Nintendo has quickly confirmed that the DSi LL will ship outside of Japan. A British representative explains that the larger handheld, named in a statement as the "DSi XL," should reach at least Europe sometime in the first quarter of 2010, or before the end of March. The contact isn't ready to supply pricing but does say it will cost more than the DSi when it goes on sale.
Nintendo quickly confirmed rumors today by unveiling the DSi LL. Its screens have increased by more than an inch to 4.2 inches each and are seen as better for Internet access as well as for gameplay. It also gets a larger, more comfortable second stylus and a battery life that increases from 2.5 hours to three during active gameplay.
A report originating from the Japanese financial newspaper Nikkei claims that Nintendo is readying an updated DSi featuring a 4-inch display. If true, the revamped device would exceed the current model's screen by ¾ of an inch. The company is reportedly making the adjustment in response to user feedback, while accommodating older users who have complained of problems using the smaller size.
The iPhone platform could overtake rivals Nintendo and Sony for the lead in growing handheld gaming in as little as five years, a DFC Intelligence report says. The analyst group believes portable hardware from the Japanese companies is likely to still lead in terms of sheer units in the future but believes growth has "peaked" for devices like the DSi or PSP Go where Apple's platform is still climbing quickly. By 2014, the iPhone and iPod touch are expected to be the only major devices still seeing significant growth.
Nintendo's next-generation DS may be powerful enough to rival the current iPod touch in terms of power if a purported source is accurate. Contacts at BSN say NVIDIA has won a contract with Nintendo to use a variant of the Tegra chipset in a future handheld. Which model would be used is unknown, but it's still expected to be a single-chip design and may be a second-generation Tegra rather than the existing component.
SanDisk on Wednesday announced it has released memory cards meant specifically for portable gaming systems such as Sony's PSP Go and PSP as well as the Nintendo DSi. All significantly boost the storage capacity of said systems, with the PSP Go's capacity doubled by the new 16GB Memory Stick Micro M2 card. There is a 32GB Memory Stick PRO Duo and a Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo of the same capacity for the PSP from Sony, while the DSi gets an 8GB SDHC card.
Nintendo today treated buyers of the Wii and DSi with a mix of new hardware and software. The former's web browser, also known as the Internet Channel, is now free to use instead of paying the 500 Wii Points ($5) necessary from July 2007 onwards. On top of eliminating the price, the console maker has upgraded to a newer version of Adobe's Flash for better support of video and other web features.
A leak today hints that a true second-generation PSP is in development that could have graphics better than the iPhone 3GS and last-generation consoles. The Spanish branch of Eurogamer claims to have internal Sony information that the next handheld will use a PowerVR SGX543MP4 graphics core closely related to the SGX535 found in the iPhone but which should be even faster. Where the chip used by Apple renders a maximum 28 million polygons per second, the PSP's hardware is a quad-core part and would draw 133 million polygons and allow for much more complicated 3D scenes.
Sony spokesman Al De Leon today teased that Sony is considering downloads of non-game software for the PSP. In an early demo of the upcoming PSP Go, De Leon told Crave that most of the downloads from the soon to be expanded PlayStation Network store will be games but that there's a chance "non-gaming applications" will be available. What these would entail isn't mentioned, but Sony already incorporates utilities such as Skype in PSP firmware.
Nintendo in a late E3 update today added special colors for the Wii and DSi in its home country. Normally only available in white, the Wii will now come in a special black; the DSi has already been available in multiple colors but will get a bright red color trim. Both should sell at the same prices as regular colors.
Sony this afternoon confirmed the existence of the PSP Go, its first major redesign of its handheld console. The new slider design reflects a shift towards download-only content and drops the UMD disc loader entirely in favor of 16GB of built-in flash memory that helps it slim down. Users can either download software directly over Wi-Fi or transfer it from a PC or PS3. A Memory Stick Micro slot gives it extra room. The PSP Go also gets Bluetooth to pair with headsets or cellphones themselves for communications.
