DS getting cheaper.

[Shockeye]

Nintendo cuts price of handheld system
DS drops to $130 effective immediately

Updated: 9:32 a.m. ET Aug. 16, 2005
Nintendo Co. is getting more aggressive in the portable video game market, announcing a $20 price cut Tuesday for its newest handheld system.

The Nintendo DS is being reduced to $130 from $150.  The cut is effective Sunday, a day before the release of the anticipated title "Nintendogs," an interactive puppy simulator that lets owners train and play with a virtual pet.  The dogs respond to owners through the built-in microphone and react to praise via the handheld's touch screen.

The dual-screen handheld device made its way to retail stores in November and has sold more than 2.5 million units in North America and 5 million worldwide.

But Sony Corp.'s PlayStation Portable, which retails for $250, stole the limelight in March with its all-in-one entertainment system that lets players watch movies, listen to music, play games and view photos.  Sony has sold almost 2 million units in North America and shipped more than 5 million worldwide.

According to market research firm DFC Intelligence, the worldwide portable game market is expected to grow from $4 billion in 2004 to $11.1 billion by 2007.  Nintendo is credited for creating the market in 1989 with its Game Boy series.

This fall, Nintendo plans to let DS players challenge each other via Wi-Fi — a feature already on the PlayStation Portable.

Anyone who buys Nintendogs should be ashamed of themselves.

[Furiously]

Ohhh - puppies!

[Alkiera]

So, let me get this straight.

Nintendo DS, 2.5 million NA, ~5 million worldwide.
Sony PSP, 2 million NA, ~5 million worldwide.

Interesting.  Seeing actual numbers reminded me of all the posturing and wild guessing about sales figures for the two machines.  It's too much effort to dig it up, (yeah, I'm lazy), but I don't recall anyone guessing they'd sell about the same.  I DO recall some people saying the DS was gonna get buried, and even this article seems to say so... And other people saying that the PSP's MUCH higher price point would work against it.

Given that I paid something like $75 for my original gameboy in the early 90's, and it came with about as much in the way of accessories as the release combo for the PSP, and included a game...  I'm guessing that increase in the portable game market is entirely related to the things costing a lot more now, both hardware and games.  Whether the gameplay on them is increasing to match, or if it's just 'New Tetris with pixel shaded pieces!', I dunno.  I paid, hrm, about $80 for my Titanium GBA, which included the hardware and not much else, and I've certainly appreciated the increased depth from the games for it, over my old-school machine.  Zelda doesn't bring it to it's knees when there's lots of action on-screen like it did my now rather old relic.

Alkiera

[Shockeye]

The article states Sony SHIPPED 5 million, not sold whereas Nintendo sold 5 million.

[Hoax]

I remember that thread going something like:

Schild & believers:  PSP will r0xx0r the DS, the DS is stupid and ugly and can't play music and the PSP is god all the game's for it will be god and you will bow your head and weep with joy upon the arrival of your new master!

Hardcore Nintendo folks:  Screw the PSP!  pixels blahblah sony hardware sux blahblah I love Nintendo blahblah its too expensive blahblah. 

People who like Nintendo and think Sony is evil:  I wish it didn't seem like PSP was going to demolish DS but it will because Nintendo's strategy of having mostly first party titles doesn't work anymore.  That and nobody wants to play a kiddie game versus something with sex, drugs, hookers and the ability to kill said hookers in it (thanks rockstar!).

Me:  PSP looks like a giant f'ing brick, who would buy a "portable" that can't fit in your pocket?  DS is retarded because touch screens are retarded if I was ever to buy a portable it'd be a Gameboy...

 :-D

Oh one more thing...

Crazy Schild:  PSP IS THE NEW IPOD 4tW!

[Velorath]

The article states Sony SHIPPED 5 million, not sold whereas Nintendo sold 5 million.

Don't the words ship and sold get used interchangeably since the units have been sold to the stores they were shipped to?  Did Nintendo sell 5 million units to retailers, or did retailers sell 5 million?

[WindupAtheist]

DS has been out for longer, including an Xmas.

