Poll - Is Nintendo dissing the DS?
Thursday, February 21st, 2008 at 1:29pm by David
Despite winning an award for an incredible DS game this week, Nintendo’s GDC showcase mainly features WiiWare, Wii Fit, and Super Smash Bros Brawl. Also of note: the only 1st party DS games on the horizon from Nintendo are Crosswords DS and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness. With little news in the way of DS, this week we want to know:
Is Nintendo dissing the DS?
[Results from last week’s poll were revealed on Infendo Radio or are available here.]
February 21st, 2008 at 1:51 pm
I think infendo is dissing the DS, they show pics of a lot of busted up DSs….
February 21st, 2008 at 2:01 pm
No they just know it can hold its own. Its the Wii requires their attention.
February 21st, 2008 at 2:29 pm
@Lifeisaglitch:
Took the words out of my mouth and posted them!
February 21st, 2008 at 2:47 pm
I also agree with Lifeisaglitch.
The Wii has more competition and less high-quality support from third parties than the DS does. Nintendo seems to have their focus where it belongs, if you ask me.
February 21st, 2008 at 2:53 pm
If third parties actually started making good stuff for the Wii then Nintendo wouldn’t have to focus so much time on it.
Let’s remember people, Nintendo is a small company and they happen to have arguably, the two hottest pieces of hardware. The competitors are HUGE and happen to have their hands in so many things.
I buy my consoles from the company that makes games and only games. Just like I buy my computers from the company that makes the whole computing experience. Just like I buy my TV because its made by a company that makes TVs.
February 21st, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Yup, Nintendo needs to focus on the Wii for at least the next 9 months or so. If they can hold back the seemingly oncoming Sony onslaught for the year, as they did with MS last year, they can probably safely say that they’ve got this generation wrapped up and in the bag.
DS is fine on it’s own. It has it’s share of crap titles, to be sure, but it’s also got a good amount of 3rd party support behind it.
February 21st, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Totally off topic, I wonder how hard it would be to take a DS apart, make a cast of that piece that breaks in the picture shown and then make aluminum replacement parts. I think it would be the face of the opened DS, you know where the buttons are. I think the thing would look pretty sharp with a nice polished slab aluminum there.
Oh, and we could do personal engravings.
I call dibs on this business venture.
February 21st, 2008 at 3:53 pm
if nintendo is focussed on the wii, then aren’t they ‘dissing’ the ds?saying the ds can still ‘hold it’s own’ without 1st party software is confusing the compay’s strategerie with how it’s treating gamers.
the ds can maintain mkt share fine without ninny’s focus. but who cares? i’m a gamer. i want games. not ‘we’re distracted with the wii’ excuses.
i suppose this conversation revolves around the meaning of ‘dissing’. nintendo probably isn’t depricating the ds (mmmmm ds2), but they seem to be supporting it less. and as a gamer, that’s what matters to me.
February 21st, 2008 at 4:09 pm
The DS doesn’t NEED their attention anymore. The Wii obviously does. 3rd partie should be excited, this is their chance to shine.
February 21st, 2008 at 5:09 pm
@deepthought
They aren’t dissing it because they know it has 3rd party support (The GBA they are dissing) the DS has simply been down-prioritized. And not even much considering they only have the two to focus on and that the DS has gotten a lot of 1st party titles to keep it rolling.
You cant tell me you have played all of the ninty titles on the DS through. Besides it still has some solid 1/2nd party support from Fx Intelligent Systems (Advanced Wars Dark Conflict is bitching :)) So saying that 3rd parties are keeping it rolling isn’t even that true. But you are right its mostly about how you define the word.
Also great name you got there
February 21st, 2008 at 5:31 pm
“if nintendo is focussed on the wii, then aren’t they ‘dissing’ the ds?saying the ds can still ‘hold it’s own’ without 1st party software is confusing the compay’s strategerie with how it’s treating gamers.”
Good Lord, can I get a translation?
“the ds can maintain mkt share fine without ninny’s focus. but who cares?”
I care. It might also help out those poor, unfortunate third parties who “just can’t seem to do anything right” (actually or intentionally) on Nintendo’s systems. (I favor the latter)
“i want games. not ‘we’re distracted with the wii’ excuses.”
Did they actually say this or is there an inference here?
Everybody’s still in this “E3 mindset” where a whole lot of games are always announced at every event. Because there are more events upcoming, it would be unwise to attribute an entire year’s lineup to a showing at an admittedly small show.
ZOMG Nintendo ttoally dissed the Wii and DS by not showing anything at CES *gasp* Shock HORROR.
February 21st, 2008 at 6:04 pm
@ Lifeisaglitch
haha- thanks!
yeah, I do love the ds catalogue. I think my larger point is that sometimes people here excuse Nintendo’s behavior because Nintendo’s doing what is good for the company/brand/whatever. But why should we excuse that when it means less games for us? Where’s the next Mario platform DS game? It feels like this article’s question asks us to think like gamers, less like shareholders.
Judging by Jeff’s response, I think I pushed some buttons. ZOMG!
February 21st, 2008 at 6:27 pm
Nintendo knows the DS is a cash cow. That thing could sell itself and with great third party games like Professor Layton, Ninja Gaiden and Apollo Justice, it’s not hurting. The Wii needs all the attention it can get right now to keep up the massive momentum it has built ever since its release.
February 21st, 2008 at 6:43 pm
@deepthought
Valid point! One of my friends is a Sony-aholic when it comes to gaming. He and i talked about how Sony got a lot of bad PR and he agreed that they deserved most of it but that it was getting ridiculous and i agreed.
