Nintendo DS price speculation : 40% of PSP?

[Deadmeat]

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?section_name=pub&aid=2852

Analysts speculate on Nintendo DS pricing as new details emerge

Rob Fahey 11:01 22/01/2004
Sub-£100 price point puts new handheld at the low end of the market.

Nintendo's newly announced console is likely to cost under £100 (€148) at launch, according to an analyst estimate, while further details of the Dual Screen device's hardware configuration continue to emerge.

The pricing information, which was reported by news agency Bloomberg, is thought to be speculation rather than being based on inside information from Nintendo - but it's a fairly safe bet, given the low specification and "toy" concept behind the device.

If the system does arrive at under £100 (20,000 Yen in Japan), it will at least partially confirm Nintendo's assertion that the DS is not designed to compete with Sony's PlayStation Portable - which is set to be priced at over £200 when it launches.

Meanwhile, further details regarding the hardware have continued to emerge, with confirmation that the CPUs in the device will be supplied by British chip designer ARM, and that the screens in the device will be arranged vertically, rather than side by side. It's also been reported widely that the DS will be playable on Nintendo's stand at E3.

Hummm, a 48,000 Yen PSP going head to head with a 20,000 Yen DS this winter... How did SCEI get into this mess???

 

[London Geezer]

Will this ever end?

It was clear that PSP was never going to compete with anything coming out of Nintendo's house.

We discussed the unclear focus of Sony WRT PSP's target audience, we discussed what the PSP will offer, we are STILL discussing this DS thing in 2 (TWO) other threads...

Do we need another thread on this, which will be locked in....5....4....3....2.....1.....................

 

[notAFanB]

for what it's worth, the price point sounds good as it is.

 

[gurgi]

I don't buy the seperate market arguments. I didn't buy it from Nintendo and I don't buy it regarding PSP. These are all game machines after game dollars.

 

[cthellis42]

How can anyone tell at this point? Dual screens, dual procs, and the possibility of dual VPU's of unknown performance levels... It's way too early for anyone to tell right now. I'm'a wait on Nintendo, meself.

 

[Deadmeat]

...

Dual screens

Presuming Nintendo is using an LCD unit similar to the one found in GBA SP, $30 a pop max. Or $60 for two.

dual procs

One is a carry over from GBA. Only the ARM9 thing is new.

and the possibility of dual VPU's of unknown performance levels...

One CPU, one GPU.

It's way too early for anyone to tell right now. I'm'a wait on Nintendo, meself.

Do you agree that DS is twice the machine of SP? Then it should cost twice as much, or $199 US.

 

[casper]

It's funny you bring up the price because there was a thread on IGN about this. Obviously it's in reference to the GBA but that seems like a pretty comfy margin for Nintendo.

Matt-IGN

Date Posted: 1/14 2:50pm Subject: RE: Is there a rule that every N-Query has to have a really stupid comment in it?

All right. You think GBA's technology equates to the $100 price tag, do you?

Since we're posting such "stupid" things, let me explain myself further.

Just as an experiment, a hardware/development team recently went out and bought all of the identical parts that are in the GBA at cost. Every last piece, including the so-called expensive screen. The entire setup cost this team -- not $100 -- but less than $10. Nintendo meanwhile is buying in bulk and has relationships with the manufacturers so it no doubt gets further deals.

My point in Q&A was that Nintendo is making a serious profit with GBA. If you think the technology -- even in mini form -- is anywhere near as expensive as GameCube then you need to re-think who the stupid person is here.

Matt

 

[kaching]

I see DM seems to have gotten over his discomfort about the dual perspectives of the DS now that he thinks it has a chance of beating the PSP in sales.

 

[hey69]

it's like comparing a N64 with a ps2 here. off course I will pay more to have the REAL next gen portable

 

[Blade]

We are just gonna have to wait until E3, heh. The DS is a big mystery.

It sounds like it could be a stand-alone handheld if Nintendo wanted it to be, but they apparently don't. Odd.

 

[Deadmeat]

...

The entire setup cost this team -- not $100 -- but less than $10.