[Sairon]

I think a lot of people are waiting for the price to drop and more games when it comes to the PSP, it's currently a tad to expensive imo. I will personaly probably get a PSP a couple of months down the road. When this generation of portables is nearing its end I think PSP will be the winner with a rather large margin, just speculations though of course.

[Sky]

I'm waiting for the PSP to be reasonably priced for a friggin' portable gaming system. It's nice...but totally unnecessary for me, thus way too expensive. I can live without one, and probably will.

No interest in the quirky DS whatsoever. Was Nintendo HQ near the crazy bomb we dropped in the second war? I think it was loaded with tentacles and spiky blue wigs.

[HaemishM]

The DS at $130? Still too expensive, especially when the best new thing they can come up for it is a goddamn Dog tamaguichi. Nintendogs is not a game, it's some programmer's mental masturbation showoff reel.

[Rodent]

Nice with a pricedrop. I've been meaning to pick one up with the release of (the shame) Nintendogs here in Sweden.

[ahoythematey]

Advance Wars: Dual Strike comes out next week.

[AOFanboi]

In other news, the GameBoy Micro (tiny GBA-playing thingie) will hit Europe on Nov 4.

My present favorite DS moment was recently in Another Code: Two Memories where you find some stamps for wood engravings, and a sheet of paper with a half-finished engraving. You are supposed to press the stamp (top screen) onto the paper (bottom screen). So of course the sulution is to fold the DS, "pressing" the screens together! How cool a feature is that?

[Rodent]

The DS at $130? Still too expensive, especially when the best new thing they can come up for it is a goddamn Dog tamaguichi. Nintendogs is not a game, it's some programmer's mental masturbation showoff reel.

Famitsu gave it 40/40, and looking at what other games they've given that score ( Zelda, Soul Calibur, Vagrant Story ) I'd say chances are that Nintendogs will be ALOT more then a showoff reel.

[schild]

Crazy Schild:  PSP IS THE NEW IPOD 4tW!

IIRC, the first gen iPod sold pretty shittily. iTunes Music store hadn't opened.

The PSP is selling shittily. There aren't really any games yet.

Just saying.

[schild]

DS has been out for longer, including an Xmas.

That too.

[ahoythematey]

DS is also coming out with Europa Universalis II.  Just like the GBA, the DS seems like it's turning into a strategy game machine.  Which I happen to love.

[Xanthippe]

My kids (6 & 9) can't wait for Nintendogs.  I think it's going to be very popular among the younger set.

But how many of the younger set have a portable game system that costs $130?

No plans to buy a PSP here - it's far too fragile for my kids to play with.  Probably break the first time it gets dropped.

[Jain Zar]

Pretty much the very existence of Nintendogs has given the DS the lead in Japan.  (Not that Japan really matters as much for the world market anymore, regardless of what the Gamefaqs kiddies say should your lack of sanity be enough to dare visit their forums..)

And yeah.  Advance Wars DS > The entire PSP game library for the next 2 years.

[Rasix]

And yeah.  Advance Wars DS > The entire PSP game library for the next 2 years.

I'll retort with a hearty "PSSHHHAH".  The new Virtua Tennis and the yet-to-have-any-significant-details GTA have me salivating in anticipation.

I've played Advance Wars for the GBA.  While it was good, it was somewhat short of Robot Allah territory. This of course, isn't saying that turn based strategy isn't a GIANT GAPING HOLE in the PSP library since the Gameboy decided that niche was best served on a portable platform.

[Margalis]

That's really my problem with the PSP. Most of the games are just scaled down Playstation games. I mean, Virtua Tennis is cool, you know, for all the other systems it's already out on and better on. Same with GTA.

The thing about the GBA is, they recognized and embraced it's limits. 2D gaming goodness! GBA has games like Advance Wars, Final Fantasy Tactics, Ogre Tactics, 2D RPGs, 2D Castlevania games, etc. Which IMO is better than "it's 3D Castlevania - only portable and worse!"

Most portable systems are just the same games, but worse and portable. But GBA is breaking that mold, the games are portable and different, not just strictly worse.

