What's next for the Nintendo DS?

Once again, Nintendo released a quarterly earnings report that not only solidifies the company as a major player going into the next generation, but shows that it's certainly onto something with both the Wii and the DS. But according to that same report, not everything is perfect with the company's handheld system.

According to Nintendo, it's only forecasting 9 percent growth going forward as sales of the DS continue to slide and expectations of higher sales continue to dwindle. Nintendo contends that DS sales could fall to 28 million units from 30.3 million units sold.

Mario is coming in a big way to the DS.

(Credit: Nintendo)

And while some market analysts are disappointed with the news of the DS slowing and the company itself not growing as fast as they would like, they fail to fully understand the nature of the beast they're trying to gauge.

If analysts were worried about the Wii, I would probably agree. But why would anyone be worried about Nintendo's plans for the DS? Will it sell fewer units this year? Maybe. But if nothing else, I think that we'll soon find that Nintendo has something up its sleeve that will jump-start sales and send those same, misguided analysts into a frenzy.

Although no one knows what the next iteration of the DS will look like, people from all over the globe are speculating. Some say it'll have larger screens and others say the touch technology will improve and allow developers to create even more innovative titles. And while both are probably right, why can't we think out of the box a little bit?

If nothing else, Nintendo has surprised even the most critical of columnists and done things that some thought were never worthwhile. Realizing that, I think we should look beyond our current frame of reference and come up with some ideas that are feasible, but may or may not be a part of the next iteration.

The release
I may be going out on a limb here, but expect the next Nintendo DS to hit store shelves just after the company makes its E3 announcement in July. Chances are, the company will tell us that the DS has been performing extremely well, but it's time for a refresh and it'll push Miyamoto and friends out onstage to build up the hype.

The usual
So I guess we should start out with what we already believe will happen. At E3, Nintendo will pull out a slightly smaller DS from a blazer pocket and hold it in the air for all the drooling press to see. From there, the company will outline many of the improvements we have expected--larger screens, better battery life, a smaller footprint, and a slew of new colors.

And then the fun begins.

Pie in the sky?
Next up, our speakers will unveil all of the great new features that will be included in the next iteration of the DS, which will be available the week after E3. First off, the company will tell us about the more powerful graphics capabilities. To better compete with Sony and the rest, Nintendo will tell us that it has decided to double the graphics capabilities of the new DS. According to the company, Mario, Zelda, and Princess Peach will have never looked so good on a handheld.

Can you say iPhone?
Next, the fine folks at Nintendo will unveil a new multitouch technology that lets you abandon the use of a stylus and use your fingers to control the action onscreen. According to the company, the new multitouch technology will let you enjoy the DS like never before and your digits will thank you for it. I agree.

Multimedia
Finally, Nintendo will take away the PSP's last bastion of hope and allow you to upload media to the device like never before. With a slightly modified menu system, the DS will allow you to add music, movies, television shows, and anything else you're looking for much more easily than ever before. On top of that, it might also let you make phone calls via Skype with a headset, but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves.

So there it is--my guess for what Nintendo could have up its sleeve with the DS. Does it sound too good to be true? Probably. But as Nintendo has shown, it has some tricks up its sleeve and it's more than willing to show off what it can do. And with slumping DS sales, now is a great time for it to create an even more compelling product that brings more DS owners to the table.

[The Noble Robot]

Does C|Net actually pay you to dribble this nonsense out?

Do you do any research before writing? I mean, this is the same kind of armchair analysis that any of us could do.

You are basically predicting an entirely new console. This is not something that could be kept a secret, since game developers and retailers would need to plan for it.

A surprise release of a new console is what sunk our beloved Sega Saturn, and that was just released a few months before it was expected. You seem to believe that Nintendo would entertain the remote possibility of not just announcing, but *releasing* a new console with no press and no games. Your caveat that it's a "long shot" doesn't help you. It's a *literal* impossibility. How can you not see that???

You are without a doubt the least-informed game columnist of all time. The fact that you write with such undeserved confidence must be the only thing keeping your even less-informed superiors from canning you.

[aztec92154]

Thanks for writing this blog, it kind of reminds me of Engadget Series on "How would you change the XXXXProduct"


I often think about what would make a better DS, iPhone, psp, ect. I have lots of ideas, but what I think is intresting is this: I'm often completely surprised by the product updates that actually make it to the market. For example, who wants a Matte Bronze Color PSP Slim? WHO ASKED FOR THIS? Why are they spending resources on this? What a distraction!

Source:
- http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/24/limited-edition-bronze-psp-now-on-sale-likely-to-remain-th/

[BaboonDiet]

I agree with The Noble Robot. The columnist doesn't have any sense as to how a new console is released, and that the timing of such events in the video game industry is crucial. It's not the proper time for Nintendo to release another updated DS or anything close to it's successor. The most that could happen this summer at E3 is an announcement that plans are underway for the development of a new handheld system, and maybe some very rough details on what it's all about. Compared to the rest of the industry, Nintendo is naturally slow to the punch when it comes to new releases, be it software titles or hardware consoles. It's their nature to come out with an announcement to build up excitement and buzz, wait a year or so to perfect and fine-tune all implications of what they are trying to achieve in the development phase, THEN release it to the patiently waiting consumers - with usually great success. This is how Nintendo operates, and it's this kind of diligence that ultimately pays off to everyone in the end.

[JReefer]

Muti-touch? I think the screen is to small for that.