Damnit, I just ordered my first DS last week!

NeoStarr

After reading the title I figured that it was just some jackass blowing smoke since most consoles last the better part of a decade but the DS has been around for almost 4 years now and the GBA was replaced after that long. The original GBA was around for about 8-9 years but it had enough redesigns before the colour that it's life cycle was sort of artificially lengthened.

The next system will almost certainly be DS game compatible as well so I'd be all for it. My DS Phat is showing it's age and as much as I'd like to upgrade to a Lite I can wait a year or so to just jump to an eighth generation handheld.

blind_assassin

Nintendo TS (triple screen & touch sensitive on all 3 screens), releasing October 2009.

Gam3r

@LittleBigPlaneteer: 10 year? ...came out in 2004 i think.

shade-black

Nintendo MIGHT announce a new haldheld but a release before 2010 seems crazy.

In other words....NO CHANCE IN HELL!

SAKY

I just realized something. It's August. People are on vacation and spending money on things like airline fees and hotels.

I bet the videogame spending will ramp up once Sep/Oct comes along.

Zarian

@CCCombobreaker:

I believe the 10-year lifespan fo rhe PSP comes directly from Sony. They've pretty much stuck to their guns as far as console lifespans go so I see the same here. They did say that there could be revisions within that lifespan though.

You should also be aware that the PSP is doing better than it has in years. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if the PSP's best year has yet to be seen. Say what you will about it, but the PSP has been a huge success, just not as big a success as the DS.

LittleBigPlaneteer

Nintendo would be shooting themselves in the foot if they released a successor to the DS before Dragon Quest IX came out. The only way they could get away with that is if the system was backwards compatible, and it launched with a bundle that included Dragon Quest IX (which would be fucking brilliant on their part). That series is a monster in Japan, and they would piss off Square Enix to hell again if they forced them to release their game on an obsolete system.

crescentfresh

@CCCombobreaker: The 10-year lifespan is a marketing scam! They put out a new console at year 5 or 6 and then "support" (and by support I mean they keep releasing crappy games) the old console until the 10th year! Any piece of hardware after 10 years is way beyond obsolete!

henri1kk

Btw whats up with that picture? Are they watching Porn on that thing? I have never seen a DS do that.

SofaKingHI

the next hand held consoles will probably have the tilt feature of the Iphone.

SofaKingHI

i'm i the only one creeped out by that dude on the left not joining in on the fun?

gooberbaby

@Darth_Xehanort:

The PSP has a ten year lifespan? Funny how people say this when it's been out for 3 years and already development has grinded to a halt and its becoming irrelevant.

I bet the PSP life will be 5 years MAX. It could be gone by 2009 as far as good quality, must have games go(after resistance is released anyway).

CCCombobreaker

I loved that ad campaign when it came out. I still have the pic of the three women huddled together, a DS in each of their hands. Very modern art.

Anarchist_Gamer

Oh Pachter, you and your silly "predictions".

dead_red_eyes

Considering that its selling 700,000 a month in the US alone, I dont see a successor coming until at late 2009 at the soonest.

CCCombobreaker

I expect another DS refresh, not necessarily a whole new platform. The next handheld Nintendo platform may be a completely new idea, which would seem a little early for me considering the DS' current success.

RaepGoblin

Seeing as the DS is the "third pillar", I'm quite anxious to see what the next GameBoy will be like!
I haven't bought a portable console since the GBA and I'm waiting for the next-gen of portable consoles to hit the market! I just hope it doesn't take long!

henri1kk

@NeVeRMoRe666: The people I'd want to be sans shirt or with their shirt open are never the ones that actually are. It's always someone like this dainty duo or a construction worker. Not the one in the old Diet Coke commercial, ladies. Real ones.

Señor Vorpal Kickass'o

I call for actual portable money printing device.

IT PRINTS MONEY!!1

NorthernAvengeR

@Darth_Xehanort:
I don't think making a DS with PSP hardware is that expensive anymore, it's possible, albeit with a higher price.

