As far as Nintendo's Q2 financials are concerned, all you really need to know as a gamer is that they are rock solid. Sales estimates are up and Nintendo is making money hand-over-fist, the saturation of the Japanese DS market notwithstanding.
But there were a couple of other announcements at Nintendo's Q2 earnings presentation today that might interest you.
First, Reuters reports that the Nintendo DSi, which Reggie Fils-Aime told us would arrive in the U.S. "late into 2009," may get here somewhat sooner.
"Specific plans will be unveiled by our local subsidiaries, but an autumn or year-end launch would probably be too late," said Nintendo president Satoru Iwata.
Second, Nintendo today announced details for the Japanese DSiWare service.
According to President Iwata, the Nintendo DSiWare service will launch in late December, and utilize the DSi's 256MB of internal storage with two definite pricing tiers: DSiWare200, and DSiWare500.
Priced at 200 yen (approximately $2 apiece), DSiWare200 titles will include addictive minigames, like those included in the WarioWare series, pulled directly from the "rich software library" of the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance.
Meanwhile, some DSiWare500's first 500 yen entries will be from the new Art Style puzzle series that actually made its way to U.S. WiiWare just this month. Why "Art Style"? Iwata explained:
In the recent retail market for packaged software, it has become very difficult for new puzzle games with no name recognition to be accepted. However, we'd like to challenge this because we are hopeful of creating a market where completely new puzzle games can sell if sold at affordable price as DSiWare game and if they can be carried around with DSi hardware.
The highlight of the DSiWare lineup, however, was a new WarioWare. Called Utsusu! Made in Wario ("WarioWare Photographed," according to the official translation) the new series entry uses the DSi camera to photograph the user and and then generate their silhouette on screen, which they can then manipulate simply by moving. Footage of the game showed one user's shadowy palm giving a high-five, while another had the user sticking vaporous fingers up a nose. Utsusu! Made in Wario, Iwata said, would launch with the service as a DSiWare500 title.
While that was it for DSiWare, Iwata had another WarioWare announcement: Made in Ore ("WarioWareMyself"). Building on the user-generated content success Nintendo has enjoyed with Wii Music and the Japan-only Band Bros. DX, this WarioWare will allow gamers to build their own WarioWare microgames from the ground up by making the graphics and background music, selecting characters, choosing the game's underlying logic and doing simple programming.
The games can then be shared with other Made in Ore owners, or uploaded and played on a companion WiiWare game, Asobu! Made in Ore ("WarioWareMyself Played," a name that I'll bet dollars to dimes will change).
There's no telling if any of these titles will make it overseas, of course, but we haven't missed a WarioWare yet.
October 31st, 2008 at 11:25 pm
As games sell consoles, I still have yet to hear anything about the DSi that appeals to the hardcore gamer. So far it just seems to be Nintendo taking the cellphone casual gaming fad and putting it on a new DS model.