[Sky]

Is there a TBS on the GBA that isn't japathemed or use cutesy icons? I want an adult game, dammit. Nintendo doesn't seem to fill that niche. I don't want the little kid-looking midgets of FFT. I despise that artistic take on things, and it dominates the GBA TBS genre imo.

[ahoythematey]

Zone of the Enders: Fist of Mars
Fire Emblem
Age of Empires2
Rebelstar Tactical Command

The first two are definitely close to the Japanese art style you seem to hate so much(meh), but the strategy is solid.  I'd list Advance Wars as well, but I think you'd just be a big douche and talk about how it is brimming with anime midgets with dinner-plate eyes and totally gloss over how the gameplay itself is important.

[HaemishM]

The DS at $130? Still too expensive, especially when the best new thing they can come up for it is a goddamn Dog tamaguichi. Nintendogs is not a game, it's some programmer's mental masturbation showoff reel.

Famitsu gave it 40/40, and looking at what other games they've given that score ( Zelda, Soul Calibur, Vagrant Story ) I'd say chances are that Nintendogs will be ALOT more then a showoff reel.

And it's still nothing more than a fucking Tamaguichi with interesting input options. Why must the gameplay innovations come in things that really aren't games as much as they are software toys?

Yes, I fucking hate the Sims too.

[Riggswolfe]

One thing the article didn't mention is returns. I know from talking to retailers at places like EB that the DS is being returned so fast they keep having to drop the price you get for it. While it's still rare to get a PSP back.

[Shockeye]

Nintendogs for $14.99 at Amazon.

Yeah, so what if it's the rat-dog version? You still want it. Admit it.

[Trippy]

Nintendogs for $14.99 at Amazon.

Yeah, so what if it's the rat-dog version? You still want it. Admit it.

LOL, that's too funny. However you can unlock all the dogs in all versions if you play enough.

[Jain Zar]

Why take the great shivering beast when it has the German Shepherd?

WHY I ASK YOU.

And for 15 bucks I am SOOO fucking there.  I just have to make sure nobody actually sees me playing Nintendogs is all.

[schild]

Yea, I should probably order this. Noticed it at Slickdeals a little while ago.

Btw, how do you unlock all the pups?

[Trippy]

Yea, I should probably order this. Noticed it at Slickdeals a little while ago.

Btw, how do you unlock all the pups?

You either have to accumulate enough "Owner Points" or you need to link up with somebody who has a pup of a breed you haven't unlocked yet.

[schild]

Great. Finding someone with a DS is like finding fucking diamonds while walking through the hills of Oklahoma.

[HaemishM]

So they managed to add a grind to the least gamelike game ever (excepting the ability to get dogs from other owners)?

WTG.

[Jobu]

Bought and Advance SP yesterday for an upcoming trip to keep the wife entertained on the plane.

I pose you all with a question. What game should I get to try out this fabled portable TBS sugary sweetness?

Advance Wars?
Final Fantasy Tactics?
Fire Emblem?
whatever else I don't know about?

[Aenovae]

Advance Wars for fun, arcadey strategy.  No leveling, no resource gathering, all fun.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance if you want to power up a whole troop of cute badasses in a Square fantasy setting.

Fire Emblem if you want a combo between the above two, but closer to Advance Wars.

[Jain Zar]

Just get Advance Wars and ignore the other 2 gamelines.

Fire Emblem has permadeath and true to hit odds with no way outside of the missions to level up or get new dudes. So your maxed out Axe Guy who has a bonus to hit and evade dude with other weapon who is also in cover can still get killed in one hit with a critical attack.  No shit.  Oh, and almost every level has a boss who is hard to kill and tends to regenerate hit points every round all the while being able to take out your best guys with 2-3 hits.  Did I forget to mention the game has initiative and autosaves every single action in the game forcing you to replay hour long battles?

FFTactics Advance is just dull and slow.  Pass it.

Get both Advance Wars, the second one if you can only have one, and if you can find it, Zone of the Enders: Fist of Mars, which is a quite fun strategy RPG with an action combat resolution option that is not only entertaining, its practically an Easy Mode for the game.