Topic: Why I think there will be a 2nd DS Revision

[Chozo Ghost]

Correct me if I am wrong, but hasn't every previous incarnation of Nintendo handhelds seen at least 2 revisions? The original gameboy was first revised into a pocket model which was slimmer and had a clearer screen, and then later revised into the gameboy color. The Gameboy advance seen 3 revisions. So is there any reason to doubt Nintendo is already hard at work on another revision of the DS?

If you think about it, there are some very good improvements that could be made to the DS that would easily justify a new revision. Expansions like the Opera Web Browser and the Rumble Pak could be built in by default while leaving the GBA slot free. I'd also like to see a standard headphone jack; an SD card slot with the capability to play mp3s, movies, and ebooks; and well, they could update the built in pictochat so that it works over WiFi (even if it needs friend codes that still would be cool). How about built in Mario Paint?

Heh, well there is a million things they could add. I think the web browser and SD card reading capability would be reasons enough for a new revision. That way, all the PSP fanboys would no longer be able to boast that their system has that advantage. People who buy the PSP merely for its multimedia abilities would now consider the DS instead, particularly because of its much longer battery life and cheaper card format.

The new revision wouldn't replace the DS lite; but would exist along side it. The newer model would naturally cost more, but would still be less than the PSP.

Anyway, that's why I think within a year or something Nintendo is going to announce another revision. I might be wrong, but I think this makes sense.

[UncleBob]

I know there are those who will disagree, but I don't really think it's fair to call the Game Boy Color a 'revision' of the original Game Boy...  I mean, at least not in the same sense that you consider the Pocket a revision of the first Game Boy and such.  Since the Game Boy Color did feature more powerful hardware that allowed for playing some games that couldn't be done on the original, it's really a different system.

However, the first Game Boy was revised three times.  There's the original (also the Play it Loud series, which was just alternate colors), the Pocket (which was released with and without a battery light on the front display) and the Game Boy Light (the Japanese-only system with the front-lit screen).  And this isn't including the SNES attachments of the Super Game Boy and Super Game Boy 2.

The Advance generation was, as you said, revised three times.  But don't forget that the SP was revised in and of itself with the original Front Light switching to a back light.  Also, there's the Game Boy Player and the Panasonic Q Game Boy Player.

The way that the DS Lite is selling now, I don't see Nintendo working too hard to release a newer version.  While your ideas sound good (I assume that the built-in Web Browser means the system will have the RAM built-in to support it, which means, in theory, this newer system could have exclusive games), with the things being the way they are now, I just don't see it happening.  The DS Lite is currently priced at US$129.99 while the PSP is priced at $40 more... It doesn't leave much room for Nintendo to release a 'DS Elite' while keeping the initial sticker price under the PSP.  And since the DS Lite is such a powerhouse now, it doesn't make too much sense to lower the price on it.

[that Baby guy]

The GameBoy Color was it's own generation of Game Boy.  Like the GBA, it was just backwards compatible with every GB game that came before it, with possible exception to the games with special equipment built in.

In this sense, the GBC did not exist direct alongside the GB, but rather succeeded it, though many don't realize this when they talk about the GBC.  Additionally, the GBC had a short but full lifespan of three years, which is short compared to normal console lives, but was mostly because Nintendo took an unsure approach with new handhelds after the Virtual Boy, and created much of the new software with sideways compatibility to the existing Game Boy line, for fear of another hand held flop.  The platform itself sold about 50 million itself, according to Wikipedia, but it was entirely it's own entry to the Game Boy franchise.

Now, in Japan, there were three original models of Game Boys, whereas in America, there were two.  There was the original Game Boy, the brick.  Then the Game Boy Pocket, which was succeeded by the Game Boy Light in Japan.

Anyways, aside from the History lesson, I have to say I agree and disagree with you.  Nothing Nintendo releases will have increased functionality without being it's own tier, similar to how the DS and the GBA stood at first.  Whenever Nintendo releases an upgrade to a console, it shares all the same functionality as it's brethren, with stand-alone additions, built to correct design flaws that could not be corrected at the time of the first model.  What I'm saying is that if a new DS is released, any changes will be superficial, and nothing more.  However, if a successor to the DS is released, it could contain DS in the name, but have new features and games that are exclusively playable on it, even though it may remain backwards-compatible with the DS's titles.

Edit:  Unclebob beat me to it.  :p

[Chozo Ghost]

Quote
Originally posted by: UncleBob
I know there are those who will disagree, but I don't really think it's fair to call the Game Boy Color a 'revision' of the original Game Boy...  I mean, at least not in the same sense that you consider the Pocket a revision of the first Game Boy and such.  Since the Game Boy Color did feature more powerful hardware that allowed for playing some games that couldn't be done on the original, it's really a different system.

However, the first Game Boy was revised three times.  There's the original (also the Play it Loud series, which was just alternate colors), the Pocket (which was released with and without a battery light on the front display) and the Game Boy Light (the Japanese-only system with the front-lit screen).  And this isn't including the SNES attachments of the Super Game Boy and Super Game Boy 2.

The Advance generation was, as you said, revised three times.  But don't forget that the SP was revised in and of itself with the original Front Light switching to a back light.  Also, there's the Game Boy Player and the Panasonic Q Game Boy Player.

