Nintendo Fall Press Conference 2008

I\'m the only fool up at this godforsaken hour, so I\'d better do the duty. For all the people who need a summary of the event when you wake up...

Nintendo DSi
- 12% smaller, 2.6mm thinner, loss of GBA slot
- Bigger screens, each 3.25\"
- Better speaker quality
- 0.3 Megapixel camera (640x480), integration with Wii Photo Channel
- Includes both internal memory and SD card slot for running downloaded applications
- Built-in web browser
- Applications and Games bought from DS store. Will be placed into Free, 200, 500, and Premium (800) point categories. DSi systems that connect by March 2010 will receive 1000 Points as a gift.
- AAC playback via applications
- Japanese release date... 1st November 2008 - US and Europe in 2009
- Japanese retail price ~US$180

Nintendo Zone
- \"DS Station\" download kiosks in Japanese stores enter their \"second phase.\" A new service called \"Nintendo Zone\" will be started, which you can also use at McDonald\'s

Games & Apps
- Final Fantasy CC: Echoes of Time, Wii / DS connectivity (Jan 29th 2009 in Japan)
- DQIX (March 2009)
- Pedometer (uses Miis)
- Flickbook / Drawing Pad application
- Opera Browser
- Music player
- Animal Crossing Wii / DS compatibility... expected (Mii integration also)
- Wii Sports Resort / MotionPlus
-Re-releasing Gamecube games such as Pikmin and DK Jungle Beat under a \'Enjoy With Wii\' brand
- NEW WII GAMES - Punch-Out, Another Code sequel, Sin & Punishement 2! Why the hell didn\'t they announce these at E3?
- Sengoku Musou 3
- New Wii \'Tales Of...\' game
- Wii Music presentation from Shiggsy. Again.

Nintendo Wii
- Storage solution! Firmware update allows you install and run channels straight off an SD card (I assume, something to do with SD usage)... Available in Spring 2009
- New Wii WiFi adapter - 500 points for helping a friend connect to online

I\'ll keep updating for the next hour or so.

( Edited 02.10.2008 01:49 by ~tonks )

Thanks for that ~tonks, I\'ll stick up some news posts when it\'s all over.

The new DS looks awesome.

Edit; HOLY SHIT! Sin and Punishment 2!!!

( Edited 02.10.2008 01:57 by Phoenixus )

It's all very awesome. I am making a order for one today!

Sin & Punishment 2 didt see that coming and DSi 0_o

Wow, I must say the DSi sounds...rubbish! Thinner is fine as is the SD ability but the screen quality on DSL is perfect for purpose and the speakers aren't so bad. The camera quality is WOEFUL and it'll be fun watching the integration with Wii Photo Channel, watching those blocky poor resoultion pics on big screen.
This move reeks of Not knowing what to do with success, namely the DS success. The SD integration and game/app store shows how badly Nintendo want to compete with Apple and the iPhone but they are risking making some major mistakes here and the biggest one is iterating again on hardware. You had the necessary move to the DSL which was understandable but is this move as necessary? The DSL is enormously successful and the cross gender appeal has ensured it to be the premier console, is a camera and few other things really going to make people buy ANOTHER one?

The Wii, I can look and admit it's not for me. This...I cannot see who it's for at all.

HazukiSan said:
Wow, I must say the DSi sounds...rubbish! Thinner is fine as is the SD ability but the screen quality on DSL is perfect for purpose and the speakers aren\'t so bad. The camera quality is WOEFUL and it\'ll be fun watching the integration with Wii Photo Channel, watching those blocky poor resoultion pics on big screen.
This move reeks of Not knowing what to do with success, namely the DS success. The SD integration and game/app store shows how badly Nintendo want to compete with Apple and the iPhone but they are risking making some major mistakes here and the biggest one is iterating again on hardware. You had the necessary move to the DSL which was understandable but is this move as necessary? The DSL is enormously successful and the cross gender appeal has ensured it to be the premier console, is a camera and few other things really going to make people buy ANOTHER one?

