DS Daily: Camera games
by Alisha Karabinus 
{ Oct 12th 2008 at 10:30AM }
Whether or not you're excited about the DSi's camera(s), it's sure to have some potential for future fun. Is there anything you'd like to see done with the handheld's included cameras? Any particular apps? Do you want to make faces? Wave things in front of the camera? Just take random pictures of friends who don't realize that's what you're doing with your DS?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Psalm Bowser @ Oct 12th 2008 10:38AM
They'll probably be an increase in creepos posting pictures of little girls on the train/bus. I actually caught a nasty fucker recording my little sister on the train three or four months ago with his camera phone.
I don't like this DSi.
aj @ Oct 12th 2008 10:49AM
And I'm tired of Japanese tourists and dumbass college kids taking pictures of me with their cell phones but pretending to be texting on the bus because I look silly (I have long hair and I'm a guy. This usually ends in pointing and staring because it's still a novelty even now, 60 years after The Beatles.).
No, I don't like the DSi either.
Jacksons @ Oct 12th 2008 11:29AM
It must not bother you too much or you'd chop it :)
aj @ Oct 12th 2008 12:00PM
I use my hair as a hat. I live in Canada, where winter means -50 with wind. So every little bit helps, you know?
I just think it's bizarre that someone with long hair is stared at, but the morons with pink two-tone hair and dressed up like some kind of futuristic space prostitute don't. What world is this?
Roto13 @ Oct 12th 2008 12:29PM
I used to have really long hair and I didn't get stared at. (And the Beatles weren't around in the 40's.)
aj @ Oct 13th 2008 12:25AM
You've obviously never heard the obscure recordings from when The Beatles were a big band jazz group during the war.
James @ Oct 12th 2008 10:46AM
I want Skype. Also maybe some kind of game where characters interact with pictures I've taken.
GS Play @ Oct 12th 2008 11:14AM
I will use it to take pictures of my friends, but they will know it. Actually, people of my class like to be in photos. When I'm with my camera, everybody asks to take a picture, not only my friends).
For me it'll be great. I love to take photos and I don't need to take pictures of people without them realizing it :)
Even without apps and games using it, I would buy a DSi to have a camera on my ds
Jacksons @ Oct 12th 2008 11:27AM
Anything I would post could be summed up as "No." So no.
Zealot @ Oct 12th 2008 11:40AM
Make a Castlevania game where I can have a boss battle against my cat's giant, floating head and I'll change my mind completely about the DSi. Anything less and it's still not a selling point.
aj @ Oct 12th 2008 3:12PM
Someone who runs a development studio should hire you right now. I'm not kidding. I want giant cat head battles.
Zealot @ Oct 12th 2008 9:04PM
Yeah, nobody can tell me that this wouldn't be awesome: http://img80.imageshack.us/my.php?image=catstlevaniamp3.jpg (yes, that's my cat)
It's probably better that I keep my ideas to myself. If Konami hired me, they'd force me to dress like IGA.
Sam @ Oct 12th 2008 11:44AM
I foresee a WarioWare game taking advantage of this. If they can utilize the camera somehow, I'll be sold.
Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Oct 12th 2008 11:59AM
Camera + Mic + WiFi...
I can imaging a game using it (or Skype) but as much as engaging the experience could be, with already mentioned lower battery life, the fun would be very very short.
Both WiFi and Camera are huge suckers when it comes to battery life. That was already tested with laptops many times.
Alien @ Oct 12th 2008 12:01PM
Nah... the camera is to low-res for me to use it... but maybe a game like the one made for the Gizmondo ( where a picture can be transformed into a level ) would be cool :D
Hamster @ Oct 12th 2008 12:42PM
Not really, I hate looking at myself in photos, so I don't really want any of that sort of thing encroaching into games, but then I don't even like Miis encroaching into Mario Kart, so maybe I'm just too much of a purist. I guess they're probably some cool ways that it could be used in gameplay, but I never really like games to be developed with gimmicks in mind.
As for just having the camera itself, well, that may be come in handy I guess, but nothing I can't do with my phone (or err, camera) and the photo-editing stuff may be neat, but probably nothing I can't do on PhotoShop.
