Japan’s Nikkei newspaper (via NeoGAF) is reporting that a new Nintendo DS — featuring an integrated camera, music player and enhanced wireless connectivity — will be released in Japan before the end of the year. The device is expected to retail at a sub-200,000 yen (sub-$190) price point, and expected to look nothing like Yannis Bolman’s beautiful mockup above.
Though the most current revision of Nikkei’s story only mentions the basic additions above (and omits speculation about the unit’s price), a now-defunct article at Monex.co.jp included extra information; namely, that the device will have larger screens and be able to transfer data of some sort via SD card.
The print version of the story contained one additional piece of noteworthy information. While Nintendo is considering an overseas release for the device, the article reads, they first hope to sell a few hundred thousand units within Japan.
Both the lack of guaranteed worldwide release and the relatively low quota cited by the paper suggest that the new handheld is a revision to the existing DS, rather than some sort of successor.
Game|Life speculates that Nintendo may issue an official confirmation in media briefings later this week.
UPDATE: Nintendo is offering no comment on (and yet, no forthright denial of) these ‘rumors.’ We have downgraded this article’s classification from News to Rumor accordingly.
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