DS to get facelift.

[PC-Engine]

http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/News/Details.aspx?NewsId=15519

As for existing products, don't be surprised if more facelifts are on the way for existing products. Nintendo unveiled a streamlined Game Boy Advance earlier this year (much along the lines of Apple's iPod Nano), dubbed the Game Boy Micro.

The logical choice for the next facelift would be the Nintendo DS. Last year's hottest holiday gift has seen its popularity grow as Nintendo and third party publishers have put out increasingly appealing software, but the device itself is fairly ugly by gaming standards.

Fils-Aime hinted a revamped DS is in the works: "As soon as [the DS] was launched, we started looking at ways to tweak it visually."

 

[zurich]

I hope so. Its fugly visage is what's stopping me, atleast, from picking one up.

 

[PC-Engine]

I think it's a very smart move with all the WiFi buzz generating lots of interest. Hopefully the new design style is sleek like the Revolution.

 

[Ty]

I hope so. Its fugly visage is what's stopping me, atleast, from picking one up.

Same here. That and the fuzzy resolution. But I do want one for the games!

 

[jvd]

Its going to be thinner but the same length , its going to have better speakers and new screens

 

[Ty]

Its going to be thinner but the same length , its going to have better speakers and new screens

Sweet. If it looks sleeker, then it's a winner. The better screens are a nice bonus.

 

[Teasy]

The idea that DS is somehow "ugly by gaming standards" bemuses me to be honest. Maybe when its closed it doesn't look that nice but open it does look nice IMO.

Though I'm still interested in this new model and will probably buy it. I'm especially interested in the improved speakers since I like to play music through the speakers sometimes. I wonder exactly how much better they'll be? I also wonder how they'll improve the screens? (just clearer of possibly slightly bigger?). If the speakers are louder/clearer and the screens are slightly bigger and brighter then I hope they include a more powerful battery.

 

[jvd]

Sweet. If it looks sleeker, then it's a winner. The better screens are a nice bonus.

yea the nintendo rep talked a little about it .

The screens they are using will stop scaling next year i believe (in price) and so the upgrade to those screens at the same size has increased visual quality and uses less power .

I also believe they are going to use a smaller process , perhaps 65nm by then for the chips which will allow them to save more power draw and of course make the unit smaller .

I also beileve that the gba sp is going to be phased out next year to make room for a cheaper ds and micro

 

[Ty]

The idea that DS is somehow "ugly by gaming standards" bemuses me to be honest. Maybe when its closed it doesn't look that nice but open it does look nice IMO.

Dunno about "by gaming standards" but it is ugly imo. The rounded corners are just..blech. I think color definitely has something to do with it as well which is why I like the Electric Blue version. That at least has some pizazz.

Jvd, any word WHEN it might be available?

 

[jvd]

I don't think till early 2007 .

They are going to launch the rev first and are going ot have thier hands full from what i know . They also want to release the new colors in the states and europe and make some more sales .


I heard its going ot launch with nintendogs 2

 

[Guden Oden]

MEHH... 2007! I'd love a smaller DS, yet keeping the retro 'feel' of the old dual-screen Game & Watch. Or at least one in BLACK! Jesus christ on a marshmallow stick, can I have my DS in black pretty please Nintendo?

The GBA mini looks awesome IMO, almost just like a tiny little original G&W. Amazing. If a new DS looks like that, except with 2 screens in clamshell format (and is BLACK, or at least not silver!), I'll get one immediately.

 

[Corwin_B]

MEHH... 2007! I'd love a smaller DS, yet keeping the retro 'feel' of the old dual-screen Game & Watch. Or at least one in BLACK! Jesus christ on a marshmallow stick, can I have my DS in black pretty please Nintendo?

You can import a black DS from Japan if you want one badly :
http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?category=273&products_id=7655&

The GBA mini looks awesome IMO, almost just like a tiny little original G&W. Amazing. If a new DS looks like that, except with 2 screens in clamshell format (and is BLACK, or at least not silver!), I'll get one immediately.

Problem is that they can't release a revamped DS with smaller screens, as you need some screen estate to use the touchscreen correctly.

Would it be possible for a revamped DS to have bilinear filtering instead of point-sampling in the GPU ?

 

[Teasy]

Would it be possible for a revamped DS to have bilinear filtering instead of point-sampling in the GPU ?

Interesting idea, yeah I can't see why that wouldn't be possible. Bilinear filtering could be forced in hardware on the new DS. That way all the new games would work on every DS just without filtering on the older model.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Does the DS have a GPU? I thought very little was known other than two ARMs (left and right ). As such adding filtering might no be possible, if the rendering is in software an an ARM. If it has got a GPU they could pull a PS2 and add an extra feature.

 

[Guden Oden]

Problem is that they can't release a revamped DS with smaller screens, as you need some screen estate to use the touchscreen correctly.

Nah, I don't want smaller screens, the same size as now would be fine, except keeping the same/similar overall design as GBA mini; it simply looks really nice and sleek.

 

[jvd]

don't expect hardware changes . Ds is'nt going to be thier flagship past 2007.

 

[Shogmaster]

I hope so. Its fugly visage is what's stopping me, atleast, from picking one up.

It isn't the "viasge" for me as much as the girth. If they shrink the DS a good 25% or more with the same design, I'd be getting it ASAP.

 

[Skrying]

don't expect hardware changes . Ds is'nt going to be thier flagship past 2007.

Yep, that is untill they can get the same power as the Gamecube into a handle with great battery, which will use the same disc's of GC games. There was always a reason for those small discs........ I wish.

 

[Teasy]

Does the DS have a GPU? I thought very little was known other than two ARMs (left and right ). As such adding filtering might no be possible, if the rendering is in software an an ARM. If it has got a GPU they could pull a PS2 and add an extra feature.

Yeah it does have a GPU (it even has a programmable T&L unit in there), that's why it has better graphics then the N-Gage despite having less CPU power. Publically nothing has been said about the GPU from Nintendo. But certain info has leaked out and if you do a search on this forum you should find some good info.

 

[Teasy]

don't expect hardware changes . Ds is'nt going to be thier flagship past 2007.

I wouldn't expect significant hardware changes like more powerful hardware no. But adding bilinear filtering that's forced in hardware (transparent to the actual game) is a different matter. Its not that different to adding better speakers or a brighter screen. Since all new games would still work perfectly on the original DS, just without filtering (and all old DS games would have filtering on the new DS as well).