I wonder how they got that figure, since I do know that a 3" LCD for cellphone costs $25 in bulks. I don't know how they could have priced the GBA ASIC.(Which is not sold off market)

 

[London Geezer]

I see DM seems to have gotten over his discomfort about the dual perspectives of the DS now that he thinks it has a chance of beating the PSP in sales.

EXACTLY my thoughts...

 

[Teasy]

Deadmeat

One CPU, One GPU

Its already been said that DS will have an ARM 7 and ARM9 processor per screen. So that's 2 ARM7 processors and two ARM9 processors all inside DS. If the system does have a GPU, and it seems like it will from Nintendo's comments, then surely there will be at least two of them.

Oh and Deadmeat. Its ok to post a story you saw on the net (although it'd be better to post this particular story it in an existing thread). But its not ok when your only posting it to make a incredibly obvious attack on Sony.. or any other company.

Regarding that thread at IGN. I find it almost completely impossible to believe that a GBA costs $10 to make. Not to mention they claim is costs less then $10 when bought in bulk! I mean common, they'd have to be paying like 50p or so for the LCD screen and ARM7 processor ect. This just sounds like total fantasy. The only thing stopping me from laughing out loud at the very suggesting is that Matt posted it. But to be honest I don't really have that much trust in the guy anyway these days.

BTW none of this is a shot at you Casper, I know you were just posting some info you'd seen.

P.S. anyone know what Matt is talking about? Anyone hear of a developer doing this?

 

[Deadmeat]

...

Its already been said that DS will have an ARM 7 and ARM9 processor per screen.

I read Nintendo's Japanese press release and it makes no such claims.

One ARM9, one ARM7(Presumably from GBA)

So that's 2 ARM7 processors and two ARM9 processors all inside DS.

Why do you think ARM7 is in there? For backward compatibility, of course!!! Then why would Nintendo need two GBA ASICs? So that you can play two GBA games simultanously???

Please don't jump into a subject you don't understand... I don't.

 

[nobie]

that's how I understood it, the ARM9 controls the main screen and the ARM7 controls the other.

 

[cybamerc]

The ARM7 is not just for backwards compatibility as the DS screens are bigger than the GBA screen. I'm also not sure that the CPUs are each dedicated to one display. If they were how can you use the two screens as one?

As for the GBA parts costing 10 bucks... well, I really have no idea. But manufacturing, packaging, manuals, batteries, distribution etc. all add to the costs.

 

[cthellis42]

If it's an "of course" regarding backwards compatability, wouldn't it be one of the first things they announce? The interview asking that direct question got it shelved pretty quickly. They are trying to make a "completely different product" with the DS, so while enabling GBA-playing ability is good for the consumer, it may attach the products in ways they don't want.

I'm also not sure that the CPUs are each dedicated to one display. If they were how can you use the two screens as one?

I'm not sure either, but it might be that they'd have to switch to leaning only on the ARM9 for that. (But who knows what weird coding processes some people can work out with enough time and incentive? ^_^ )

Regardless, we don't know the innards of the DS, all its chipware or the power levels thereof, nor do we know what kind of profit Nintendo may be wanting to make on the device versus how much margin they're willing to shave off to make sure it sells better. Still way too early to tell.

 

[marconelly!]

Teasy, it was my understanding from the press release I read, that DS has one ARM9 and one ARM 7 processor inside it - total. Where did you see the quote it has one of each per screen?

 

[chapban.]

Price is one thing, battery life is another. Which high powered high LCDed handheld will run longer and lighter?

 

[Teasy]

Deadmeat

I remember reading that it would have an ARM7 + ARM9 per screen in one of the initial reports on DS. Also it seemed to fit since they will have to do full 3d of two different scene's on both screens at once at times to make this work. Having the 2 ARM7 processors in there would not only allow GBA compatability, it would also allow the system to turn off the ARM9 processors depending on what visuals they need in a game (power saving). Now that I look for the article I read I don't see it, so perhaps its not a ARM7+ARM9 per screen. However this doesn't change the fact that you were still incorrect when you said the system would have one CPU and one GPU.

P.S. I understand the topic, the intent is all to clear.