The way that the DS Lite is selling now, I don't see Nintendo working too hard to release a newer version.  While your ideas sound good (I assume that the built-in Web Browser means the system will have the RAM built-in to support it, which means, in theory, this newer system could have exclusive games), with the things being the way they are now, I just don't see it happening.  The DS Lite is currently priced at US$129.99 while the PSP is priced at $40 more... It doesn't leave much room for Nintendo to release a 'DS Elite' while keeping the initial sticker price under the PSP.  And since the DS Lite is such a powerhouse now, it doesn't make too much sense to lower the price on it.

I don't think having a built in Opera browser with the increased RAM built in would create exclusive games. The reason is because the DS and DS lite Opera browsers come with the RAM pack, but it is a seperate thing that has to be plugged into the GBA slot. So older models of DS could also play the games that make use of the extra RAM.

The N64 was the same exact way. There was a module you could get to increase the RAM that allowed the N64 to play certain games that it couldn't do before. Since the DS is sorta like a portable N64 in many ways, I think this is a good thing and it should make it possible to port those N64 games that required the RAM Pak. Those who buy the newer DS revision would have it built in, but those who have the older versions wouldn't get disenfranchised either because they could get the Pak. I don't see how it could be a bad thing, and it may let us see Zelda and other RAM hungry N64 games ported to the DS.

But even putting that aside, the ability to play MP3s and videos is something the DS could really use. I know that it is kicking the PSP's ass all over the world right now, but in North America it isn't kicking its ass as hard as it could be if it had these capabilities. Plus the situation could change with the PSP selling more, at least in NA anyway. I think Nintendo would be wise to start planning something that can compete with Sony on portable multimedia...

As for the price, I don't mean they'd release it right now, but they should be preparing it now. In about a year or whenever it would be ready they could drop the price of the lite to $99 or whatever, and then put out the elite model at the price the lite used to be. I don't think they even need to beat the PSP on price... I mean, the lite isn't sold for much less than the PSP now, despite having less powerful hardware, but it still beats it in sales. Besides, the lite would still be available to undercut the PSP in price. The elite model would go up against it head to head and doesn't need to be much cheaper. It would probably even sell like hot cakes if it was MORE expensive than the PSP. I know I'd buy it if it was $199 (or less) and have the features I am proposing.

Just my thoughts.

[Chozo Ghost]

Quote
Originally posted by: thatguy
The GameBoy Color was it's own generation of Game Boy.  Like the GBA, it was just backwards compatible with every GB game that came before it, with possible exception to the games with special equipment built in.

In this sense, the GBC did not exist direct alongside the GB, but rather succeeded it, though many don't realize this when they talk about the GBC.  Additionally, the GBC had a short but full lifespan of three years, which is short compared to normal console lives, but was mostly because Nintendo took an unsure approach with new handhelds after the Virtual Boy, and created much of the new software with sideways compatibility to the existing Game Boy line, for fear of another hand held flop.  The platform itself sold about 50 million itself, according to Wikipedia, but it was entirely it's own entry to the Game Boy franchise.

Now, in Japan, there were three original models of Game Boys, whereas in America, there were two.  There was the original Game Boy, the brick.  Then the Game Boy Pocket, which was succeeded by the Game Boy Light in Japan.

Anyways, aside from the History lesson, I have to say I agree and disagree with you.  Nothing Nintendo releases will have increased functionality without being it's own tier, similar to how the DS and the GBA stood at first.  Whenever Nintendo releases an upgrade to a console, it shares all the same functionality as it's brethren, with stand-alone additions, built to correct design flaws that could not be corrected at the time of the first model.  What I'm saying is that if a new DS is released, any changes will be superficial, and nothing more.  However, if a successor to the DS is released, it could contain DS in the name, but have new features and games that are exclusively playable on it, even though it may remain backwards-compatible with the DS's titles.

Edit:  Unclebob beat me to it.  :p

I know what you are saying, but the DS and DS lite are already capable of doing most of the things I am proposing with the option paks you stick into the GBA slot. Mainly what I am suggesting is that there be a DS revision which has these built into the system so that the GBA slot is still free for other purposes, and so you can use more than one option pak at a time.

Tilt support, Rumble, Web browsing, and MP3 playing are (at least in Japan, I think) all already available for the current DS models, but they require the Paks. So the existing models already have this functionality, but wouldn't it be great to just buy a model that had it all just built in? Throw in an online version of Pictochat and maybe some other software things and I'd buy it; even if it cost significantly more than the DS lite. I mean, buying those paks seperately will cost you more anyway, right?

[that Baby guy]

The difference between the N64 example you used and the DS you're suggesting about is this:  The N64 was never bundled with the Ram expansion pak.  Anyone who wanted to play the games that required the pak would have to seek it out individually, causing much less confusion about capabilities available.  What are are suggesting is that two differently capable models, something Nintendo has never done, unless considering that which has always been considered a new generation before now.  I'm not saying it's absolutely impossible, but I think if anything like you are suggesting should happen, it wouldn't be in an upgrade to the DS, but rather released as a stand-alone application, never ever combined with future models of this generation of the DS line.

[UncleBob]

Additionally, I'm not 100% convinced that the DS Browser is actually going to come out here in the states.  I'll believe it when I see it...

[Infernal Monkey]

TEE HEE $35 for a web browser. Gonna sell like hotcakes for sure. Thumbs up. Gnarly. They released it here last year for $60 US, it became the most popular non-game in Australia. Honest. Everyone was like "WOW so cheap plus no hotspots that's awesome I will buy eight". Oh yeah they'll release a new DS in 2009 with the wumble pack built into the touch screen so that it's impossible to draw anything also it'll support Game Boy Color games but only if you plug them into the top screen, breaking it in the process.