But then i told him that he shouldn’t be sorry because they were getting the bad rep but be happy because the only way they are going to up quality is if they are being criticized.
One of the things i tell rabid fanboys is that the more you love a Game series the more vocal and critical you should be towards the developers when they do strike out.
Fortunately Ninty hasn’t gotten to THAT point with the DS, though i am concerned about the Wii.
Plus im starting to love my DS all over again because i got AW for it so the whole post is basically shedding light on a very important topic that i fortunately am not affected by.
February 21st, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Hand helds have always been second fiddle to the console. Seriously the Wii needs the attention. 3rd parties will carry the DS easily.
February 21st, 2008 at 6:59 pm
No one is excusing Nintendo’s behavior. They have a big fight ahead of them this year and they will need every one to over come it. The PS3 is no joke even if you did laugh at it before. Being critical is cool but really nintendo needs to get behind the Wii as this is only the beginning of the war. Also the DS can not do what the Wii does. As popular as the DS was it did not get the attention that the Wii did from grown ups. Then on top of that unless you own large amounts of stock in nintendo then they really don’t have to tell you about all of their secret projects. Sit back and enjoy the ride.
February 21st, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Isn’t this the same GDC where the DS got tons of attention just by receiving tons of awards for The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglassm has premium DS coverage released to the press via DS download play, and the much awaited Ninja Gaiden DS is making waves?
Of course Nintendo isn’t dissing the DS. They’ve made a few comments in the past about using the DS for something related to the virtual console. I can’t find any links, but if it’s true, then they aren’t going to speak on it until they have something good to show. They have been actively spreading the functionality of the DS for something more than just a games machine.
Also, I don’t know if anyone’s noticed but Advance Wars: Days of Ruin did just release. That’s a major game. They matured the series, put it online and gave a campain that has a story that people just may care about. Not to mention that they expanded user created maps from 3 to 50 from ds to dor. Not to mention that fire emblem ds has been announced already in addition to many other first party nintendo games. We only know what they’re doing for the first half of this year. If it looks this great now, imagine how the other half will look later this year?
One more thing, allowing 3rd party developers to spread their wings and flex their muscles on the DS isn’t exactly dissing it either. 3rd party games are becoming increasingly more creative, refined, beautiful, amazing and generally something worth buying. The DS is my favorite and main system, the games already released and in the pipeline to release will only solidify it. Nintendo does not need to be largest bringer of news at every show nor does it need to have a huge focus on all of its’ major assets at every show.
February 21st, 2008 at 9:05 pm
For this year I think Nintendo has put the DS on the backburner a little bit…but they seem to have handed the reigns over to Square Enix. Final Fantasy IV, Dragon Quest IX, Kingdom Heart 385/2 (or whatever number over two), Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, The world ends with you, that other Square Enix game I can’t remember right now.
Yeah, Nintendo is kinda dissing the DS…but I think that it’s in safe hands.
Not to forget:
Ninja Gaiden!?! A seemingly much improved Lost in Blue 3? The above Square Enix games, plus a little bit of a back catalog I need to catch up with.
February 21st, 2008 at 9:29 pm
I think they need to just support the DS with the big name titles like Metroid (no, prime doesn’t count, I’m talking 2d metroid), Mario (I acknowledge New Super Mario Bros.), and the best one they could do on DS……..Smash Bros.
As hard-core gamers we don’t see what Nintendo is trying to do: take a new or classic series, and DS-alize it. For better or for worse, Nintendo is trying their hardest not to be like the Dynasty Warriors series (same thing every game) and try new things for games. The industry is about to turn into the DW series, and when Sony and Microsoft are trying to make games that aren’t just same thing, new shell…….Nintendo will be praised for their creativity. I just think they could be using that creativity in better ways and areas, like the DS.
I also think that the DS and Wii are supported less by Nintendo than the GCN was. Nintendo is just lighting the 3rd parties way to a more creative future.
February 21st, 2008 at 10:42 pm
Nintendo just released Layton, and the sequel should be here at the end of the year(like the Japanese one was available 8 months later).
Also, ASH is also coming this year, and Soma Bringer should be localized by the end of the year, as well as Card Hero.
MagKid should be hitting stateside this year, assuming they pull a Master of Illusions and give quirky titles a try, even if they didn’t do too well in Japan.
Kirby Deluxe remake, Fire Emblem DS COULD be out by the end of the year, but I doubt it.
February 22nd, 2008 at 3:34 am
DS is just fine with 3rd party support!! It’s time for them to focus on the Wii right now!!!
DS won’t get the same support from Nintendo, but 3rd parties are…. BIG TIME!!
So no worries there! ^_^
February 22nd, 2008 at 8:34 am
Side note, i actualy refer to the DS as “The Diss”
February 22nd, 2008 at 10:51 am
I totally
February 22nd, 2008 at 12:04 pm
@Greentorpedo
Also on another note the Wii really needs to have Nintys full focus so im happy with it if they do diss the DS
February 25th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
New Super Mario Bros. 2 would be the greatest thing to ever happen to me, ever. Seriously.
I was on the fence about the whole DS thing until I saw gameplay clips online when Nintendo revealed plans for NSMB. Literally that night, I went out and bought a DS. Nintendo can do whatever it wants with Brain Age, Nintendogs, Big Brain Academy and Animal Crossing…the franchise that pushed me, overwhelmingly, into buying a DS was Super Mario.
Still the best DS game out there, for my money.