I don't think it's the right moment, considering good games are STILL being launched and there's been no word from Nintendo yet. Maybe they'll ANNOUNCE a new system at the end of the year, but we'll probably have it by December 2009... and that's being optimistic.

corronchilejano

They will probly say something at TGS about it if true.
Its about time since sales are dying down.

malmario

i wonder if the models in that ad even know what a DS does. They are pretty tho.

anyhooo...i seriously doubt the DS will be replaced anytime soon, how long was the gameboy around? nintendo would have to put out something that is BC compatible with both DS AND Gameboy games. However, it is highly possible that they could come up with a new model. like the DS Advance, with maybe video/audio playback, better integration with the wii and whatnot. Maybe widescreen too and more powerful.

Personally, I think Nintendo should come out with a DS phone :) A motion sensing handheld phone thats also a game console. The touchscreen portion could double as a text input device/keypad. Id hate to be interrupted by a call in the middle of a bossbattle tho.

asTer0id

I can't believe no one's commented on that picture yet. I guess everyone plays their DS's topless...

NeVeRMoRe666

@Zarian: That's after many many many accessories that are purchased seperately 4 months after it's been released.

Also that guy wants me and it's making me uncomfortable.

tripur

Maybe next year they'll tape two DS's together and call it Revolution? ZING!

/I kid I kid (goes back to waggling my Wii)

@IndustrialJones: You're twisted...

NeVeRMoRe666

I honestly can't believe how illogical Pachter is here. I mean his line of thinking is that Nintendo is going to release a DS successor because of a few low months? That's the stupidest thing I ever heard. Has pachter never heard of a PRICE DROP? That's Nintendo's most obvious move, not moving on to another handheld while the DS is sitll printing boatloads of money. Someone buy this guy a clue. I'm sorry if I offend anyone here, but I just don't feel this guy deserves any limelight whatsoever.

LittleBigPlaneteer

I doubt it will be a successor to the ds, maybe a facelift or maybe they will make a see thru one with goldfish swimming around that die 1 week later and float around decomposing in a bath of feces and soggy fish foad to create an eventual fishy chum bucket ds model 1000.

lilaliendog

I want Widescreen xD

valhum

Does anybody know of any page that keeps track of Pachter being right or wrong on his predictions? A lot of stuff he has just seems to be pulled out of his ass.

sachow

Of course sales are cooling in Japan. Everyone already owns at least one.

doubtful

Hmmm... It seems rather early for a new handheld. The PSP has a ten-year lifespan. Then again, even the next Nintendo handheld probably won't have the pure power of the PSP.

Darth_Xehanort

YESH!

pkmnSilver

If it's a "successor", it better have better graphics and not just some gimmick selling point with minimal overall improvement. I already have a Wii, thanks. The DS was innovative and different, and fun games were/are made for it, good job Nintendo. However, I'm ready for fun games on a Nintendo handheld that are also beautiful in the traditional 3d gaming kind of way.

Ettie

it makes sense that they're slowing down.
they've already penetrated a huge portion of the market with the handheld. it doesn't make sense for nintendo to feel like they have to sell a bajillion of these every month.

but... i am looking forward to the successor.
whatever it may be. i hope it is also a multifunction device (like the PSP).

flight240

Why on earth would Nintendo release a new DS after a few months of "losing" monthly sales? They still have a gigantic lead, and are selling amazingly well in other markets.

They're also getting DQIX later this year. Interfering with that launch would be shooting themselves in the foot.

Fnor

I highly doubt it.

ƒox

@CockroachMan:

Exactly. How the hell does Pachter not know this by now? Does he expect Nintendo to announce it in October for an immediate release? That never happens.

Pacther is an idiot. Period

LittleBigPlaneteer

Also time travel

Zarian

I think a full on NEW handheld system from Nintendo would be great.

Let's speculate on specs:

DS backwards compatible.
2 touch screens.
widescreen aspect ratio
Buit in video and music playback.

Zarian

@CockroachMan: Exactly, if there is a new Nintendo handheld, it will be a redesign of the DS.

Unless we're to believe that only Nintendo is making software for this new handheld, so that they don't have to provide development kits to 3rd parties that would certainly leak actual information that a new handheld is coming.

smcallah

They could probably boost sales by just making a new bundle or colour scheme. The 'fat' DS also had a lot of problems that the lite doesnt have, non-controllable contrast, a stylist that was too small, a power button that was easy to accidently push. But a new DS would be nice.

whitepawn

If I can use my R4, then it won't be another complete ripoff.

