Topic: Rumor: New DS Revision!

[Chozo Ghost]

Link to Kotaku Article

A Securities Analyst has this to say:

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Our contacts indicate that a refreshed DS is complete. It is thinner (it has no GBA port), has on-board storage and larger screens. However, we do not expect a revamped Wii or DS until sales begin to tail off in all three major geographies.

So will this be a "DS Slim" to counter the PSP Slim?

I am one of the few who still own the original DS Phat. Sometimes I think about getting a DS Lite because they are so cool in comparison, but they don't really do anything different so I can't justify it. But maybe this third revision (if the rumor proves correct) will offer new features that make it justifiable?

The bit about the onboard storage sounds VERY intriguing. I think this is probably so you can download old GB, GBC, and GBA games onto it and play it on the DS just like the Wii's VC. There's also no reason they couldn't do SNES and other consoles as well. The SNES would be extremely suitable for this, because it has the exact same button layout.

It kinda sucks if they drop the GBA slot, but on the other hand it does make some sense. If Nintendo wants us to rebuy our GBA collection on a VC then I can see why they'd get rid of that slot. It won't work with me, because I still have my GBA SP and I intend to hold onto it. But, what does this mean for DS options Paks like the web browser and rumble pak? I would hate to lose those... but if this revision has those abilities BUILT IN, then that would be awesome. Don't you all agree?

Oh yeah, and we need the ability to play MP3s that Japan got in a Pak, but we never did. Nintendo had seriously better have that built into this revision, as well as video support. If it has all of this stuff, then Nintendo would have me convinced to buy another DS (even though I already own an older version).

[Flames_of_chaos]

I personally think this is false since it renders the rumble function via the rumble to be defunct(even though its not such a big feature). The web browser won't be functional at all, and the wider screen could just stretch out games designed to the DS's screen resolution and size dimensions. The expansion GBA carts for DS games will be useless. For the virtual handheld service it would be very cost effective and smarter for Nintendo to release a special protected flash card that uses either the GBA or DS slot  rather than forcing people to buy a brand new device just for one specific feature and they would pretty much pull a microsoft by "alienating" their consumer base by the core/arcade vs  pro/halo3/elite 360 debacle (HDD vs not having a HDD included).

[Nick DiMola]

I'm not buying this rumor. The DS Lite is excellent and still selling well, why would Nintendo bother to put another version of the DS on the market so soon?

[BlackNMild2k1]

Holidays 2009

[Ian Sane]

"I am one of the few who still own the original DS Phat."

I still own one too.  I would never buy another DS, unless mine broke, on principle.  It works 100% fine and it plays the exact same games as the DS Lite so why spend money when I don't need to.  But I also have only owned one cell phone in my life and not only don't own an iPod but am not on my third or fourth iPod so I'm not exactly a typical consumer.

I don't see the point of releasing another DS but I didn't see the point in releasing the DS Lite or the various GBA variations aside from the SP (which had a light to justify it's existence).  I think it's just marketing to the gadget culture where having some expensive trinket you never needed to own is a fashion statement.  Ditching the GBA slot just sucks though.

Remember that third party that used to be a successful console maker and then lost money introducing tons of revisions and add-ons that no one wanted?  You know that one we always make fun of?  

[Kairon]

I also am holding onto my Launch DS Phat. I don't see any reason to "upgrade," though my younger bro may finally be upgrading his red-target-mariokartbundle DS Phat to a golden Phantom Hourglass DS Lite.

[vudu]

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Originally posted by: Lord_die_seis
I personally think this is false since it renders the rumble function via the rumble to be defunct(even though its not such a big feature). The web browser won't be functional at all, and the wider screen could just stretch out games designed to the DS's screen resolution and size dimensions. The expansion GBA carts for DS games will be useless.

Not that it provides any credibility to this rumor, but I must point out that if the new system had on-board storage the web browser wouldn't need the GBA expansion cart.  Also, no one uses the rumble packs; and even if they did, there's technically nothing stopping Nintendo from including built-in rumble.

[Infernal Monkey]

I don't know if I could go back to the regular DS, I mean, I can only use my DS Lite when its on MAXIMUM POWAH brightness. I'm so elite and trendy and whoops time to go buy the sun for my personal bedside lamp. No GBA slot would be crap, especially for this awesome little invention.

[Flames_of_chaos]

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Originally posted by: vudu

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Originally posted by: Lord_die_seis
I personally think this is false since it renders the rumble function via the rumble to be defunct(even though its not such a big feature). The web browser won't be functional at all, and the wider screen could just stretch out games designed to the DS's screen resolution and size dimensions. The expansion GBA carts for DS games will be useless.

Not that it provides any credibility to this rumor, but I must point out that if the new system had on-board storage the web browser wouldn't need the GBA expansion cart.  Also, no one uses the rumble packs; and even if they did, there's technically nothing stopping Nintendo from including built-in rumble.

Well Vudu that could be wrong because, what if the GBA expansion cart detection is hardcoded to the software that it wont function without the cart and the onboard memory would be transparent to the software as if it never existed and thus can't use it and Nintendo would of needed to make another version of the web browser (unless they release it built in).    

[vudu]

0.6µL sample size?  Christ, that's practically a gallon of blood.  Most (good) meters require half that.

[Chozo Ghost]

Quote
Originally posted by: Ian SaneRemember that third party that used to be a successful console maker and then lost money introducing tons of revisions and add-ons that no one wanted?  You know that one we always make fun of?

The difference with that is they made a bunch of hardware and addons which were incompatible with one another. SegaCD games couldn't play on Saturn, or vice versa. And the 32x was also only compatible with itself, and only ever had a handful of games for it.

In the case of Nintendo with their portable revisions, this is much different because each revision is 100% compatible with the existing games library. Even though we still own the DS Phat, we can rest assure that any new DS game that comes out is still compatible with our model. Likewise, this third revision will also be compatible (although the absence of the GBA slot means the loss of option Paks, unless they build them in somehow).

Nintendo's endless revising of their portables is an annoyance to us early adopters, but I'm not really pissed off at them for it the way that a Sega fan circa 1995-1996 would have been with Sega. As long as they keep the hardware compatible with each other then it isn't a problem.

[Chozo Ghost]

Quote
Originally posted by: vudu

Quote
Originally posted by: Lord_die_seis
I personally think this is false since it renders the rumble function via the rumble to be defunct(even though its not such a big feature). The web browser won't be functional at all, and the wider screen could just stretch out games designed to the DS's screen resolution and size dimensions. The expansion GBA carts for DS games will be useless.

Not that it provides any credibility to this rumor, but I must point out that if the new system had on-board storage the web browser wouldn't need the GBA expansion cart.  Also, no one uses the rumble packs; and even if they did, there's technically nothing stopping Nintendo from including built-in rumble.

I keep my rumble pak in the slot just to keep dust and stuff out of there. I only have 2 or 3 games which make use of it.

I think Nintendo would do well if they had it integrated inside the hardware instead of with an option Pak. If it were a standard feature in all units then developers would be far more likely to make use of it in their games.