Nintendo DS Offers Bold New Features

[GrnMarvl14]

DS Gets Free Retail Game Downloads, Voice Chat and a New Look


The video games industry's "story of the year" for 2005 is growing even more compelling early in 2006, as Nintendo today announced major new initiatives for its hot-selling Nintendo DS portable game system.

In a matter of weeks: DS owners will sample free games simply by visiting their local game retailers; players will enjoy live, real-time Wi-Fi voice interaction with their portable game play; the 1 millionth DS owner will log onto Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, Nintendo's wireless gaming service; and a new lighter, brighter DS will make its debut in Japan.

Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sales & marketing, announced the new DS features during his keynote address today at the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences' D.I.C.E. conference in Las Vegas.

"Nintendo DS was the only video game system that exceeded expectations in 2005, simply because it dared to be different," Fils-Aime said. "By further enriching the ways in which players can compete, play and sample new games, that process is accelerating in the opening weeks of 2006."

Here are the details announced at the D.I.C.E. conference:

DS Download Service: Starting next month, Nintendo will offer all DS owners free downloadable game demos and other downloadable content at thousands of participating retail locations around the United States. An in-store kiosk will beam wireless demo versions of games and other downloadable content into a players' Nintendo DS system. Users simply stop by the store with their Nintendo DS, click "DS Download Play" on their system and choose one of a variety of DS games they want to sample. The game will download automatically and users can play all they want (even if they leave the store) until the Nintendo DS is turned off.

Sequentially, players can try out as many games as they want, letting them test drive the wide array of games that can only be played on Nintendo DS. The first DS Download Service stations will include free demos of Tetris DS, Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day, Mario Kart DS, Meteos, True Swing Golf and Pokémon Trozei, along with a Metroid Prime Hunters video clip. The selection of games and other downloadable content at DS Download Service kiosks will refresh quarterly.

Metroid Chat: The new Metroid Prime Hunters game for Nintendo DS will give gamers the ability to chat directly with one another before and after matches played via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Players in North America can simply click the chat icon and say what they have to say. The microphone of the Nintendo DS picks up voice communication and transmits it to the people on their friend list. Players can use the chat function before a match to agree on settings or after a battle to relive their glories. This Teen-rated first-person adventure arrives March 20 and promises to open a dramatically fun new facet of gaming to Nintendo fans.

Nintendo DS Momentum: Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection now boasts more than 21 million different connections, representing more than 860,000 unique users worldwide. Nintendo DS has enjoyed extremely strong sales worldwide, selling more than 14.4 million units worldwide through December. The Japanese sell-through of the existing Nintendo DS hardware exceeded 5 million within 13 months, which made Nintendo DS there the fastest-selling video game launch ever. In addition to Metroid Prime Hunters, Tetris DS also launches March 20. Using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, up to four players can compete in wireless two- or four-player Tetris DS battles against friends or strangers, near or far.

Nintendo DS Lite: The lighter, brighter Nintendo DS system goes on sale in Japan next month. Nintendo DS Lite is about two-thirds the size of the original Nintendo DS and more than 20 percent lighter. Its availability in other regions will be announced at a later date.

FINALLY. I can actually TEST a game without having to...umm...compromise my morality. I've never been happier to own a DS.

 

[Rayne]

O_O... THIS is what I was expecting in the DS.

Now I'm really glad to have finally picked one up.

I'm really siked about that Voice Chat thing. Even though its limited, it
can still be worked on for future games but I really hope its not
limited just to Prime Hunters.

 

[Doctor Oak]

DS Download Service: Starting next month, Nintendo will offer all DS owners free downloadable game demos and other downloadable content at thousands of participating retail locations around the United States. An in-store kiosk will beam wireless demo versions of games and other downloadable content into a players' Nintendo DS system. Users simply stop by the store with their Nintendo DS, click "DS Download Play" on their system and choose one of a variety of DS games they want to sample. The game will download automatically and users can play all they want (even if they leave the store) until the Nintendo DS is turned off.

This isn't exactly new, it's just the Americans catching up to the Japanese - who have had this for some time now. The games are demos, however and are rather limited, but it's a great thing to see coming in anyway. I hope that NoE keeps it's promise to bring them here soon.

Metroid Chat: The new Metroid Prime Hunters game for Nintendo DS will give gamers the ability to chat directly with one another before and after matches played via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Players in North America can simply click the chat icon and say what they have to say. The microphone of the Nintendo DS picks up voice communication and transmits it to the people on their friend list. Players can use the chat function before a match to agree on settings or after a battle to relive their glories. This Teen-rated first-person adventure arrives March 20 and promises to open a dramatically fun new facet of gaming to Nintendo fans.

I had a feeling Metroid Hunters was going to get that - recently Nintendo UK Boss David Yarnton passed comment on AC and Mario Kart not having it and said that it didn't really suit their rating. Of course, the first teen-rated online game was the most logical choice to see it ending up. I hope this means we'll now be seeing the Mic-Headset that the DS is designed to handle coming out too. Preferably with the game.

Either way, It's Nintendo officially stating what had already been picked up to be coming around but official word is always great. Certainly the online Hunters Voice Chat sounds great - making me look forward to the game even more than before now.

 

[Kadabra]

The voice chat thing is stupid; they should have allowed it to be used during matches. (Before and after matches, you might as well using the keyboard for chatting. -_-) (Mostly) Pointless feature.

Downloadable demos are nice, however.

PS. Am I the only one who thinks that the DS photos sent to the NCC look really bad? As in, cheaply made models? Could be just a prototype problem? I hope so!

 

[Doctor Oak]

I'd say the photos are of a prototype model they've been chucking around the place to show everyone who needed to be shown what it looked like.

Although i'd say a big problem with it would be the whiteness... seriously yuck. Thank God they're releasing other colours at launch - it's just a pity there's no red.

 

[Kadabra]

I think the colours are nice! I'm getting the dark blue one, myself.

I really do hope that the systems are well put together, though. How common have hardware problems been in portable Nintendo systems? Also, how probable is it for a DSl system to have a manufacturing flaw at launch? I know that only morons would buy complex systems such as the PS/2/3 XBOX/360 at launch, but does the same apply to Nintendo's portable systems? I'm wondering if getting one ASAP is a good idea.

 

[Sillymence]

The only things that I have heard of are 1 or 2 dead pixels and some areas of the touch screen that do not respond....but they were few and rare...so it's rarely a problem.