BRASH

@ComradeStalin86: But there was already a Gameboy 2.0.

Or what would you call the Gameboy Advance?

Anyway, I'm doubting they'll use the Gameboy name again. Probably doesn't have the connotations they want to attract the crowd they've got with the DS.

smcallah

Michael Pachter is never wrong.

Señor Vorpal Kickass'o

Nintendo won't release a new handheld by the end of the year.. if they would, they would have announced it already..

No company announces a new console/handheld and launches it 6 months later.. that never happened before, and I doubt it will start now :P

A new redesign is possible thought..

CockroachMan

Damn, I just replaced my old DS not even a year ago with a Lite after the L Button broke. I actually doubt they would do it this year, next year maybe. But by now ... doesn't everyone in Japan own a DS already? That could be why sales are dropping, lol

Phantom5800

@IndustrialJones: I hear that. I like the "oooooh shiney!" stuff as much as the next guy, but it always looks like crap as soon as you touch it.

dry-roasted-peanuts

@Astrofox: Unlikely. Iwata has stated (not in so many words) that the DS is now the flagship handheld, and that the Gameboy is pretty much put to bed.

Neo Deus

Whatchoo calling "fugly" McWhertor? Do you mean the "classic" DS? The "XL" DS? The "phattie"? For those of us with beefy sausage fingers - there has only ever been one real choice in DS form factors (even if I now have to order replacement styli on-line).

Plus, my personal "old skool" DS came from a contest in a certain gaming website ([kotaku.com]) so I'm a little protective.

thebigsmoke

This is based on Pachter? Pardon me for laughing my ass off. LMAO! Seriously this guy is so fucking hit or miss, it amazes me that he gets this much coverage. Just because he has a better percentage than other so-called "analysts" doesn't make him special.

LittleBigPlaneteer

@ComradeStalin86: Yeah I wonder if this will be a gameboy successor rather than a DS one?

Astrofox

Better not be. I JUST bought my DS.

Amazon_Chris

I'd buy another if they make it out of something smear proof. I hate that damn outer shell... or is it my damn greasy hands. It puts the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again.

IndustrialJones

Gameboy 2.0! I'm fucking calling it!

You heard it here first, folks!

ComradeStalin86

All I really want is a price drop so I can justify having waited this long. Nintendo hardware is holding it's value way too well. :|

jrleek

I think there will be announcement of either a redesign, and very unlikely, a whole new system. I love my DS phat, or whatever, I'd like to upgrade to a new one, but with something like this lurking about, I guess I'll have to wait. Then again, remember when the DS hit, gamesboys were still selling like hot cakes, especially with the micro and other derivations, and it took a little while until the DS basically beat that out.

Ceiling90

I'm certainly not holding my breath.

Wolfers

I'll believe it when I see it.

EmeraldDragon

It might make some sense for the japan market (it's still doing great everywhere else), but my guess is if it isn't announced by the end of TGS there's little chance to see it for this holiday season.

StarStabbedMoon

Nintendo DS sale is slowing down, but it's still selling very good, lol.

djricekcn

the ds was by far the most disappointing handheld gaming experiance ive suffered. it just felt there was no jump in terms of the quality of graphics and the lack of effort to push their unique underrated titles which made the ds special i mean where are the golden suns, hotel dusk 2 panzer tactics 2 and advance wars titles(and i mean more than 1 in 3 years

bubassi

Well, whenever it hits, Nintendo. As long as you keep it from being pricey, I'll hand over what little money I have (unless I don't have any. Then I guess we're both SOL)

Channing

with Nintendo having lost the piracy war producers are having to include add ons into their games such as the add on for guitar hero to ensure people actually BUY their game, not just stick it on an R4, I think their new console will be a new breed and not feature DS game compatibility for that reason.

Dekra

I highly doubt the PSP has a ten year lifespan. The DS will surge in sales as they start putting the old Dragon Quest and the new flagship DQ titles on it.