Also, to go back to my first point, does anyone else hate it when friends take a picture of you with their phone without your permission and then shove it front of your face. "Oh I look hideous, thanks for that....", now they can do it with their DSs! :-o
And one final thing, seeing as I haven't really written anything on the DSi since it was announced. Isn't the whole convergence thing something Nintendo was always against? I'm sure I can probably find numerous old quotes from Iwata and co about how the DS was a dedicated games console against the jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none competition, etc. Don't get me wrong though I think it's kind of cool and I'll probably get one. I guess all games consoles have to be multi-functional, convergent devices now.
Jacynta @ Oct 13th 2008 10:39AM
I think EVERY electronic device has to be multi functional these days, they'll probably add a phone to the DS eventually.
I must be a purist too, because I agree with everything you said.
Though I don't think I'll be buying it unless mine breaks.
time @ Oct 12th 2008 12:51PM
game boy camera sequel!
Ollec @ Oct 12th 2008 12:51PM
When the DSi comes out, I can definitely see Little Big Planet DS (or whatever they decide to call it) coming out. The camera can be used to take pictures of things to build your own stage thing and have all those little creatures interact with them.
If something like that is on the release list, I'm completely getting the DSi. ^_^
Shoyz @ Oct 12th 2008 8:57PM
As far as I know, LittleBigPlanet is a Sony Exclusive.
iaaapsmo @ Oct 12th 2008 12:52PM
I can't imagine anything fun coming from this DSi camera. We've had cameras on our phones for ages, and they've only used it for capturing pictures and videos. Besides, who can think of any gaming uses for a low-res camera when it's on the back side of the screen? Honestly, how fun is this new feature going to be, when it's probably just a novelty feature anyway?
Phmall @ Oct 12th 2008 2:23PM
The DSi has a camera on the inside too, inbetween the screens so games will probably use that one and the second camera on the back will be used like a cell phone camera I suppose.
LocalToast @ Oct 12th 2008 2:20PM
I'll probably use it at social events, vacations, or other places I would normally take my DS Lite. And maybe if I'm bored I could experiment with the different lenses.
Then I could export my pictures to my SD card, then share them or something.
I could definitely see a camera-based WarioWare game in the future.
Jenni @ Oct 12th 2008 2:45PM
1 game - Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII.
If Square Enix ports this to the DSi, I'd totally buy the system.
FantomRedux @ Oct 12th 2008 5:36PM
Win. Just, win. In epic proportions. Srsly
Robert @ Oct 12th 2008 3:25PM
i think it shud be used for a game similar to the Eye Toy games on the gd old PS2
maduin @ Oct 12th 2008 5:58PM
The camera could easily be used to add motion sensing to games, similar to an optical mouse. The camera could pick up on the movement of the image it's capturing and translate that to in game controls, with two cameras working together, you'd get pretty precise controls, similar to how the IR sensor works in the Wii Remote.
Hamster @ Oct 12th 2008 6:18PM
Woudn't your view of the screens be constantly obscured with motion-sensing leading to an almighty headache?
Michael @ Oct 12th 2008 6:59PM
I always kinda figured it might be used for implanting your face on your character in a game, a novelty at best but some people find that stuff fun.
GhostBoyHiro @ Oct 12th 2008 8:04PM
i would like to see if the DSi use the cameras like a web cam feel 2 speak to friends around ones local area like the picto chat feature chats with others up close but it might be 2 much 4 da system but if it were possible it would make me want it a whole lot more
m-p{3} @ Oct 12th 2008 9:23PM
I want some video-conferencing feature over the Nintendo Wifi Connection !
Victor @ Oct 12th 2008 10:07PM
I love the camera
ZombiePikmin @ Oct 12th 2008 10:42PM
1. The ability to save 5 pictures (no SD card)
2. Ability to directly upload pics to Wii's photo channel
3.THAT ALL GAMES AT DSi'S LAUNCH DONT ABUSE THE F*** OUT OF THE CAMERA LIKE DEVELOPERS DID WITH WII'S MOTION SENSING!!!!!!!
