Topic: Nintendo 3DS Discussion

[MysticGohan]

Maybe it's still early in development? the graphics could be polished before released by the holidays/Before March 2011, I get a feeling we'll see a launch much like
the DS. I hope so atleast.

[Kytim89]

I want the next Nintendogs to feature Pittbulls.  Imagine this guy in 3D.
 
 

[Toruresu]

That'd be hilarious!

[AV]

I did a youtube video on my thoughts on the 3DS


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8ZlcE9skqo

Has anyone seen this video?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYnyBxVhK_c

Pikmin 3D, Mario 3D, Metroid 3D and Zelda3D.

After seeing that video I want Pikmin 3 to be for 3DS, that would be much more interesting experience than on the Wii.

[UncleBob]

After seeing that video I want Pikmin 3 to be for 3DS, that would be much more interesting experience than on the Wii.

And now, we know why Pikmin 3 has been so delayed...

[BlackNMild2k1]

I got some 3DS specs. I don't know if their real or not

3DS information

CPU= ARM946E-S (67 MHz)+ARM1176 (TSMC65LP 225-482MHz)
GPU= PowerVR SGX(SGX543MP2)（support DX9 and OpenGL ES 2.0）
RAM=16MB+48MB
Battery=lithium-ion battery 1350 mAh

Source

Personally I'm hoping they atleast double the ram and up the battery to a 1650mAh

[Kytim89]

I got some 3DS specs. I don't know if their real or not

3DS information

CPU= ARM946E-S (67 MHz)+ARM1176 (TSMC65LP 225-482MHz)
GPU= PowerVR SGX(SGX543MP2)（support DX9 and OpenGL ES 2.0）
RAM=16MB+48MB
Battery=lithium-ion battery 1350 mAh

Source

Personally I'm hoping they atleast double the ram and up the battery to a 1650mAh

How many hours of battery life would that give?

[BlackNMild2k1]

I don't know, but more is better.

Oh and assuming those specs are true, that GPU is a dual core - SGX543 MultiProcessor2 is what I believe it means.
The PSP2 was rumored to be using a SGXMP4 which is the QuadCore equivalent.

Quadcore is speculated at producing PS360 level graphics and the DualCore should be very close to something similar/comparable.
More RAM could go a long way towards pushing this machine especially in it's later years.

[DAaaMan64]

If Nintendo (And that GPU) supports DirectX development (+ shaders) than may the clouds open and God **** a great cake, we will have good graphics with again with excellent multi platform compatibility. Games would easily become better looking than Wii games simply because people for once, know how to program it with out a bunch of stupid research. -_-

[BlackNMild2k1]

Iwata speaks on 3DS
http://games.venturebeat.com/2010/06/18/nintendo-ceo-reveals-how-company-toiled-for-years-on-3ds-concept/

[Kytim89]

Are there any older Non-Nintendo games that anyone would love to see remade for the 3DS? I would like to see Parasite Eve 1 and 2 remade for the 3DS.

[MaryJane]

Iwata speaks on 3DS
http://games.venturebeat.com/2010/06/18/nintendo-ceo-reveals-how-company-toiled-for-years-on-3ds-concept/

1.I personally am a user of iPhones and iPods. I think of what these mean to me as a competitor. But I never thought of them when we were designing the 3DS. If some people think that this might be the answer to the iPhone, then that should simply be the result. That is, it was not our goal to do that, but if people think that, it is the result. We never try to think in terms of any competitive product or company. If you do that, you just focus on a certain narrow area. Rather, we should think much more broadly. Anything that takes the time of a consumer might take away their interest in gaming, or their energies away from our products. Anything that does that should be our competition. We should not narrowly define our competition as Apple, Sony or Microsoft. We have to think of what kinds of experiences we can create that only Nintendo can create, and what no other companies can create. So the result is the Nintendo 3DS. If you say it is a solution against what Apple offers today, it is also a solution against all of the other competition.

2 I have to refrain from talking specifically about the price point. What I can confirm is that, in terms of the production costs, it will cost more than the costs for the Nintendo DS today. Having said that, we believe we will produce enough value worthy of the production cost. We do not think we have to sell the products below cost.

