Topic: New Nintendo Portable...when?

[NWR_insanolord]

I don't think releasing something now and making Sony respond is the right way to do it. Why not just wait it out, raking in the cash, until Sony makes a new handheld on their own. Then, when it's about to come out Nintendo announces their DS follow-up that's a lot better. Do to Sony and their next handheld what Sony did to the Dreamcast.

[SixthAngel]

They won't release anything for years and have no reason to.

The DS is still selling extremely well.  The only reason Nintendo will actually replace this phenomenon is if not only the system sales drop but the software as well.

Nintendo just proved that graphics don't matter and the upgrade needs something more then improved graphical quality.  The multi point touch screen makes sense but I don't see it having many practical uses beyond the original screen.  It certainly isn't worth buying a new system.

You are still stuck in the old generation mind set of releasing a new console when better graphics are available.  The Nintendo portables never completely followed these rules and now with the whole blue ocean strategy Nintendo showed they and customers need a new reason to upgrade.

[Chozo Ghost]

Also like mentioned already, if it plays the old games, what is the difference?

I'm with Ian on this one. The difference is that Nintendo would start making new games which wouldn't work on the current DS, and that would be a kick in the teeth for those who just recently purchased a DS.

Also, if Nintendo was planning on releasing a new handheld in 2010, then they need to wait until E3 of 2010 to announce it, because if they announce it now Sony will have plenty of time to start ripping off whatever features they announce for it, and consumers would also refuse to buy the DS, because they are aware something more capable is on the horizon.

IMHO, it would make much more sense for Nintendo to come out with a new hardware revision for the DS, rather than a successor. I'm sure they could find a way to make it smaller, have some built in storage capacity for VC games, rumble support, MP3 playback, et cetera... None of the games for it should be incompatible with current DS models, though.

[Chozo Ghost]

They won't release anything for years and have no reason to.

The DS is still selling extremely well.  The only reason Nintendo will actually replace this phenomenon is if not only the system sales drop but the software as well.

Nintendo just proved that graphics don't matter and the upgrade needs something more then improved graphical quality.  The multi point touch screen makes sense but I don't see it having many practical uses beyond the original screen.  It certainly isn't worth buying a new system.

You are still stuck in the old generation mind set of releasing a new console when better graphics are available.  The Nintendo portables never completely followed these rules and now with the whole blue ocean strategy Nintendo showed they and customers need a new reason to upgrade.

I agree 100%. In the console arena, we have seen  that the graphically weaker system almost always wins (with some exceptions). But in the handheld arena, this is even more true. The Gamegear was a color system which got its ass kicked handedly by the spinach screened Gameboy, and that was the same way with the Atari Lynx and Wonderswan and everything else that popped up to challenge it. Now it's true with the DS, which is about a generation behind the PSP as far as graphics are concerned, but look how much better the DS is doing.

As you said, the main reason to upgrade hardware is for more graphics, but when it comes to a handheld system people prefer something which is simple and doesn't eat up batteries too much. I think the DS accomplishes that very well, and its selling extremely well so I don't see what Nintendo would gain by pulling the plug on something which is such a money maker for them.

Nintendo should let Sony make the first move into the next generation, because that way when the PSP2's features are frozen, then Nintendo can amaze everyone with some new kickass innovations that Sony will no longer be able to steal. Many people are saying Nintendo needs to come out with their handheld first, but that's a bad idea because Sony will rip ideas off it for their own thing. There's a very good reason why Nintendo is paranoid and secretive about their hardware, because look at what Sony did to them in the past.

[KDR_11k]

Ipod Video seems to differ.

Apple released the regular IPods and then added Video, which was a new service. 

I am actually surprised my post started much debate...but I am seeing that perhaps Nintendo could wait until 2010 for a new model.  I figured it would be smart not to allow the approaching competition to even get a chance to get a hold in the market.

I really like the idea of new DS having a feature that makes it something worth keeping on you at all times...and a camera is a perfect function for that.  I don't want to make the DS a portable media player of movies and music and such...but if it could store pictures that you can upload to your Wii (Wii 2) or even send to your computer some how that would be a nice feature.  Obviously, a portable Virtual Console would be incredible move for Nintendo to make...though Nintendo would probably limit it to some degree.  (I could see the same 512MB limit for DS 2 storage...though truthfully that would be fine by me, and more than enough.) 

As for graphics.  I do not think a portable needs to be top of the graphics chain to be successful, but it needs to be cheap, and acceptable.  So by 2010 I would expect something around PS2 to better quality.  Yeah, I know the PSP already does that...but it is more expensive and doesn't have the other attributes I think will need to be in the new DS.

1)Camera built in.
2)Multi-Touch Touch Screen 
3)512MB-1Gig storage for virtual Console Games
4)Backwards compatibility for current DS games.
5)Motion Based Control Mechanics Built in.


I really like the Skype Idea...and Nintendo could partner to get a internet browser with Wifi connect built into the system (Not taking away from the 512MB-1Gig storage obviously...but I think the Skype service would be much better sold separately. 