The Wii, I can look and admit it\'s not for me. This...I cannot see who it\'s for at all.

WTF, are you serious, it\'s exactly what needed to happen for better compatibility between the Wii.

The 3m camera will perform it\'s intended uses just fine within GAMES, as was seen with the GB version. Why assume it will be used for implanting images into the Photo Channel?. Most people already have digital camera, which is why Nintendo created the Photo Channel in the first place. This camera will be used for games first and foremost. I fail to see why Nintendo need to put a 6m camera or the likes on a DS.

The Wii will no doubt have it\'s own camera in the future anyway.

WTF again. Nintendo do not compete with anyone over handheld games, certainly not Apple who have barely entered the market!.

The I phone user base, Vs millions of DS users will mean Nintendo will win without even trying to \"compete\", as you say.

The larger screens are something that will now cater for the elder audience that complained previously. It will mean some games like Ninja Gaiden will now easier to play. This could now mean more action orientated games as a result.

( Edited 02.10.2008 04:49 by Linkyshinks )

I can tell you, from using an R4, if the sound chip is not beefed up a LOT then the sound quality will be as sucky as it is right now. Frankly this seems like an pretty pointless update. 2.6mm thinner? At the cost of the GBA cart...? And the store will probably be as much of a rip off as the VC, though good for those who are so against pirating old games. Doesn't seem like they're doing much.

knighty said:
I can tell you, from using an R4, if the sound chip is not beefed up a LOT then the sound quality will be as sucky as it is right now. Frankly this seems like an pretty pointless update. 2.6mm thinner? At the cost of the GBA cart...? And the store will probably be as much of a rip off as the VC, though good for those who are so against pirating old games. Doesn't seem like they're doing much.

Well I think it will what with the increased music playback ability. The increase in space due to the removal of the GBA internals means onboard memory capacity, besides GBA is dead now, it's high time to move on. Most of the DS userbase do not play GBA games.

Guitar Hero On Tour wont be able to be played on this.

It\'s probably worth it to note that the DSi will most likely not be a complete replacement for the DS Lite.

Most of DSi\'s features are geared towards peeps who don\'t already own a DS. It\'s the same reason they have the Wii channels - add in certain other day to day features, and try to make the Wii more appealing and useful to people who might even refuse to game.

The model is essentially the reverse of 360/PS3/PSP. Instead of shoehorning in all the functionality at the beginning, on a large audience who don\'t care/want it, and upping the cost, size etc. sell the base unit first. As time goes on, redesigns and new features work towards gaining new customers (but still for the purpose of getting them to buy games, rather than just trying to be an all encompassing set top box kind of device).

The idea this competes directly with PSP or iPhone is a bit silly. The DS has outclassed the PSP in sales, and the iPhone is never bought with the intention of buying games, nor are there any genuinely \"must have\" or \"killer\" titles that act as system sellers. They\'re at most a bonus in terms of the iPhone. They\'ll take away competing cell phone game business, but nothing from the DS. If that weren\'t true then DS would\'ve been hit by iPhone sales because people would want that instead.

Also, how bad quality do you think 3mp is Hazuki? My phone is about that and comes out with moderately good quality pics at 1280 x 1024. SD is less than that, Hell, 720p is barely that, and it\'s not like the Photo Channel constantly has them in full screen.

Correction: My phone is LESS than that when checking. 1.3mp.

Hazuki, read up on Blue Ocean Strategy. If you want to know what Nintendo is trying to do with DS, that\'s it.

( Edited 02.10.2008 06:24 by Modplan Man )

Also, how bad quality do you think 3mp is Hazuki?

It\'s 0.3, not 3. Though 640x480 still isn\'t that bad I guess. It\'s still one of the features I\'m most excited about. I have my DS on me more often than my phone, and my phone takes terrible quality photos, has only 5MB memory and has no way to transfer them to my PC. And I\'m not buying a new phone, I barely use the one I have. So a decent camera in the DS is cool for me.