Human Bomb

Is this perhaps also a response to the whole R4 debacle?

tybeet

@bubassi:

Dude you're nuts. DS is *loaded* with high quality titles. The top 20 Metacritic DS titles ALONE are amazing:

1 Mario Kart DS 91
2 Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, The 90
3 Advance Wars: Dual Strike 90
4 Jump Ultimate Stars 89
5 Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow 89
6 World Ends With You, The 89
7 New Super Mario Bros. 89
8 Meteos 88
9 Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 87
10 Final Fantasy IV 87
11 Elite Beat Agents 87
12 Bangai-O Spirits 87
13 Kirby: Canvas Curse 86
14 Ouendan 2 86
15 Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time 86
16 Planet Puzzle League 86
17 Animal Crossing: Wild World 86
18 Advance Wars: Days of Ruin 86
19 Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin 85
20 Metroid Prime: Hunters 85

And even at that, there are loads of other games that are AAA in quality. DS is, by *far*, the best system I've ever owned.

jasongw

No announcement at E3, but we're still talking about this? Yawn . . .
What motivation does Nintendo have? It's only been three years and it's going great. There's no need!

nightram

@NeVeRMoRe666: I mainly play my DS bottomless, but you didn't need to know that.

/on the can

skrame ☆

Not that I think Pachter has any sort of credibility here, but I don't think a successor would be a good idea right now. A minor hardware update would be fine, but the DS has an awful lot of life left in it yet.

StAidan

Eh, apples and oranges.

Of course, that has nothing to do with this. I'd like to see a new design, but a new handheld itself? Eh...maybe by the end of 2009 or something, but I don't see it happening this year.

Mister_CrazyGuy

Bit of a ridiculous assertion, I'd say. For starters, DS has outsold PSP in Japan for 3 years running, now they're going to panic over a few months in which PSP has outsold it by a small margin in ONE country? I don't think so.

While it might make sense to introduce a smaller version of the DS itself, perhaps without a GBA slot but otherwise adding no additional features, I don't see a DS 2.0 any time soon. There is simply no reason for it, and a few month slump in Japanese sales is in no way indicator that a new console is needed. A price drop maybe, or some high end exclusive games, but a new device? No, not remotely.

jasongw

another redesign?

*wags finger at nintendo*

this is why i dont support nintendo as much as i used to

who wants to bet we'll see at least 2 more "upgrades" "versions" before 2010?

RyuriTatsujin

Soo... Is "analist" a synonym to "retard" yet?

Fulgurator

I can't imagine nintendo releasing a new handheld until the end of 2010 or sometime in 2011. Just because the psp sold more units the last few months doesnt mean nintendo is going to release a new system. I could see them announcing a new design of the DS around january 2009. it even seems more logical that they will just announce a price drop at that time, maybe even in say nov/dec. this year for the holidays. A $99 DS lite would be great. Basically the DS still prints a ton of money for nintendo and if they released a new system by the end of this year, I'd expect the apocolypse to start any minute after that. When nintendo does release their new handheld 'Super DS'? in 2011, I'll be expecting the world's oil/energy crisis to be reaching a boiling point that will result in global poverty and war around the same time, so yeah good luck with that.

that's my take, can I now get paid like this ass clown Patcher guy or what?

MixPix

I'm sure it's ready now. I'm not sure they plan to drop it or finalize it yet.

@ComradeStalin86:
Oh I wish. I loved the GBA like a SNES... then I loved the PSP like a Dreamcast... then I found a handful of solid DS titles that kept me coming back... for over a week at a time. A superpowered GBA type unit? I'd be all over it. I'm sick of screen protectors and scratches/gouges from dust specks, and I'll never use a mic on a game system in public.

...however whatever they have, if it's handheld, you just know it'll pay off to wait for the second version of it.

fuchikoma

Fuk u nintendo, stop playing these mind games with me. Fuk u and the cloud you rode in on.

mr30gZune

@jasongw: don't forget pokemons! unoriginal as hell but oh so addictive!
as for this news? Noooo way, they would have revealed it at E3

excel_excel

They look g..

zkotaku

@Darth_Xehanort:

Not a lot of area room for that prediction. N64 to sub PS2 isn't a huge spread...I guess the DC.

houser

Completely not convinced. If anything, they'll announce the successor to the DS which is more of a PDA and has multimedia capabilities. It might be out there in 09 or 10. Don't think Nintendo has any thoughts of going into cell phone usage though. That's my guess anyway.

