Nintendo’s latest moneymaking scheme, er, portable, will launch on April 5 in the U.S., the company confirmed today.
The price is listed at $170 (almost as much as an Xbox 360 Arcade? Hmm…), and launch colors are a surprising black and blue (a nod to what the company’s done to the competition? Who knows.)
The full press release lies below. Who’s picking one up, and who’s not? And why?
New Portable System Offers Customized Gaming Experiences
REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Nintendo pioneered hand-held entertainment in the ’80s and made it fully mobile with the Game Boyâ„¢ video game system. Now, Nintendo is transforming the way people access, experience, create and share content with the new Nintendo DSiâ„¢ system, the third iteration of the world’s best-selling portable video game system. Nintendo DSi launches in the United States on April 5, 2009, at an MSRP of $169.99. The colors available at launch will be Blue and Black.
“Ever since the arrival of the first Game Boy, consumers worldwide have turned to Nintendo for their portable gaming,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Nintendo DSi builds on Nintendo’s commitment to bringing fun and creative entertainment to everyone, and will allow consumers to personalize and share their very own experiences.”
Some features that will be built into the system and ready to enjoy upon purchase include the Nintendo DSi Camera, Nintendo DSi Sound and Nintendo DSi Shop. The most noticeable feature of the slim Nintendo DSi system is its two cameras ”“ one camera is on the external body, and the second one points at the user when the device is flipped open. As the first truly interactive digital camera in a video game system with 10 different interactive “lenses” that can manipulate your photos, the Nintendo DSi Camera offers an easy way to take and share your photos with family and friends. The cameras also present people with unprecedented ways to interact with their games while giving developers a new tool to devise creative games and experiences. If the touch screen gave Nintendo DS a sense of feel and the microphone allowed it to hear, the two cameras give Nintendo DSi the sense of sight.
Another enhanced feature is the Nintendo DSi Sound application, which serves as both an interactive voice recorder and music player that allows users to play with their music while they listen to it. Users can access different audio filters or control the pitch and speed of recorded voice or music files to alter voices or change the tempo of a song. The mic is located between the two screens when the device is flipped open, and there is also a stereo headphone output that lets users listen to music saved on an SD card, even with the screen shut.
In the world of software, Nintendo DSi will be the platform for the most relevant and fun on-the-go games and applications. The Nintendo DSiWareâ„¢ application will populate Nintendo DSi with software that can be downloaded using Nintendo DSi Points directly to the portable system, just as WiiWareâ„¢ has with Nintendo’s Wiiâ„¢ console. Developers big and small are invited to create software that makes use of the properties and functions of the hardware. Nintendo DSiWare games and applications will be available at a range of values, starting at 200 points.
In addition to downloadable games, Nintendo DSi is able to play games made specifically for the system and sold at retail. The system can also play most Nintendo DSâ„¢ games, and will have access to a library of more than 850 titles originally made for that system.
Also on April 5, a new Nintendo DS game, Rhythm Heavenâ„¢, will join this roster of games available for both Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DS owners in the United States. Having sold more than 1.6 million copies since its July 2008 launch in Japan and still increasing sales today, this infectious game challenges players to tap and slide the stylus on the touch screen in time to original music created by legendary Japanese pop-star producer TSUNKU?. Simple gestures with the stylus combined with fun music and quirky visuals make Rhythm Heaven a completely unique musical experience for players of all ages.
Additional features and news of Nintendo DSi will be revealed as April 5 approaches.
For more information about Nintendo DSi, visit www.nintendodsi.com.
I'd like to get one, but I don't know if I will cave in just yet. I still have the original DS, I was too cheap to spend the money for a lite since my old one still functions absolutely fine… so I'd love to make another monetary sacrifice to the Nintendo Gods, if I can scrounge the money up…
That is a strange blue color – I'm going to get the Black one for now.
I wonder why no White?
Anyways, this is great news to hear – I've also been waiting for Rhythm Heaven's release as well; I'll probably only get one copy even though I have 3 DS's and soon 1 DSi…
Hey you forgot to mention the Rhythm Heaven release date was squeezed in there. Same day as the DSi. You should probably point that out. 🙂
I'm definitely NOT picking it up as I already own a DS Lite and an Iphone. I took both on vacation this past week and didn't pick up my DS once as I was addicted to Fieldrunners and social apps on the Iphone.
It'll be a hard sell for people like me to continue carrying around two devices like this once the next fully realized DS/Gameboy comes out.
BLACK for me.
i will definitely pick this up my bday is the same month so it'll be a present to me from me. plus i take my wife's ds to work to play at lunch and she hates it because when she's out and about she has nothing to play. i've been holding off on getting another lite once i read there was dsi coming (thank you infendo).
I'm still using my original lunchbox-esque DS. :p If the thing wasn't region locked I'd think more about a DSi. Rhythm Heaven in out on the 5th as well, so I may get that instead.
I'm going to go to the store right now to see if I can preorder one.
Oh, nevermind, I'm not going to the store. Preorders start tommorow.
I'm planning to get one because I'm still using the Electric Blue original DS from 2005 and DSi has given me enough justification to get a new DS that DS Lite didn't give to me.
Although I probably will be waiting until July to buy one like I did with Wii because I got other things to get on my list.
May not get one as my DS lite is fine. Not much of a difference. Not worth purchasing another.
This kicks every level of ass. I will be paid right before this hits. It's launching with blue, the greatest color in existence. Rhythm Heaven is launching with it, and it hits us in approximately a month and a half. I'm hitting that. that is mine. MINE. MINEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
This sucker can use sdhc cards right? 16 GB ones are around $20 now, that's an instant win for me. I currently make do with 4 gigs on my 8 gig card. YEA!
I'd only buy one if my current DS Lite dies or gets lost. Still, I'd check up price drops on another DS Lite first. 🙂
Dang, the blue one is ugly, I'll have to get black. We're never going to get enamel navy over here. that's been the best color of any ds.
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But I want a White One! What am I gonna change all of my online screen names to? Darc? Man. I'll get a black one then.
Unless the chick in the picture comes with the DSi, no thanks. I have a DS Lite, and still play GBA games. No use for this "upgrade."
I'll be buying a DSi after homebrewers have thoroughly had their way with it (preferably including overclocking or otherwise accessing the faster CPU speeds speculated upon by various hardware blogs) and before Nintendo issues a forced firmware update. If I'm going to buy a system that's locked down to only the software the manufacturer wants me to use on it, it's damn well going to be highly subsidized.
I'm probably gonna end up holding out on this one. I mean I've got a DS Lite as it is and I'm perfectly happy with it. There's gonna have to be an unfortunate mishap where I lose my DS (which has happened 3 times already , ugh) or enough good games come out that are DSi exclusive so I have to buy one. But I'll definitely be waiting a good amount of time past the launch date.
I won't lie, I'll buy the black one. But I think it's a little expensive compared with Lite.
I can wait for the next gen handheld.
Finally!
8)