2010 may be a good year to launch this...or move my time frame some and launch it in Japan in November 2009 and Summer in America 2010.  

Why the hell would you want Nintendo to create a cellphone?

[Spak-Spang]

I don't want them to make a cell phone.  The Skype idea was from someone else, and I decided it would be a good idea for an add on game, if you already had built in internet feature...or at least Wifi.  Why not?  It would allow another reason to carry the system on you wherever you go...but if Skype was built in...it could be designed so that Skype acts as the chat program for all games...and that could be super cool. 

The Camera is for the same reason...with a nice easy interface and the ability to possibly do simple editing a DS photo application right now would be cool...imagine what it could be like on the next DS built in.

The Blue Ocean strategy works for Wii and DS, because it adds features and functions that people want to play with...or seem useful to them.  The DS 2 would be on you all the time, if you realized it was a good camera and had the ability to do free calls if you like.  I would rather my child have that then a cell phone. 

But again these are just ideas. 

Also, I am beginning to agree with you about 2010...but I do think that it is not fair to compare the Game Boy generation to current day.  technology wasn't advancing as affordably and quickly back then.  Look how long the original NES lasted compared to current generation systems.

We may actually be slowing down again soon as we are possibly reaching a plateau...for home consoles, but we aren't there yet for portable technology.

[Adrock]

I've advocated the idea of a camera for a while, but I can't see Nintendo going through with it. Think of how many more upskirt pics and vids that'd produce. Nintendo is out to pretect children all over the world. Sure, people have cell-phones, but that kind of thinking seems beyond Nintendo. If they made that much sense, we wouldn't still be complaining about Friend Codes, now would we?

[DAaaMan64]

Ya some sort of GameBoy Camera is stupid, unless there was some sort of GameBoy Printer I could print pictures from Zelda games with.

[AV]

11/22/09 NA, Europe
12/6/09 Japan

That is before Thanksgiving for USA and first Sunday of December for Japan.

It will have same tilt technology used in the nunchuck
It will have built in rumble
It will have almost GAMECUBE level graphics
Use 2.5 gig size cards for games
1 gig internal storage
All the channels Wii has plus some more
Online ready pictochat
1 USB 2.0 slot

[Chozo Ghost]

What if Nintendo just made a portable Wii?  It could have teeny tiny little wii-mote thing which would allow you to motion control stuff on the tiny portable screen.

[Ceric]

I just want a much much more ergonomic DS.  3-D screen... Come on... Some Haptics...  Then the horspower upgrade.

[GoldenPhoenix]

I really don't think a new Nintendo Portable will be revealed this year, perhaps next year though.

[animecyberrat]

Times have changed though, since GBC, look how much time passed to GBA, then DS. Now is about on schedule for them to make something new.

[Kairon]

Why would you want to waggle something you're looking at!?!?!

[Spak-Spang]

Waggle+Screen+Nintendo=Insane Innovation -3rd parties that can't figure it out at all.

[animecyberrat]

motion controls for a handheld, probably not, but maybe something like that tilt stuff they did a while back.

[KDR_11k]

A camera is stupid, everyone has one on their cellphone anyway and there's no point in adding that to the system.

[nickmitch]

Maybe we'll see how motion controls on a handheld work when the iPhone 2.0 firmware hits.

[Kairon]

Maybe we'll see how motion controls on a handheld work when the iPhone 2.0 firmware hits.

Nintendo beat to the market! Oh noes!!!

[EasyCure]

Ya some sort of GameBoy Camera is stupid, unless there was some sort of GameBoy Printer I could print pictures from Zelda games with.

hey i loved those pictures. i wish i had the stupid printer so i could make stickers out of them

What if Nintendo just made a portable Wii?  It could have teeny tiny little wii-mote thing which would allow you to motion control stuff on the tiny portable screen.

i'm imagining a wiimote like IR pointer on a small stylus so it can still be touch screen. The only benefit i can see from that however is doing things on screen w/o letting your hand/stylus get in the way of the action.

[Chozo Ghost]

Waggle+Screen+Nintendo=Insane Innovation -3rd parties that can't figure it out at all.

Why would you want to waggle something you're looking at!?!?!

You wouldn't waggle the portable. I was thinking they could have some little wii-mote thing which would be about the size of a laser pointer or something, and would have just 1 or 2 buttons and run on a tiny rechargable battery, and it could snap into the portable when not in use.

You really don't think something like that could be done?

[Kairon]

That'd be interesting...and it'd have a button on top so you could hold it upside-down pen style and click it?

[Chozo Ghost]

That'd be interesting...and it'd have a button on top so you could hold it upside-down pen style and click it?

I dunno... but wouldn't that be cool if it could also double as a stylus?

DS Stylus + Wii-mote combined = Awesome innovation for the next Nintendo handheld!

[KDR_11k]

It's called a Wacom.

Anyway, I don't think multi-part portables are a good idea.

[Crimm]

New handheld announced: 2010

Will feature no controls in order to simplify gaming.  The game will control itself.  Easily accessible to everyone.