Furysetzer

thats me and my friends playing the DS. only were tanner and blonder. and my ds is pink.

KingKevin

@henri1kk: I have to disagree with you. How is it a marketing scam? The ps2 continues to get some pretty solid titles to this day (the same could be said for the ps1 when the ps2 came out). I mean games such as okami and god of war 2 came out AFTER the ps3 arrived on the market. I don't see how you can justify your statements when they've proven to support their hardware in the past.

XeroKool

Sometimes I'm amazed that people give Pachter the time of day - he's Captain frickin' obvious. People have been talking for months about this but as soon as Pachter comes along it's news? I hate to think what the guy gets paid.

Anyway, everyone's aware that Nintendo have something ready to release, and it doesn't take a genius to guess that Christmas is the time they'll do it. Biggest clue for me is the recent new colours, they always do that before a hardware revision.

If Pachter can guess the new name I'll be impressed, but as if he will :)

DS Spin? DS air? DS motion plus? I don't really care -

Just give us it please ;)

L___E___T

Wow, that is one hot ad for the DS.

physical

@CCCombobreaker: Development has grinded to a halt? LOL...

Whatever you're smoking I don't want some...

zoesch

If "new handheld device" means another DS iteration, then I can understand, but Nintendo is straight-up not making a new one for the end of the year. Just because their sales have peaked does not mean they can still sell millions of those things. There are still shitloads ready to be sold - why cut that off?

BluFire

I think Nintendo learned their lesson from the GBA micro. Don't improve on something that doesn't need it.

I'll bet you that Nintendo will announce their next handheld next year, with it's release in 2010. That's more likely than any of this.

ostartero

I can't imagine why Nintendo would be rushing a product out the door at the end of the year. THe DS sales are slowing because its hit market penetration and the PSP's are going up because the system is finally evening out. THe software is still selling through the roof.

Rebochan

The DS has already reached market saturation here. Everyone who could conceivably want a DS already has one. They need to focus more on software now. Brain training games only get you so far.

Jesse in Japan

The pic looks like there's about to be a bisexual porno shot.

Not that I would know...

Not that there's anything wrong with knowing...

I mean, if you're into that kind of stuff...

Erm... yeah... uh... so what kind of features do we think this DS2 will have?

Eltigro

@XeroKool:

Any real releases in the next two years for it to be ten years? I suppose PSP and Wii ports.

It IS a marketing scam. They readily realize that companies can lazily port titles developed for those systems...that are selling decently. Their systems are a bit more future proof so they are using that as a selling point, but it only works if it works. IE there won't be a ten year lifecycle unless the consumer supports the PSP sufficiently to justify it.

It might, but I wouldn't call the last year of the PS2 really exceptional.

Otherwise one could argue the GBA has been kicking it for 6+ years.

houser

@RyuriTatsujin:

Why? Even if it's true...that would be 3 hardware revisions in 4 years. Why expect 2 more in 2 more years? How is this any different than any other consumer product anyways?

houser

Christmas isn't that far away, I suspect they'd be mad not to wring one more year of massive holiday sales out of DS. Lots of sales for minimal effort is good business.

If they release a new handheld before Christmas then the limited install base won't make for good sales and DS owners might be less inclined to buy DS software, preferring to keep their money in their pocket until they get their hands on one of the new handhelds.

If the DS had really dropped off that would be different, there'd be nothing to lose. As it is though the DS is still kicking along nicely and fracturing that market around a peak sales period is a risky option. It'd either have to happen very soon or wait until next year.

Perhaps around March next year, that'll give them time to get an install base and get some decent production quantities going.

paulmcg

Nintendo Dude No 1: Oh no! We've sold a DS to everyone on the planet, and sales are cooling! What do we do?

Nintendo Dude No 2: Make it obsolete with new hardware!

Together: Muawhahahahahahahahaha!

Gouki4u's avatar has a severe case of Jekyll and Hyde

These are amongst the dumbest predictions from analysts.

All Nintendo needs to do is release some more killer casual titles. The DS is far, far from dead. Titles like Ragnarok Online DS may turn out to be system sellers as well.

