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Attending yesterday’s media event for the Nintendo DSi was an eye-opening experience. Finally getting some hands-on time with the new handheld revealed little I didn’t already know. What was remarkable, however, was just how determinedly Nintendo hammered home the message: “This is not for gamers”.
Well, well…I’d been waiting to see if the DSi could convince me to actually buy a DS. But it seems this news is a blessing in disguise. Seeing as I have zero interest in wacky photos and ‘remixing’ music, I’ll just go buy a DS Lite. Or maybe I should wait a couple of months and then the DS Lite may go down in price. But $300 for a DSi? Um, can’t you buy like a WHOLE Xbox 360 for about that price now?
The thing is though $300 is not a lot for the people they are trying to target, They’ll go buy $599 iPod Touches, %600 Pink Netbooks on a whim because it looks cool.
Gamers are more frugal and aware of money and what they spend, that’s the only reason they’ll get away with $300.
And Kerri-Anne Kennerley? Oh dear.
Waiting for a price reduction is probably the way to go, as the store will have been up/running for a while, with a decent enough selection of games/”apps” to interest people.
That’s disappointing. I was hoping the DSi might be the catalyst to for me to make a decision to buy a DS, but no dice. I’ll pass.
Such a pity that both portable systems currently on the market are quite underwhelming.
So you wouldn’t buy one then?
I wonder whether DSiWare will be what I’m looking for. I own an iPhone and I love the apps, anything that I can put in my pocket that makes my pocket more useful is a + for me. For a portable ‘apps’ are the way to go IMO.
Did they say if they can confirm if we get 1000 points when we sign up to the shop?
I read somewhere that Nintendo said that DSi specific software would be like Gameboy and Gameboy Colour, as in it will support DSi features but not be ‘only for’ DSi.
@Dave
I wouldn’t buy one at this stage. There just isn’t any compelling software. I’m still waiting on confirmation of the 1000 points offer.
David, every EB And Game store got a memo confirming the free 1000 points from Nintendo – it’s a shame they won’t confirm them to the rest of us.
Regarding the whole ‘apps’ thing; at the training event Nintendo held for us retail people a couple of weeks back, they actually outlined that the focus of DSi store was for additional functionality not so much the games, which is a shame. However I was very impressed about the unit’s build quality. Feels nice and solid in your hands! That alone kinda sold me on the damn thing even though I want to hate it…
Daniel, they did? thats funny! cos i work in a GAME store and i never recieved any such memo. in fact, the comments here are the first i’ve ever heard of it!!!
amazing….nintendo usually doesnt give anything away from free. I’ll enquire to our buyers tomorrow and find out if theres any truth in this…
It seems ‘Game’ is now a dirty word for Nintendo. Maybe they don’t see themselves in the games market anymore, but the ‘interactive experience’ market (let me coin the abbreviation ‘intex market’™). Their change in corportate retoric seems to go hand in hand with the change in colour of their company logo; don’t want to spook people with a bright colour, don’t want to spook people with a ‘game’. It’s all becoming very bland.
If Nintendo tells us we are no longer playing games, but interacting with ‘apps’, then I say we must heed their words, or feel the wrath of their Wii/DSi powered retribution.
Hail our Nintendo Overlords! Hail! Now I must don my futuristic clothing so I can go interact with my Mario Kart DS application.
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