Any word on how big the internal memory is yet? Hopefully it\'s not stupidly small. At least if it directly reads SD cards it might not matter too much. And hopefully they\'ve learnt from the Wii\'s memory problems.

( Edited 02.10.2008 06:35 by Ikana )

So, what will be available on the DSi download wise? I think for me, that will sell the console.

Old GB/GBC games? Or dlc? I think it'd be worth it. Who knows, maybe even NES games will be playable on the DS from the Wii, it's like PSN for PSP and PS3.

I see camera not being used, or being used in the same way as the GB Camera. As for screen size, it's a little pointless, unless Nintendo start making games that still run on a DSL, but use the bigger screens when played on a DSi.

Ach, my bad. Mixed reporting in some places.

Apparently there\'s 2 cameras?

Christ, I wish these reports would clear up.

http://uk.ds.ign.com/articles/915/915510p1.html

In addition to the physical changes, Nintendo has updated the system\'s interface menu to reflect some newly included software. You\'ll initially be able to access the following programs from the main menu: DSi Camera, DSi Sound, DSi Shop, Picto Chat, and download play. The menu also has icons for starting up a game off cartridge and accessing system settings.

The DSi\'s menu is akin to the Wii Channel interface in that new programs can be downloaded and added to the interface. It\'s unclear how many programs can be downloaded, but the interface does provide an \"all view\" button allowing you to view all included software at a glance.

Select DSi Camera from the menu, and you\'ll quickly transform your system into a digital camera. Pics that you\'ve taken can be transferred via SD card to your PC and cell phone. You can also send snaps between two DSi systems wirelessly.

In typical Nintendo fashion, the camera will include some game elements. Among the fun features are a facial blending tool, a method for changing facial expressions, and a means of measuring similarity between two faces. The camera itself can be set to take pics in a variety of modes, including normal mode, \"trick\" mode, and frame mode.

Select the DSi Sound option from the menu, and you\'ll have yourself a mini music player, complete with a variety of visualizers and audio tools. The system can remove vocals, allowing you to sing along for yourself. Nintendo also appears to have included a built in Band Bros. of sorts, as you can tap buttons along with the rhythm in order to overlay sounds. You can also record 10 second audio samples through the system\'s microphone for use in your music sessions.

Unfortunately, those looking for MP3 support are out of luck. The DSi Sound program will only support AAC format.

Finally, there\'s the DSi Shop, a program that serves as the DS version of the Wii Shopping Channel. You\'ll be able to download free and paid programs from this under the \"Nintendo DSiWare\" label. Two free programs have been mentioned by Nintendo, an internet browser and a digital notebook that lets you create moving comics.

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=249483

You\'ll be able to take pictures with the DSi, save them to SD card and view them on your TV via the Wii.

[...]

The handheld\'s audio capabilities have been improved - you can now adjust the pitch and playback of sound. This is designed to help with language study and improve the experience of listening to music,

It has 2 cameras!

( Edited 02.10.2008 06:45 by Modplan Man )

Thanks for that Modplan, sounds good. Liking the sound of the free programs.

And yeah, I think there\'s a camera on the outside and one on the inside.

( Edited 02.10.2008 06:47 by Ikana )

BTW guys.

What is the point of the bigger screens? Seriously?

My guess is that some games wil have the option to use them, but it's so slight is there even a point? Not to mention it could make older games look worse with a black border around them...

Of all the things about the new DS, the screen has to be the worst IMO.

Every other site has it different. Doesn\'t help that there are liveblogs of the liveblogs so reports just get repeated to infinite and no one knows what anymore.

Seems confirmed to be 0.3:

http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2008/10/02/nintendo-announces-dsi/

Everybody needs to read this, now is the perfect time:

http://malstrom.50webs.com/shield.htm

E: The black border appears to be just plastic around the screen. Look at the picture of the game itself - it\'s bigger than the DSL one. The screens do not have increased resolution, just inches (a quarter of an inch I think).

