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DSi not meant to compete?

March 01, 2009 in News comments 5

Iwata was talking about the new Nintendo DS remake on a show "Iwata Asks" and what he said may startle you. The DSi isn't intended to compete with other icons such as the iPod or Cell Phones. It is kinda of odd for a Handheld to have a camera, maybe we had the wrong idea about the DSi, we will see how the sales figures show on it.

"Iwata Asks" is a recurring feature Nintendo produces, where Iwata brings together various figures behind a new Nintendo product to discuss it in detail. In this latest column focusing on the DSi, the topic of competition with other multi-purpose portable devices came up, and Iwata was quick to note that competing with such devices isn't their goal.

"Nintendo doesn't have any intention of directly competing with existing products, but the mass media has a tendency to portray everything as a rivalry between opposing companies," he said. "It seems some people have the impression that we want to compete with cell phones or the iPod, that putting cameras or music players in our devices is out of character for us. I hope those who have such an impression will take an interest in what Nintendo can make when it dedicates itself to pleasing as many people as possible who pick up a DS, and I hope they'll actually pick one up themselves."
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  • 0
    XboxOmac Mar 2, 09
    Good. I would hate to see Nintendo compete with other media companies, such as Apple.
  • 0
    BlackLabel Mar 2, 09
    It'd have a hard time competing with the PSP. The DS may have higher sales but feature wise other than the inbuilt camera the PSP runs rings around it as a multimedia device. The fact the DSi only plays AAC music files is a huge flaw, where is MP3, MP4 and DivX..
  • 0
    BANDITO ATTACK Mar 2, 09
    it might actually be true. i mean, adding MORE useless gimmicks to an already useless-gimmick system? makes sense.

    (btw before you bitch and rant - i meant that the touch screen gimmick is useless and not the actual DS. i like the ds but i hate the touch screen games)
  • 0
    Pyrazor Mar 2, 09
    Well I guess we'll see down the line, it wouldn't be the first time Nintendo lied.
    • 0
      Koloth Mar 2, 09
      How is it a lie to say you're not competeing with someone? Sometimes things just are what they are. It is possible to do something similar to what others are doing and in fact only be competeing with yourself. When I play a game I rarely try to be better than the other people that are playing. I just want to be better than myself. If I got this score last time I want a better score this time. And if in doing so I happen to beat you then great. But it is about bettering myself that I strive for, not beating you. And of course that kind of mindset can allow you to do things that you wouldn't do when trying to beat others.

      For instance if Nintendo had wanted to compete directly with Microsoft and Sony they would have built a graphics powerhouse with a standard controller. But they didn't they built a systemThat is graphically weak compared to the others but incorporates a new type of gameplay. Now they are beating the pants off of Sony and MS in the concole war, but they aren't competeing for the same market.

      Similarly the DSi isn't competeing for the same markets as the PSP, Ipod touch or iPhone. They are each looking for a slightly different market. But they cross paths because of the similarities rather than the differences.

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