This Sunday, Nintendo will launch its newest portable gaming gadget — the Nintendo DSi XL. This latest version of Nintendo’s best-selling DS game machine is large and in charge with not only an expanded waistline but two super-sized screens. But while the DSi XL hasn’t even had a chance to sashay out of its box yet, another portable gaming gadget is already hogging its spotlight. And it’s another portable gaming gadget from Nintendo. It’s called the Nintendo 3DS … and it doesn’t exist yet.
It’s always interesting to see if Nintendo makes another Wii or another Power Glove.
Nintendo never made the Power Glove. The Power Glove was made my Mattel.
If you were referring to Nintendo’s will to experiment, then Virtual Boy is a good example of a taken risk that failed in the end.
that thing wasn’t a taken risk but a planned desaster like the sega 32x
So they said after the Wii was announced.
The story is kind of silly. It seems to assume that the DSi XL is the big new Nintendo hardware release that it wants everyone to go out and buy. It’s not, it’s just a complementary release to the DSi; it’s targeted at older users (with poorer sight) who want to play the large base of casual DS games, without necessarily carrying it around in the traditional portable-gaming-device way. It’s a pretty minor release that slots right into their existing portfolio, it doesn’t have a big marketing campaign associated with it and they’re not expecting millions of people to trash their DSi and buy one of these instead. So they’re really not stealing any thunder, here.
Edited 2010-03-26 19:45 UTC
They have a history of this, too. The NES 2, SNES 2, and the Game Boy Micro… they were capstones to a system line. None are considered to be failures.
Hi,
The DSi launch was the 5th March (Europe) 2010, I bought one, I have no problem of sight at all, so please … stop saying that targeted people are old (at last not only)
It’s just far more confortable to use in all different point of use ! For instance mahjong has a lot of very small pieces with complicated draw on them, with the LL it’s better. Handling is good too for big hands.
I’m less than 40 years old hey …
Edited 2010-03-26 21:31 UTC
Older people are expressly the market the system was designed for. That doesn’t mean they’re the only people who might choose to buy one, but that _is_ the idea behind it.
Therefore, old!
🙂
Noooooooooooooooooo !
[as Luke when Darth tell him he’s his father]
As much as I agree with this article, there is one thing that I would like to add. I think the DSi XL isn’t really aimed at regular “hardcore” gamers but more at older ones, the more casual ones. So for them, they really haven’t heard of the 3DS, and won’t so till much later. As for me I am very happy with my DSi and am anxiously awaiting what the 3DS will bring to the table.
I bought one today. Haven’t opened it yet but I will. Sucks that the 3D one will be out pretty soon but I haven’t bought into the entire 3D thing. Some upgrades I pass on – something I’m an early adopter. Nintendo has quality devices so I’ll help them out with this one. Star Wars Lego is sure to be awesome as well as nintendogs! Wish there was a Wii version of nintendogs.
I am sick of these incremental updates, it seems to me as if Nintendo just wants people to keep upgrading to the latest machine and earn them some $$$.
Sorry Nintendo it just doesn’t do it for me.