DS Daily: New DS or 'new' DS?

by JC Fletcher { Aug 28th 2008 at 9:00AM }

Rumors of new DS hardware keep popping up and, like errant plastic moles, they get bopped by the tethered mallet of, uh, Nintendo's unwillingness to respond to rumors. No matter what Nintendo doesn't say, we can expect some kind of new DS system at some point in the future.

Would you rather see a new refresh of the current DS, made to play the same games that current systems do, or a new DS that plays new games? A DS Liter or a DS 2, so to speak? Are you ready for developers to move on to an upgraded system?

Tags: hardware, redesign

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

thisguyrighthere @ Aug 28th 2008 9:35AM

I've just learned to appreciate my DS having picked up an R4 but if they're going to redesign it the only changes that would be worth while to me would be making it less expensive or fixing the PSP's major goof and jam some analog sticks on it.

Those are the only things that concern me.

Nintendo would be better off attracting some more adult games to the system. One can really have too many virtual pets and crosswords. It's obvious from Dementium, Call of Duty 4 and Brothers in Arms that the DS can do it and do it pretty well. So why don't they? FPS's on the DS are pretty awesome with the stylus. FPS's on the PSP are complete garbage. The PSP seems to be in its last days so now Nintendo can grab up all of those who feel let down by the PSP's more mature games strangled by a terrible control scheme.

Will they or will I get to look forward to more virtual pets and sudoku?

Kimiko @ Aug 28th 2008 9:32AM

A new DS2 (or whatever it'll be called) with backward compatibility for the current DS games.

Now can we please cease this speculation? It seems like this topic is rehashed twice every week now �_�

ajwalker @ Aug 28th 2008 3:59PM

Agreed.

Nintendo is positively, absolutely, no shadow of a doubt, going to come out with a new DS at some point.

I'm willing to wager the announcement will be made after the 2008 Holiday shopping season is over so as to not cut into current sales.

It IS going to happen at some point, we don't need weekly "updates" on rumors and speculation for something that is as certain as the sun rising tomorrow.

Get some real news about it, fuzzy pre-production photos, real Nintendo sources, a worker in the factory building them, something substantial. Otherwise, this is just mindless speculation about an event that is sure to happen anyway.

Jimbob @ Aug 28th 2008 9:37AM

no, focus on the current ds please. ionno what a new one will provide. not to mention it should have a longer life that that of the usual handheld.

tamriel @ Aug 28th 2008 9:39AM

Nintendo has had a great tradition of backward compatibility with its handhelds. I think that if it proposed a DS2 of some sort, it would probably handle DS games just great, like our DS' handle GBA games right now.

Therefore, I am all for an upgraded handheld: it would drive the current DS prices lower and yield some more power for the developers to harness. I feel that developers have been held off by the limits of the current hardware recently:

- N+ developers mentioned in an interview that they regretted having only enough memory for a handful of downloaded levels.

- Bangai-O Spirits, as fun as it is, becomes rather choppy as soon as the heat is turned on. Yes, it is helpful to have a second to think about how to tackle a wave of missiles, but in my opinion, framerate drops should not be a gameplay feature.

So, DS2 hardware may lead to games as nice as those we love on current DS', with some more graphical prowess or AI complexity or storage capacity. I think this is highly exciting.

(OTOH, of course, if all Nintendo wants is for developers to churn out low-cost casual games, profitable niches and licenses and nostalgia remakes, the current DS needs no upgrading. It still prints money, after all.)

Mark (Plymouth) @ Aug 28th 2008 11:17AM

As long as they keep backwards compatability, with the present DS. I'd love a new and improved DS2. I'm not to bothered about backwards compatabilty with the GBA as there is such a back catalogue of DS games now.
If it came as something with multi touch technology and a PSP challenging resolution I'd buy it in a heart beat.
As for minor improvements thats the way sony seem to be going and loosing there way due to it.
Forward not sideways is the direction for me.

Tempered Reason @ Aug 28th 2008 9:53AM

So I'm cool with a DS refresh... but I prefer that Nintendo add features rather than subtract them. The word is that Nintendo might scrap the GBA slot.

What'd be better (and smarter) is to keep the current system horsepower, but add features akin to the PSP updates. Hell, they could add bigger or brighter screens, further reduce the size, add a TV-out, whatever... Maybe even take Pictochat online via WFC, or allow updates via firmware... but PLEASE don't remove the existing BC with GBA games.

What'd be really sweet (and I know that I'm just dreaming) would be for them to add a GBA-link port for good measure. I could then scrap my four GBA SPs. Or maybe allow transfer of existing Wii VC downloads to a special DS cart for playing on-the-go.

No, but all that might make too much sense for Nintendo.

Morning Toast @ Aug 28th 2008 10:09AM

Like the others, backward compatibility is key. However, as a somewhat new DS owner, it is a bummer to hear abandonment of the DS is already on the horizon.

Although with such a *huge* user base, I'd expect first gen DS games to be created/supported for a few years at least into any next gen DS life cycle.