1. Hopefully he is saying the 3DS, through an app store maybe, will be able to provide the functionality of all its competitors, perceived and unknown. He kind of says the he doesn't think of Apple as a competitor than says that they are because they could potentially pull away customers. I'm  just curious as to why the run-around, perhaps there are still more secrets to divulge, like VoIP and video chat.

2. So they're not going to sell the 3DS at a loss, and it's going to cost more than a DSi? He said DS, but the 3DS will obviously be more expensive to develop than both of those models were. If it's anything more than $250, they may have trouble with initial adoption, yes you are getting a lot for your money, but all people are going to think is; "am I going to spend that much on a tiny video game player" until they realize all that it does. 

[BlackNMild2k1]

I have to refrain from talking specifically about the price point. What I can confirm is that, in terms of the production costs, it will cost more than the costs for the Nintendo DS today. Having said that, we believe we will produce enough value worthy of the production cost. We do not think we have to sell the products below cost.

What I can confirm is that, in terms of the production costs, it will cost more than the costs for the Nintendo DS today.

it will cost more than the costs for the Nintendo DS today.

So how much does it cost to make a DS today is the question you need to answer and then you realize that he didn't really tell you anything as ofcourse a 3DS will be more expensive to make than a DS is today.

A regular DSL or DSi probably cost significantly less than what they sell for and I wouldn't hesitate to put them both under $100 packaged and shipped (especially the DSL which is more like $60).

[Kytim89]

I have to refrain from talking specifically about the price point. What I can confirm is that, in terms of the production costs, it will cost more than the costs for the Nintendo DS today. Having said that, we believe we will produce enough value worthy of the production cost. We do not think we have to sell the products below cost.

What I can confirm is that, in terms of the production costs, it will cost more than the costs for the Nintendo DS today.

it will cost more than the costs for the Nintendo DS today.

So how much does it cost to make a DS today is the question you need to answer and then you realize that he didn't really tell you anything as ofcourse a 3DS will be more expensive to make than a DS is today.

A regular DSL or DSi probably cost significantly less than what they sell for and I wouldn't hesitate to put them both under $100 packaged and shipped (especially the DSL which is more like $60).

They probbaly make about a hundred dollars on each DS system sold. I am curious to see how much it costs them to make the 3DS and its final price is revealed. I am still going with $199.99 when it is released. If it is $250 or greater that puts it into the HD console price range and Nintendo is always finding ways to give us stuff at an affordable price.

[Adrock]

Nintendo isn't finding ways to sell at an affordable price. It is affordable. In fact, they should be even cheaper. DS Lite for $129.99 in 2010 is pathetic. There's no reason 3DS should cost more than $199.99 and that's probably too much for it.

[DAaaMan64]

If Apple announced firmware 5.0 with 3D tomorrow, there'd be a problem.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Nintendo isn't finding ways to sell at an affordable price. It is affordable. In fact, they should be even cheaper. DS Lite for $129.99 in 2010 is pathetic. There's no reason 3DS should cost more than $199.99 and that's probably too much for it.

That's the amazing thing about the DS. It has sold this much and it still hasn't even hit sub $100 pricing which is the next step for when sales drop.

I'm still amazed that Nintendo hasn't dropped the price on the DSL/i/LL in Japan to spur sales up a little more since it's obviously a litttle saturated of a market over there

[TJ Spyke]

I guess you forgot that Nintendo announced price cuts for all 3 DS models in Japan about a week ago.

[BlackNMild2k1]

I guess i did.

Open pricing for the DSL and what were the price drops for the DSi/LL?
(I've been cram coursing for Ins. Licensing for the past 3 weeks.... not ontop of this like usual right now)

[Kytim89]

I guess i did.

Open pricing for the DSL and what were the price drops for the DSi/LL?
(I've been cram coursing for Ins. Licensing for the past 3 weeks.... not ontop of this like usual right now)

What is INS?

[BlackNMild2k1]

Insurance

[Shaymin]

I guess i did.

Open pricing for the DSL and what were the price drops for the DSi/LL?
(I've been cram coursing for Ins. Licensing for the past 3 weeks.... not ontop of this like usual right now)

DSi from 18,000 yen to 15,000 and DSiLL from 20,000 yen to 18,000.

