Nintendo "DS2" Dev Kits Already in Developers' Hands

[Tom Goldman]

Nintendo "DS2" Dev Kits Already in Developers' Hands

Nintendo might be the most secretive entity on planet Earth, but the companies it sends its development kits to aren't as tight-lipped.

An insider for CVG has revealed that development kits for the next iteration of the Nintendo DS, dubbed the DS2 for now, are definitely in the hands of select Japanese companies. The employee from an unknown third-party development studio has also given up the goods on one of the DS2's new features.

In addition to saying that the DS2 is "genuinely the best thing I think I've ever worked with," the insider said: "I can tell you that it's got a 'tilt' function that's not dissimilar to iPhone, but does a lot more." I like to tilt things, but tilting is not always the most accurate control method. Hopefully the "a lot more" means that Nintendo will be doing something with tilting not seen before, though I'm not sure how tilting can really do much else than tilt. One thing I do know is that we'll inevitably either be seeing a sequel to Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble, or some other Nintendo character is going to be shaped into a ball and forced to roll around when the DS2 comes out.

As for which companies currently have the DS2 development kits, only one is known and it's the most obvious: The Pokemon Company. The insider stated: "We know that The Pokemon Company are getting special attention with it." Despite these kits already being out there in the wild, they are apparently only the first version of a final product and are just being used for developer feedback.

Unfortunately, the insider shut up soon after that, only further revealing that any announcement at March's Game Developers Conference "wouldn't fit with the timeline I understand the second DS to be on." So, other than tilting (which we pretty much already knew about [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/pocket-gamer/6998-Pocket-Gamer-Report-The-DSi-to-Be-Replaced]) and Pokémon, the DS2 remains a mystery. Still, with development kits hitting the streets, I wouldn't be surprised if we find out more details pretty soon. I personally can't wait to find out its name, and I'm hoping Nintendo will go with "Dii".

Source: CVG [http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=235077]

Permalink

 

[TheEarlOfGrey]

Big industry secrets are exactly secrets anymore. I mean look at Modern Warfare 2. We pretty much found everything out before the game's release. I imagine 'No Russian' was leaked.

EDIT: Oh, and DS2? Already? I can't even keep track of original DS variations! What are up to now, three versions?

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Pokemon will get better every time. I find R/B/Y nearly unplayable thanks to the shitty "catch Mewtwo and fight the Elite Four over and over" metagame.

And now we can tilt/shake Pikachu until it dies, if they let me use the tilt sensor for evil. DIE PIKACHU!

 

[dududf]

Hmmm...

Mario is tugged up into a ball, and enters thin maze like tunnels, his goal is to make it to the end of the level and get closer to the princes.

Marioooo!

 

[Insanum]

AS long as i dont have to shake the bleedin' thing, I have high hopes.

Seriously, If ninty bring out one more bloody shaking thing im going to fly to japan & slap them.

 

[Quadtrix]

We better not be seeing another DS till at least 2012. I just got a DSi to replace my DS phat. I can't afford another.

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

We better not be seeing another DS till at least 2012. I just got a DSi to replace my DS phat. I can't afford another.

Though that being said, the DS is nearly six years old with a hundred percent market penetration. They're probably releasing another one to keep that stranglehold, but I don't see this coming out until at least 2011.

 

[Simalacrum]

Huh, certainly sounds very interesting... I've been looking for some time to jump back onto the Nintendo band wagon (I started off my gaming life with the N64 before hopping to Sony's PS2), maybe this will be it?

 

[Lord Beautiful]

DS2? Forget that. Give us a QS, Nintendo. You know 4 screens would be awesome.

 

[DrDeath3191]

Well, nVidia won the bid for Nintendo's next handheld with the Tegra 2, so we know it will have some very high-quality visuals. Here's a tech demo for the Tegra to see it in action:


I'm still not certain about the validity of these claims, but if they do turn out to be true I wouldn't expect anything until the middle of next year, with the DSi and XL being available.

 

[Heart of Darkness]

So Nintendo plans to keep the dual screen feature, then? Good. I like having two screens.

Hmm, Pokemon, eh?...I guess fifth gen is going to incorporate tilt somehow. Fun.

 

[matrix3509]

What the hell is the next Pokemon game gonna be? Pokemon Unobtainium?

 

[Nicarus]

If this thing gains shaking capabilities, then Yahtzee would be all over this: "Now we have to waggle the f***ing handhelds?! The end has come!"

 

[Sporky111]

I'm surprised Nintendo didn't make them sign a secrecy deal before getting the development kits. That was a major oversight on their part.

Or just a clever hype-building tool.

But in terms of motion control, I hope it sticks to tilts. A handheld that requires wrist straps isn't really a handheld, because you can't simply pick it up and play, in my opinion.

 

[mjc0961]

Yeah, really not much to do with a tilt sensor other than tilt. I'm afraid to see how Nintendo further butchers portable Zelda with the mechanic, though.

 

[Therumancer]

I am not sure if game developers, both in hardware and software, live on earth anymore.

The DS2 looks good, don't get me wrong. But let me be honest, the economy is in trouble. People don't have as much money to be spending on games. Big companies are losing tons of money and laying people off. Out comes Nintendo who pretty much *just* released the DSI and says "Oh yes, this looks like a grrreat time to release the DS-2".


For all I know the thing could be the handheld equivilent of the holy grail, but it doesn't matter because I doubt they will be giving them away for free. I'd expect the price to be $150-$200. What makes them think that people are going to be running out to buy this thing?

I mean I might be wrong, but it just seems rather ridiculous. It's extremely greedy, and also seems very badly timed.

My concern is largely based around the fact that I would like to see a DS-2 released, but this seems like a ridiculous time to be doing it.

What's more I ironically look at companies like EA who were criticized for producing deritive shovelware and sequels endlessly, and decided to change their track at the same time as a massive economic slump. Innovation and new properties probably taking the blame to the people in charge rather than timing.

I'm sure Nintendo has "Done their research" but I think they are getting cocky (as they have done in the past) and right now I suspect this has a good chance of being a failure of truely epic proportions.

 

[AceDiamond]

I'm guessing they're a year, at minimum, from putting out a DS2. This is not really anything other than conformation that such a thing will exist.

Personally I think Nintendo may be jumping the gun a bit but really this is better than releasing another permutation of the DS. It was hitting PSP levels of ridiculous.

 

[deleted_scifidownbeat]

DELETED

 

[AceDiamond]

So it's the Nintendo DS, the Nintendo DS lite, the Nintendo DSi, and now the Nintendo DS2 (or Dii, if you like).

This makes me wonder: how come Microsoft hasn't done something like this? Hand-held systems, I mean? I suppose they have other things on their mind (Project Natal and... uh... I can't think of anything else), but still, they don't have the time or money to even consider it?

Given the hurdles they've had to overcome in the home console market I think they probably didn't think it a wise investment to compete with the juggernaut of handheld gaming that is Nintendo, and given that Sony now is 1/3 of that market it would have to be one hell of a handheld to make a dent.