Suichimo @ Aug 28th 2008 10:45AM

It has been out for four years now so news and rumors of a new DS shouldn't be a surprise at all. On top of that the DS was losing to the PSP for quite a while, in Japan, thanks to Monster Hunter Portable 2G 2nd and Nintendo tends to wait until their sales starts to slump to bring out a new system. Now their sales are coming back as it seems as though the PSP owners in Japan finally all have their copies of MH and don't need to buy it anymore. So the DS may last another year or two before we get a new one.

WalkingCarpet @ Aug 28th 2008 10:23AM

A DS 2 all the way with backward compatibility with the current gen DS games. Put an extra slot on there like they did for the GBA games or something.

adm15 @ Aug 28th 2008 10:56AM

I think that the present ds is fine... it can still be innovated like how guitar hero was imported to it. What about this: an accelerometer add-on which which attaches to the the gba slot. Im sure nintendo has more ideas up its sleeve...

Egoien @ Aug 28th 2008 6:25PM

Personally, I'm ready for a completely new change, and add-ons can't possibly be the way to go. I'm kinda pissed off at Nintendo for making so many new things that we have to buy for our wiis (as an example). I mean, if all the innovation is in add-ons, upkeep becomes pretty expensive.

Roto13 @ Aug 28th 2008 11:03AM

Well I don't see a NEW new DS coming out any time soon since the current DS is still very profitable. If there's a redesign in '09, I probably won't bother to get it, since I have my Lite and it works fine.

When they do release a NEW new DS, though, I'm so there.

Mertruve @ Aug 28th 2008 12:05PM

"we can expect some kind of new DS system at some point in the future"
ROTFL.

Really, just stop.

Puddles @ Aug 28th 2008 11:17AM

There's really nothing worth changing about the DS Lite. If it were any smaller, it would be uncomfortable to hold.

Most likely, the next system we see will be a DS2, but there's no reason for Nintendo to rush that, since the DS is still going strong. Maybe in 1-2 years.

supa_s @ Aug 28th 2008 11:38AM

as long as this new DS uses the same games as the current DS, I'm okay with it. But honestly, the current DS is perfect as it. Having 2 touch screens is neat and all but meh...Too much of something may not always be a good thing

Thunderbird @ Aug 28th 2008 11:53AM

The current ds is selling really well so they shouldn't make a new one until it stops selling. When they do, it should be a redesign and not a new one because the graphics are already good and it's easy to develop for. They should make it more comfortable to hold even when you're holding it with one hand. And they should give it full backwards compatibility for all previous game boy games.

David Kearns @ Aug 28th 2008 11:57AM

I love my GBA micro. I know it wasn't really a commercial success (at least in the US), but a DS Micro would be awesome. Drop the GBA slot, shrink it down, boost the battery life, I'd drop $200 on that...

Conor @ Aug 28th 2008 12:24PM

I'd like a big refresh of the system with wifi added and support for memory cards so I can listen to music and watch videos as well as play games.

Also if they could make it more pocketsize as the current one is too thick for my liking.

Robert @ Aug 28th 2008 12:37PM

I still want a Gamecube portable.... the discs are small enough to warrant it if nintendo is adventerous enough...

MrTyzik @ Aug 28th 2008 1:00PM

Mostly, the DS is perfect. Nothing needs to change right now, just keep releasing the games. In the future, a DS 2 should have larger screens and both should be touch sensitive. Hardware backwards compatibility is required.

TurboFool @ Aug 28th 2008 1:14PM

I'm all for a new one with backward-compatibility. It seems reasonable, so why not improve upon it? I always expected bigger screens and both to go touch, so the latest rumors didn't surprise me. I'd love to see multi-touch, though.

Jacksons @ Aug 28th 2008 1:20PM

Totally new? If they obsolete my DS Lite after only 2 years, I will not support the next one.

aj @ Aug 28th 2008 2:00PM

Agree.

Creciente @ Aug 28th 2008 1:34PM

I would really like all consoles and handhelds to have longer lifespans.

m-p{3} @ Aug 28th 2008 1:43PM

As long as I can run homebrews and/or if Nintendo provide an alternative to Moonshell, I'm all for it.

BobTheElephant @ Aug 28th 2008 1:49PM

I'd most like to see a DS 2....a DS with better batteries and less scratched/brighter screens. I have had a DS from release day and it's a bit beaten up...if I was offered a DS that played all the same games but was 'new' I'd go for it this time around(seeing as I avoided the lites).

Robert Baldwin @ Aug 28th 2008 1:52PM

When they release a new one in a couple of years or so I want it to be backwards compatible like the current one, especially since some games and accessories take advantage of the GBA slot.
If I'm going to change from my Phat I want to have a good reason.

aj @ Aug 28th 2008 1:59PM

I just hope Nintendo, in the future, decides to abandon it's "let's force devs to adapt to having to use older tech in our consoles" philosophy.