( Edited 02.10.2008 06:59 by Modplan Man )

Wonder if it\'s capable of recording/playing videos? I hope so...but it doesn\'t seem like it will...

And I\'m not really bothered about the bigger screens, the difference is really hard to see imo, even with a DSi and DSL next to each other for comparison...

( Edited 02.10.2008 07:08 by Ikana )

SuperLink said:
BTW guys.

What is the point of the bigger screens? Seriously?

My guess is that some games wil have the option to use them, but it\'s so slight is there even a point? Not to mention it could make older games look worse with a black border around them...

Of all the things about the new DS, the screen has to be the worst IMO.

Linkyshinks said-

The larger screens are something that will now cater for the elder audience that complained previously. It will also mean some games like Ninja Gaiden will now easier to play. This could now mean more action orientated games as a result.

( Edited 02.10.2008 07:25 by Linkyshinks )

By the way guys, you know what it means when:

1) The GBA slot is removed
2) The system has SD storage
3) The system has a DS \'store\'

Virtual Gameboy is as good as confirmed.

( Edited 02.10.2008 13:45 by Jacob4000 )

Jacob4000 said:
By the way guys, you know what it means when:

1) The GBA slot is removed
2) The system has SD storage
3) The system has a DS 'store'

Virtual Gameboy is as good as confirmed.

Will be awesome if true and will force me to buy one.

I want to see the DSi with Skype. It would be great if I could use the microphone and camera to make video calls. I hope it gets a firmware update too, so it can play video as well as music off the SD card.

I bet the makers of Guitar Hero on Tour are a bit miffed though. Who's gonna buy their game if you can't use the grip with it?

I like it, but I am sad to see GBA compatibility gone.

Iwata told us this was going to happen a year ago!

Modplan Man said:
E: The black border appears to be just plastic around the screen. Look at the picture of the game itself - it\'s bigger than the DSL one. The screens do not have increased resolution, just inches (a quarter of an inch I think).

Linkyshinks said:
The larger screens are something that will now cater for the elder audience that complained previously. It will also mean some games like Ninja Gaiden will now easier to play. This could now mean more action orientated games as a result.

Dunno why so many people are sad to see the GBA compatibility gone either... why you\'d sell your GBA/SP/micro is beyond me, since they\'re way better for playing GBA games than the DS is

( Edited 02.10.2008 10:02 by SuperLink )

( Edited 02.10.2008 10:40 by Linkyshinks )

Just noticed this - I can't find a volume slider anywhere.

I'm not going to like it if you can only change the volume through an in game menu or something.

But wait, fans of Miyamoto-style gardening. The Pikmin Wii whose first screenshot you\'ll find in our media gallery below is actually just the GameCube version upped a bit to Wii spec.

Pikmin is just one game in Nintendo\'s new Wii De Asobu Selection lineup, which translates to \"Play on the Wii Selection.\" This series will consist of GameCube games updated with Wiimote controls.

Seven titles are currently on the way for the lineup. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat kicks things off on December 11, and will be followed by Pikmin on December 25. In 2009, Nintendo plans on releasing Chibi Robo!, Pikmin 2, Mario Tennis GC, Metroid Prime, and Metroid Prime 2 Dark Echoes.

These titles will be offered at budget pricing. While we\'re not sure just yet of the prices for all the games, Pikmin will sell for 3,800 yen, making it 2,000 yen less than your typical first part Wii title.