---

So we know the 3DS has accelerometers and the gyroscopes as well as 3D, but they may not be feasible to implement together. How likely is it that the 3D games are mainly done by the big developers with the motion stuff put through 3DSWare or whatever by smaller developers (to allow easy porting in/out of the iOS)?

[BlackNMild2k1]

Ok a REAL 3DS spec

http://prw.kyodonews.jp/open/release.do?r=201006189844

Digital Media, Inc. (Nasdaq: Musashino City, Tokyo, President and CEO Yamamoto Tatsuo, following DMP) is Nintendo's new handheld Nintendo 3DS 3D graphics IP core to the DMP "PICA200" that was adopted announced.

DMP PICA200 is a proprietary 3D graphics extension "MAESTRO technology" is installed. This is by implementing complex shaders in hardware capabilities, high-quality graphics representation of high-end products used in conventional technology in mobile products can be achieved and other handheld that require low power consumption It is.

President and CEO commented DMP Tatsuo Yamamoto:
"We have high goals that Orimashita achieve low power consumption remains high quality graphics representation, such as game consoles and stationary Autostereoscopic. DMP has developed the technology over the years contributed MAESTRO I am very glad to have been. "

# # #

Digital Media, Inc. (DMP) for
Founded in July 2002, DMP is a leading technology companies from Japan, mainly suitable for the embedded market has continued to develop 2D and 3D graphics technology. Covering a wide range of embedded hardware products, including software 3D graphics solutions, we aim to provide new user experience. Khronos OpenGL ES and other group members play a leading role in developing the specification of OpenGL ES is the only Japanese training program. You can get information about DMP http://www.dmprof.com/.

(C) 2010 Digital Media Inc.
DMP, DMP logo, PICA is a registered trademark of Digital Media Corporation.
Nintendo 3DS is a trademark of Nintendo.
Other company names are mentioned product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Here is a version of the chip from 4 years ago (Pics at the link)
http://forum.beyond3d.com/showthread.php?t=32326

DMP, Digital Media Professionals, a Japanese GPU design company, announced their PICA brand of graphics processors, scalable for embedded devices from portables all of the way up to high-performance arcade systems. Their product, the PICA200, is a set of modular IP graphics cores for integration into SoCs.
The PICA200 scales with up to four pipelines and processes from up to four programmable vertex units. The 3D core, using their proprietary graphics technology named MAESTRO-2G, the second generation of the Maestro design, implements custom graphics algorithms as hardware for enabling a set of shading features that include per-vertex sub-surface scattering, bidirectional reflectance distribution function, cook-torrance, polygon subdivision, and soft shadowing. Their image post-processing module, the PICA-FBM frame buffer management, can polish the image with anti-aliasing and a set of other 2D functions and can actually be licensed independently as a core for 2D-only devices. In either case, the PICA-FBM can be extended with a PICA-VG vector graphics module.

The DMP company is another small graphics firm, staffed by 29, which started as a university research project and turned into a business a few years ago through funding initiatives. Shinichi Okamoto, former Sony executive who headed up development of the PlayStation2, sits on the board of directors.

and the company website
http://www.dmprof.com/en/en_technologydemo.html

PICA200
http://www.dmprof.com/en/en_product_graphicsipcore.html
http://www.dmprof.com/release/leaflet_PICA200_en.pdf

demo video
http://www.dmprof.com/images/mikage.wmv | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A-xxUyJvQQ <-- We are likely in for a treat

And everything you need to know about this processor back in 2007
http://www.videsignline.com/201001222?printableArticle=true

[Mannypon]

Wow, I was talking to a guy over at the gamespot forums a week or so ago who called this right down to providing some of the same links you provided BnM.  I never got the time to pass on the info though.  Even so, I had never heard of this company so I never gave it too much thought.  I'm surprised this tech is still good given how old it is.  From what I've read on those links, it states the chips are custom built for the customers so I wonder what changes Nintendo made for their 3DS version.
 
 

[stevey]

The DMP company is another small graphics firm, staffed by 29, which started as a university research project and turned into a business a few years ago through funding initiatives. Shinichi Okamoto, former Sony executive who headed up development of the PlayStation2, sits on the board of directors.

At lease it's not nVidia