PC and games console peripherals maker Nyko has recently announced the upcoming release of two new peripherals, the Zoom Case for the portable Nintendo DSi gaming system and the Type Pad Pro for the Nintendo Wii console. The former adds an 8x optical zoom to the DSi's 640x480 camera thanks to a detachable lens and has the added benefit of protecting the DSi as it wraps it entirely.
Nintendo entered into the world of portable exercise hardware on Wednesday through the imminent launch of its latest addition to Personal Trainer: Walking game for the DS and DSi. Each copy of the game will ship with two Activity Meters, or advanced pedometers, that sync wirelessly with the gaming system and count and record steps during a given period of time. The game's software then converts these into statistics. Each Activity Meter can store up to seven days of data, while the DS/DSi game card can hold up to five years' worth of downloaded data. A single game card can store four users and their data.
Accessories maker Thrustmaster has recently introduced two upcoming accessories for the new Nintendo DSi with the T-Standee Charger and T-Strap Charger. The former charges the DSi via a standard wall plug and doubles as an adjustable stand that can hold the device in either landscape or portrait orientation. The T-Strap Charger replaces the standard carrying strap of the DSi and can be removed to charge the portable gaming console from any USB port.
Nintendo may indeed putting pressure on its stable of game developers to compete with the iPhone, the iPod touch and the App Store, according to industry sources. Attendees at this week's Nintendo Developer Conference in London are said to have been told that the company wants a variety of smaller titles for its DS Shop and DSi Ware services, set to accompany Nintendo's DSi handheld when it launches in the US on April 5th. Unusually, Nintendo also wants a number of non-gaming apps available, the sources claim.
Nintendo on Wednesday announced its recently-announced DSi portable gaming device will soon be available in pink, green and metallic green in addition to the traditional white and black. In its home market of Japan, the new colors of the DSi will be available on March 20th, while previously mentioned black and blue versions of the system will come to North America on April 5th. Black and white DSis will ship in Europe on April 3rd and Australia on April 2nd. Nintendo has not mentioned when the new colors will launch in these regions, however. The black and white DSis are currently available in Japan.
Nintendo this morning gave the DSi its official release details for the US. The console will reach the country on April 5th for $170 in light blue and black color options. This undercuts the original Japanese pricing and sets up the device as Nintendo's response to increasing pressure from combination game and media devices like Sony's PSP and Apple's iPod touch. It expands the DS Lite with an SD card slot for music playback and audio recording, and carries both back and user-facing cameras that allow self-portraits as well as traditional photography.
A Friday leak seems to confirm earlier rumors that Nintendo's DSi handheld gaming console is coming by the spring or summer of this year to both Europe and North America. The confirmation comes by way of a supposed company document from a product briefing document on the video game maker's website. The DSi was already launched in its home market of Japan in November.
Nintendo's DSi handheld could surface in the US as soon as the start of April, a leak from IGN claims. Multiple purported sources from within Nintendo say partners are being advised of an early April ship date, most likely April 4th, and that the system will cost significantly more than the stock DS Lite with a $180 price tag versus $130 for the earlier console. The dual-camera system, SD card slot and extra software all contribute to the cost.
Claims of leaked early details for a Wii HD console are false, Nintendo of America head Reggie Fils-Aime says in a new interview with VentureBeat. The rumor, which described an upgraded console fast enough to output HD video and with permanent storage, is described as "pure rumor and speculation" by the executive that has been misinterpreted as fact by some outlets. Fils-Aime doesn't deny an eventual update but debunks the notion that Nintendo would gauge first reactions to an update by showing a prototype to developers.
Nintendo this morning carried on a transformation of the DS handheld into a full-fledged media device with the DSi. The update to the once gaming-only system adds an SD card slot and 512MB of internal memory that are both key to significantly expanded features that put it into closer contention with the iPod touch and other media devices with gaming as a central feature. An outer three-megapixel camera and inner VGA (0.3 megapixels) camera that can respectively be used to snap outside photos or personal portraits; built-in image apps and games alike can use the feature.