So it\'s not quite Pikmin Wii to be sure, but at least it\'s Pikmin running on the Wii! Get your first look in our media gallery.

http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/915/915529p1.html?RSSwhen2008-10-02_043800&RSSid=915529

On the other hand, the DSi features several advancements and upgrades. It includes, for example, a built-in .3-megapixel camera (capable of maximum picture-taking resolutions of 640x480). DSi owners will be able to use special software to fully edit pictures snapped with the camera using the stylus and the device\'s touch-screen. Meanwhile, the handheld will feature an SD card slot and the ability to play AAC music and other sound files. Users will be able to use the stylus and touch-screens to change the pitch and playback speed of music.

Nintendo noted that DSi owners will be able to connect wirelessly to the DS Shop, where they can use Nintendo Points to buy and download games and software to internal memory aboard the system. This type of downloadable software is called DSWare. Software will be separated into four categories: Free, 200 Points, 500 Points and Premium (800 Points). If you connect even once to the Shop by March 2010, Nintendo will give you 1,000 free Points as a present.

Select your music tracks, and then listen on DS, complete with Nintendo screensavers on the top screen.
The DS web browser will also be built into DSi.

Stateside DS owners will have already heard and possibly even sampled Nintendo\'s DS Download Stations, situated at various participating retailers across America (and Japan, for that matter). These kiosks, which enable users to download software to their DS, have gone into \"phase two,\" according to Nintendo. They will be featured at McDonald\'s in the future.

Wii Sizzle Reel - Punch Out, Cosmic Walker, and more. Also: The DSi.

DSi will be released in white, matte black, and will go on sale November 1 for 18900 yen ($180 U.S.). This is only for Japan. No U.S. date has been confirmed, although we fully expect NOA to announce a firm date at its own conference, scheduled to take place in mere hours.

Nintendo concluded the DSi portion of the event by showing off a couple of games, most notably Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time, a DS game that will also be playable on Wii, presumably in the same way that GBA Four Swords could also be played on GameCube. No wires, though, obviously -- and thankfully.

Sexy time!
To address the lack of Wii system memory, Mr. Iwata announced that future Wii software can be downloaded directly to the SD memory card. Finally! It will also be possible to easily move software from SD card to the Wii system memory. Say good-bye to the weekly cleaning of the fridge, in other words. The only bad news? This long-anticipated option will not become available to Wii owners until spring 2009.

To increase the ratio of Internet-connected Wiis in Japan, Nintendo revealed it\'s making available a three-minute demo movie with the machine, called \"What\'s Possible With Wii.\" A specific Wi-Fi adapter will be sold -- we presume a Nintendo-made device.

Nintendo will also offer a referral bonus of 500 free Wii Points for consumers who successfully convince their friends and family to buy Wii.

Nintendo showed off the latest version of Animal Crossing: City Folk, which can utilize data from the DS version and also supports Miis. We already knew all of this. There\'ll be a version in Japan bundled with Wii Speak. The package will go on sale November 20 for 7,800 yen.

[...]

Games shown in the above montage: Let\'s Tap from SEGA. 428 from SEGA. Family Ski World Ski and Snowboard from Namco / Bandai. Karaoke Joysound from Hudson. Taiko no Tatsujin Wii from Namco / Bandai. Tenchu 4 from From Software. Harvest Moon: Waku Waku Animal March from Marvelous. Rune Factory Frontier from Marvelous. And Shape Boxing Wii de Enjoyment by Rocket Company.

The montage also shows 2009 games from Nintendo: Wii Sports Resort. Punch-Out!! Another Code: R. Supaan Smasher. Dynamic Shin (working title). Tact of Magic. Kensakusu. Cosmic Walker (this game already looks amazing). Sin and Punishment 2. Forever Blue: Beautiful Ocean. NHK Quiz. And Line Attack Heroes. We repeat: these are all Wii games from Nintendo.

We\'re going to have much more on these games and more from the American presentations soon, but we have to note that we\'re already pleasantly surprised by the announcements made. It\'s clear that 2009 is shaping up to be one of Wii\'s biggest years.

http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/915/915504p1.html

Marumasa:

Klonoa:

Forever Blue 2:

( Edited 02.10.2008 11:58 by Modplan Man )