And who cares if the DS is being outsold by PSP in Japan because of Monster Hunter? That's one country, and the cause of one game. They'll see tons of profit when Monster Hunter 3 hits Wii too.

Mit

@Foxstar Sixtail: Sigh

Would very likely be in third place. My kingdom for a edit button.

Foxstar Sixtail

@bubassi:The drugs your on, stop taking them.

@zoesch:He's not that far off of the mark, the PSP's piracy issues are strangling the flow of new titles for it and it's attachment rate is complete crap. When you have the hardware selling, but not the software, it means that third party developers are very likely to put their games elsewhere and they have, on the DS, where the marketshare is so huge, it can offset to a point the massive piracy.

The piracy is so bad on the PSP that it will cut the lifespan of the system short, along with the fact that 2nd place is not where Sony wants it.

@LittleBigPlaneteer:Like it or not, the PSP failed to reach pretty much most, if not all of it's goals set by Sony and it's for sure failing to meet it's attachment rate goals. By all accounts, the PSP should have shot past the DS install base within 6 months and from then on, build a install base that would have pushed the DS into a dead last 2nd place. When your in a two man horse race, 2nd place is the same as last place. Don't forget the massive piracy issues which are reflecting themselves in attachment rate and sales, why does the PSP have at best, only 3-5 million sellers worldwide, and the DS 30+? Why is Monster Hunter the only PSP game in Japan to crack the 2 million unit sales mark, but in Japan, there's at least 10 DS titles which have done so?

The 'Ten year lifespan' chatter works really great when you control enough of the market that no one has a chance to catch up. It does not work when your fighting tooth and nail not to end up in third place and in the other market, you are in third place, it's just called '2nd'.

If Microsoft had taken a step into the handheld market, the PSP would very likely not be in third place. Sony knows this well and they are just biding time till they can get the code jockies to make a PSP2 firmware that Dark Alexx won't crack in 10 hours after the units hit the market. If Microsoft announces plans to enter the market, the PSP's lifespan would drop to 6 months.

@Jesse in Japan:Pushing 30-40k units a week is not market saturation. Not even close. As for software attachment, the DS has nothing to worry about there, at all.

@RyuriTatsujin:Dude, pay attention to the post and who's claiming a redesign is coming before you post.

@mr30gZune:Fuk u and your lazy attempt to make dialog.

Anyway, Patcher's way off the mark here. Nintendo has no reason what so ever to even think about announcing a follow up to the DS yet, The DS is the true 'ten year system' of this portable system gen, not the PSP. Don't look for a DS2 till Sony or Microsoft announce their next system.

Foxstar Sixtail

Didn't we literally *just* get the coloured DS models in Europe? And now they're thinking about a new console? That's crazy talk, especially considering how so many great games like DQ, Chrono Trigger and the like have yet to make it overseas.

Ladi

@Foxstar Sixtail:
You sir do NOT deserve that star by your name. Your very mean. Very mean indeed

mr30gZune

I hope for a portable gamecube... and subsequently be disappointed.

jonnyq2

Good one, as always Pachter. I certainly don't expect any new "handheld device" from Nintendo before the end of the next year to say the least. Maybe a LiteR(tm) revision by TGS, but nothing more.

gencid

Well, if they do, please do it soon because I'm still contemplating buying a new DS. I have an original one, but the screen is getting scratched up and I'd like a brighter screen.

Ryodestined

Ugh, yet another soothsayer claiming that Nintendo has a new handheld up it's sleeve that it's going to trounce the unsuspecting public with. If this guy had any brains at all he'd take one look at how well that worked out for Sega with the Saturn and quietly fade into the sunset. I have no doubt they have their next handheld already designed; but they aren't by any means going to just release it without telling anyone. Maybe they'll announce it at Spaceworld (Is that still going on this year?) for a release of next year.

Accelerometers in current DS hardware = stupid also, why the hell would you split the market like that?

Shabadage

no freaking way I just bought mine too:(

surft

umm.. no. how is "trusted insiders" any better than an analyst and more stupid speculation. sure something could be in the works. But why would there be talks of a launch before even an unveiling. dum dum dum.

mrpeepants