Nintendo DSi and Apple iPhone/iPod Touch: Next Console War?

[Sentama Lin]

Nota Bene: Not that I didn't want to bring Sony's Playstation Portable into the picture, but, in all reality, the PSP is in quite a different class compared to the DSi and the iPhone/iPod Touch. So... feel free to discuss here, but it's... weird to think of where it sort of fits in. I feel the PSP will stay as a high-performance system made specifically for gaming and media playback. The DSi and the iPhone/iPod Touch, however, seem to be moving in an interesting different direction.

I can't help but feel that there will be some really strange quarrels between lovers of Nintendo's DS/DSi and Apple's iPhone/iPod Touch (though, there will probably be many people who own both). Apple is putting various applications and games on their much-loved-by-many media players and has a whole swath of developers developing for the unit. Likewise, Nintendo, loved for its casual games, family games, and -- sometimes -- serious games, have been making non-gaming software titles to their library ever since the DS's conception (100 Classic Books Collection, Personal Trainer, Brain Age, and KORG-DS10 are just a few of them).

Nintendo's DSi unit is essentially the same as a DS Lite, save for a few things: removal of the Gameboy Advance Expansion Slot, slightly larger screens, two 640x480 pixel cameras, internal memory, an SD Card slot, built-in Web Browser, Wifi, and a new DSi Channel where games and applications may be downloaded. Apple's iPhone/iPod Touch lacks the second screen and memory expansion in the DSi, but includes a multitouch-capable, HD-Quality screen; a browser using WebKit, one of the best web engines that power Safari and Google Chrome; Better Wifi technology; GPS Unit (or, the capability of being location aware); accelerometers (though there is hardware to make a DS motion-aware); and a solid base for playing music and videos.

What do you all think of the current state of DS games and applications and iPhone/iPod Touch games and applications? Which purposes would either device be better suited for?  

[Jafthasleftthebuilding]

Serious games?

They have enough of those. I'm 60 hours in and only halfway done. =_=

Also, Pokemon is srsbizness.

I'd like to comment that the tilt function is incredibly fun, but I'll stick with the dual screens for now, because I'm poor.

XD  

[Roland Karloseth]

Tell me, exactly what does freedom mean...

Really, all I would like to say is I'm glad that the DSi is coming out. The normal DS should see a decrease in price, and I want one!

...if I'm not free to be as twisted as I want to be?

 

[Saverio C.]

Apple aims for that hip teenage to young adult crowd with their products. Nintendo Aims around that crowd. The reason they get the young adults is merely that everyone grew up with Nintendo so it is popular.

I'm glad you left the PSP out it is aiming for a totally different crowd then both of them.  

[Jafthasleftthebuilding]

The "I don't like to play good games." crowd?

;D

I jest.  

[Paul Kattner]

I am a Nintendo fanboy and I dislike sour Apples. My argument is invalid here. lol  

[Saverio C.]

Jaft

The "I don't like to play good games." crowd?

;D

I jest.

b*****d! At least with Nintendo shunning real gamers I don't have to deal with my hobby becoming too popular.  

[Sentama Lin]

One can't argue, however, that even adults who used to be serious gamers (who are now casual gamers, or maybe not even gamers anymore) buy Nintendo systems. While Nintendo is still seen as a gaming company to me, the DS/DSi is just a bit strange. It's not that there are no serious games on the Nintendo DS/DSi (the Final Fantasy ports and Crystal Chronicles, Pokemon, Zelda, the Dragon Quests, Tales of, Shining Force, and Phantasy Star series just to name a few awesome titles on the system), but the market is just a lot more varied on Nintendo that it seems to attract more than the serious gamers, while still providing good titles for serious gamers.

That said, going back to the PSP. The only way I can see the PSP succeeding in the future is if they create a new model that no longer uses UMD. If the games move from UMD to the Memory Stick slots that they are using, the PSP would be a more viable system in my eyes. Otherwise, it's just a little too powerful for its battery supply and other things.

Another thing to tout that would make the DS/DSi compete very interestingly with the iPhone/iPod Touch: It can play music from the SD card using its built-in player. Granted, it's not as elegant as the iPhone/iPod Touch, and it can't play videos (I think?), but it's still there, and who says they won't create a video playing application for it?  

[Phaeton]

I like to keep my things a little more separate. Why does my DS need a camera? Can't my Phone just handle phone calls and text messages?

I'm not a part of the crowd who wants to fit their entire technological life into the palm of their hand.  

[Sentama Lin]

Ah, but some people enjoy the convenience of convergence. I know I enjoy the convenience of one device despite the disadvantages of it.

As for the DS's camera? It's for more game possibilities and to simply take small pictures while on the go. The had a camera expansion for the DS before the DSi came out that was used for "Face Training" in Japan (that is, help make better facial expressions).  

[TurtIe Tracks]

DSi's coming out? Are you serious?! I literally JUST GOT my DS. Dangit. (and I really value web-browsing on small, portable devices...)