• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Nintendo DS Announced: Dual Screen Portable.. Mystery Product Unveiled

JayPatel

Diamond Member
http://cube.ign.com/articles/473/473998p1.html

Repost?? Search didnt find nothing

January 20, 2004 - For months Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has been offering Japanese newspapers vague comments about a new mystery hardware that the company would launch in 2004. Nintendo of America today pulled back the curtains on the top-secret device and it looks to be good news for Nintendo fans worldwide.

The company's mystery machine is in fact a dual-screened portable game device that is entirely separate from both the GameCube and the Game Boy Advance. It will be marketed completely free of its sister hardware. It's called Nintendo DS for Nintendo Dual-Screen.

Nintendo DS features two connected 3-inch backlit TFT LCD display panels, and two separate processors. The device features an Arm9 main processor and an Arm7 sub processor.

The portable will not use GameCube optical disc or Game Boy Advance cartridge based media. Instead, it will play software on semiconductor memory of up to 1 Gigabit, according to the manufacturer.

Nintendo explains the importance of the dual-screen setup: "Players can look forward to being able to manage their game progress from two different perspectives, enhancing both the speed and strategy of the challenge. For example in a soccer game, users can view the whole game on one screen while simultaneously focusing on an individual soccer player's tackle or goal on the other screen.

"Players will no longer be forced to interrupt game play to shift perspective, such as moving from a wide shot to a close up, or alternating between a character's ongoing battle and a map of the environment. Nintendo DS makes it possible to perform the tasks in real time by simply glancing from one screen to the other."

Today's revelation is just the beginning, according to the company. The bulk of information on the machine will be unveiled at May's Electronics Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles.

"We have developed Nintendo DS based upon a completely different concept from existing game devices in order to provide players with a unique entertainment experience for the 21st century," explained Satoru Iwata, Nintendo president.

The announcement, seemingly out of nowhere, likely comes in preparation for Nintendo's upcoming financial report. Also, developers have indicated that they will soon receive development hardware for the new system and with that Nintendo wouldn't be able to keep it a secret for very much longer.

There are no photographs of the device available. However, IGN's own Matt Casamassina has created a conceptual drawing of what the Nintendo DS may look like. Very intriguing, for sure. We know one person who will enjoy the dual screens!

The Nintendo DS will be on-hand at E3 2003 in fully playable form, according to the company. It will ship in the last half of 2004.
 
Is it just me, or did that article say "... at E3 May 2003... shipping last half 2004" 😕 I certainly don't recall hearing about this last year....
 
Originally posted by: PipBoy
it sounds completely stupid. I don't need 2 screens. Virtua Boy 2k4.

That's exactly what I just thought. Nintendo is just really reaching to try and come up with a completely original idea. In the end I think it will just end up being perceived as a gimmick.
 
Originally posted by: digitalsm
Originally posted by: PipBoy
it sounds completely stupid. I don't need 2 screens. Virtua Boy 2k4.

I predict it does well in Japan, and bombs in the US and rest of the world.

really going out on a limb there eh? That's pretty much every other nintendo product of late.
 
Originally posted by: fivespeed5
Originally posted by: digitalsm
Originally posted by: PipBoy
it sounds completely stupid. I don't need 2 screens. Virtua Boy 2k4.

I predict it does well in Japan, and bombs in the US and rest of the world.

really going out on a limb there eh? That's pretty much every other nintendo product of late.

Actually no. The N64 was successful as it was(which wasnt much), because of the US, it did extremely poor in Japan. Its the same way with the GC. While the GC has done better in Japan than the N64 did, the GC is surviving because of US/Europe sales.

This thing wont do well in the US/Europe, but I suspect it will do really well in Japan.
 
Originally posted by: rpc64
Originally posted by: PipBoy
it sounds completely stupid. I don't need 2 screens. Virtua Boy 2k4.

That's exactly what I just thought. Nintendo is just really reaching to try and come up with a completely original idea. In the end I think it will just end up being perceived as a gimmick.
I have to disagree with you guys, and put out there this was a bad decision on Nintendo's part to release the info they have, and that's it. We know nothing of the new hardware except the name, that it's a portable, and it has 2 screens.

I, on the other hand, like the idea, and will wait patiently to check this out at E3 for the specs and game pics. It opens new gameplay possiblities that previously haven't been able to be done.

Whether I would buy this over the PSP, though, is another question. At $300, I wouldn't buy either of them (the PSP's rumored price) though.
 
Me, being a self-proclaimed N-fanboy, I don't think that this will be a bad product. Any innovation is good, and I think they learned from the VB.

But my opinions will be witheld until pictures and products are released...I'll be picking it up ASAP, as usual 🙂
 
Back
Top