Ethan @ Oct 12th 2008 11:45PM
Well, the iphone (or any phone, for that matter) never did anything interesting with their cameras. Maybe Nintendo has a better idea.
Diego @ Oct 17th 2008 11:49PM
I really doubt that. Most probably nintendo is gonna leave it as a simple attached camera...
please @ Oct 13th 2008 1:07AM
Anyone who hates the camera just has no imagination. Think of a scavenger hunt like game where you have to take pictures of things specified, submit them online and have them verified by other users.
The camera pointing towards the user could do all sorts of crazy things with facial recognition. A game where the character jumps, or say, shoots a projectile every time you smile, or blink, or shake your head etc. etc. This could be very fun done right.
PixelFox @ Oct 13th 2008 4:42AM
I agree, EyeToy-like games could be a winner. Things such as bopping your head to a beat, or whacking away soccer balls with your face could be hilarious, especially to people watching your spontaneous movement if done in public. ;)
pondocus @ Oct 13th 2008 7:53AM
oh ye of little faith.
I remember when they announced the old DS, and everyone said that two screens/touchscreen games would be crap. But folks stepped up and some damn innovative games came out that made the touchscreen the king. My friends had PSP's at the time and told me that the DS sucked, then kirby canvas curse came along, MPS, mario kart, etc.etc...etc..
As long as folks can think of ways to incorporate the cameras into the games in an awesome way, like the touchscreen, then the DSi will rule. If they only incorporate the cameras into the new games like we have mic input into games now, then it will suck.
Hamster @ Oct 13th 2008 8:11AM
"A game where the character jumps, or say, shoots a projectile every time you smile, or blink, or shake your head etc. etc."
"whacking away soccer balls with your face could be hilarious, especially to people watching your spontaneous movement if done in public."
Eeek! This is the gimmick police, please you two, promise us you'll never become games developers.
Diego @ Oct 17th 2008 11:54PM
I agree!
And I doubt the camera has that "technology"... "smyle shutter"... my socks... pfff
RachelKat @ Oct 13th 2008 11:07PM
I could see the camera being great to use in a Drawn to Life series game.
And when I think of the loser subpopulace of Akihabara writing homebrew games like "Upskirt wifi challenge," I think maybe the region locking won't be so bad.
dafunkk12 @ Oct 14th 2008 6:38PM
I wasn't sold until I remembered a tech demo I saw on the Gizmondo (better known as the Ferrari-crash mafia phone/game system).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lfp8id6bpDU
I would be incredibly surprised if Nintendo's not planning several augmented reality (AR) games, like Eye of Judgement on PS3.
Nutmeg @ Oct 16th 2008 10:49PM
Camera use: Taking a photo of the person you hate, sticking it on a voodoo doll, and messing with it until it's in tatters, on fire, etc :D
.... silly idea my friend and I came up with in a moment of pokemon battle anguish.
Elihu @ Oct 17th 2008 7:48PM
I agree with you totally. I have many a person I would really like to torture, but alas, no can do in real life.
Diego @ Oct 17th 2008 11:42PM
Camera?... pfff... they hardly used the mic for games, the only thing they can do whit that tiny toy camera of the DSi is take nasty photos and begin a new fetish in the nintendo network... or maybe make your photo an avatar for games... but that is something unuseful, no much people like to do that.
BTW You people are making a big fuzz about this DSi, and when the time comes to all of you puting hands on one of these, you are gonna awake to see the raw relity: it has nothing new, nothing worth of it...
cheesecakes @ Oct 19th 2008 8:33AM
Boss battles where you can put in photos of people so that the boss can look like 'em and you got even more motivation to beat 'em up xD
But honestly, other than that (I'd love to put in my Geography teacher's face) I'm not really pysched about the camera, since all of the uses I'm coming up with in my head are...pretty stupid xD
chamuco @ Oct 22nd 2008 7:45PM
How about Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII?? I've heard that the game uses a phone's camera to make different types of materia, so I think it would be a natural fit for the DSi.