I know that simply using the newest, best thing isn't always good, or good in itself, but having developers forced to work in such strict confines can also be bad. Give them more space to work. There will still be games like Izuna, but at the same time, if someone can make a game like Moon on the DS, what could they do if they had more hardware to work with?

aj @ Aug 28th 2008 2:05PM

.....that's not to imply that I want a 300$ handheld. No sir.

hydro @ Aug 28th 2008 2:27PM

this one is nicer
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=140261441527

Ralph @ Aug 28th 2008 3:01PM

How about some freaking WPA support, Nintendo? WEP is shit and everybody knows it.

Dale @ Aug 28th 2008 3:13PM

I vote for a new DS2 with BC. Or that Gamecube portable that Robert mentioned.

Iced_Eagle @ Aug 28th 2008 5:55PM

I think Nintendo needs to simply do a little tweak of the DS Lite, which is awesome as it stands now.

The system is really in its stride right now, and releasing a new system would really not be a good choice right now.

Joe H @ Aug 28th 2008 7:24PM

How about a damn DS that supports WPA/WPA2 encryption on the wireless so I don't have to make my entire network less secure just so I can play online. The Wii (and practically everything else) supports it, so too should the DS.

Ben Serwa @ Aug 28th 2008 9:05PM

I'd like to see a backwards compatible DS2. One that looks almost the same as the DS, albeit has maybe a bit wider screens, a top touchscreen, better speakers, a better microphone, a tilt sensor and/or accelerometer, and near-Gamecube level hardware (enough to launch with Super Mario Sunshine DS).

If they want to go a little more expensive with the DS, consider this: a digital camera, and an SD card slot. That way games could use the camera for face tracking and "altered reality" games and you could take pictures, save them to Slot 3, the SD card slot, and then pop that SD Card into your Wii and see them on the Photo Channel.

I don't care if they take out the GBA slot personally. The new DS should have enough RAM to have a web browser and should have tilt inside it.

manaman @ Aug 28th 2008 9:08PM

Whatever the heck they do, I just want them to make a quality directional pad. Diagonals are just too hard with the current DS lites.

Lithium98 @ Aug 29th 2008 2:15AM

I say keep the current DS Lite and along side it, sale a more "hardcore" version for pretty much anyone who's reading this. Give it all the fancy gizmos (media player, web browser, memory slot, etc.) that the PSP has, but keep it true to it's roots.

I'm all for having new features and fancy add-ons just as long as they keep the a-list software coming.

gukid @ Aug 29th 2008 3:51AM

How many times/forms is this thread going to come up with on the site? Geez :\

For me, I'd really prefer the "power" of the DS stay as it is. Right now the DS is the last bastion for simple, pixelly, fun games. Anyone who is crying for a more powerful system, just pick up a PSP.

Though, if a DSv3 had to be released, I'd love to see the DS pad fixed, the contrast fixed (see GBMicro and iPhone/Touch) the GBA slot removed/interegrated, fix the start/select buttons, make the thing a little more rugged (no more broken hinges) and fix the inner edges which dig into my hands a bit while playing. Maybe a little lighter as well, would be nifty.

Crass @ Aug 29th 2008 5:01AM

I just recently fired up Trace Memory and it really made me think about what the DS would be like with an inbuilt camera. I know there is the Face Training game with the camera, but image a DS-eyetoy like minigame games and other uses with a built in camera. Also in an upgraded DS i would like to see an inbuilt, highly functional internet browser.

lincruste @ Aug 30th 2008 12:35PM

The same DS with a slightly bigger screen (for ScummVMDS) and a WPA compliant Wi-Fi ability would be great.

mark @ Aug 29th 2008 3:09PM

lol most of you make me laugh the dslite is a redesign of the ds -_- it has been out for 4 years.
let me refresh your memory with nintendo handhelds.
gameboy came out in 1989, then in 1995 color gameboy hit (had different color cases and was louder) in 1996 a slim version hit gameboy pocket, in 1997 gameboy lite hit which had a backlit screen, in 1998 gameboy color hit (same as the gameboy just used newer carts and displayed in color) these were all gameboy. in 2000 there true successor to the gameboy hit gameboy advance. in 2003 the redesign hit gba sp, and in 2004 the ds hit with a gba sp(brighter screen), in 2005 gba micro came out as a nintendo anniversary collectable.
in 2006 dslite came out and has been coming in different colors for 2 years now.

a new handheld is coming next year but i would count it around october 09 and ds will still have hardware and software support proabably till jan 1st 2011 ,6 years after its original release,just as past handhelds have. i think the last gba game came out in 2007 ,7 years after its original release and gameboy/ colors last game came out in 2002 13 years from its original release.

samwyse @ Aug 31st 2008 4:34PM

Any new DS should be somehow usable as a Wii controller. That means an on-board accelerometer at a minimum (the IR camera could be an add-on). 16MB of RAM would also be nice. Change the firmware so that you can suspend your game and switch to a PDA function at any time. Finally, have stereoscopic goggles as an accessory. Even if only one person in a hundred buys it, the PR will be priceless. The Game Boy Color let you play older games and choose a palette; the DS-2 should let you do the same, adding a stereoscopic effect to older games.