to hold off on a DS purchase till Summer or Fall. Once development cycles hit their stride, the DS will come into its own for gamers that like certain genres (puzzle, action, adventure, RPG, strategy, possibly FPS). The PSP will definitely be the go-to portable for Sports and racing tho, where high powered 3D graphics are one of the major factors. And probaly for violent "adult" games, of which there is certainly a ravenous appetite for...

[NWR_Lindy]

Quote
Yes, there aren't a lot of games for the DS right now. What do people expect?

I expect good games, is that too much to ask?  I don't care about all the fiscal year shareholder's annual meeting bullcrap.  Joe Gamer - who doesn't care about dev kits and product announcements and development lead times - looks at the PSP and sees 24 titles with three or four worthwhile purchases, meanwhile they look at the DS and they see 15 titles, 12 of them are crap and 3 of them are just OK.  You tell me which one they'll prefer.

silks