News: Nintendo DS Launch & Price
Posted 21 Sep 2004 at 15:12 by guest
Yeah! Head inside for more information about the DS. I'm a happy man�
There you are. The upcoming Nintendo DS will make its worldwide debut in North America on November 21 and after that in Japan on December 2. The price of the unit will be at $149.99, much lower than the $199 rumoured. DS will be the first Nintendo system to make a debut outside its home, Japan.
"Nintendo's mission remains unchanged: expand the game experience," Satoru Iwata, president of Nintendo Co., Ltd stated. "Nintendo DS is the road map to the future of video games, and most clearly demonstrates the type of innovation that players demand."
Moreover the Nintendo DS comes with the PictoChat application built-in. Yes sir. You are reading right. PictoChat was already rumoured to be embedded in the system hardware and now it is officially confirmed. This application allows DS owners to write messages with an on-screen keyboard or the stylus and send them wirelessly to other DS users nearby. Nintendo DS in sleep mode can spring to life if another DS is in transmitting range so the users can communicate.
"Each time Nintendo creates a hand-held, it introduces new elements of play and sets a new standard for mobile gaming," Larry Probst, EA's chairman and CEO said. "The DS is no exception - Nintendo has another big winner with the DS."
Nintendo DS has a flip-top cover that can protect both screens. It has two speakers that let users hear surround sound, while its dual screens opens new ways to play games. Nintendo DS sits 148.7 millimetres (5.85 inches) wide, 84.7 millimetres (3.33 inches) long and 28.9 millimetres (1.13 inches) tall (with the cover closed). The new media format for games has no moving parts that could be misaligned if the unit is dropped or jarred and also gives the DS a long battery life.
Right now, more than 100 companies have signed on to create games for DS, while Nintendo itself is developing 20 titles. Electronic Arts, the world's largest independent software developer and publisher, has announced that its powerhouse franchises of Madden NFL, The URBZ: Sims in the City, Need for Speed Underground, Tiger Woods and GoldenEye will be available for the Nintendo DS platform.
Update: According to USA today the Nintendo DS price, includes a copy of the game Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt, the demo version of Metroid Prime Hunters. Not to be confused, the PictoChat application will be built-in the hardware, whereas the Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt will be a Game Card that you can insert in the DS software port. That's really a nice move from Nintendo and with that low price we can expect some very strong sales of the hardware.
