Newfangled Nintendo DS on the horizon?

Whoa, whoa -- what's this? A fresh report from Nikkei is pretty confidently talking about a new Nintendo DS destined to hit "within the year," though we aren't claiming to be full-fledged believers just yet. To be fair, this isn't the first we've heard of such a beast, though the translated description is pretty far out there. For instance, the new model will reportedly boast a camera that will be used heavily for games and offer a stronger wireless signal. Even crazier is the bit about "competing with cellular phones" and "exceeding the frame of the game industry." The article mentions that the device will eventually ship for ?20,000 ($189) or less, though it doesn't say what kind of sauce the author hit before writing commenced.

[Image courtesy of Techeblog, thanks RS]

[treyk4 @ Sep 27th 2008 7:41PM]

I'll believe it when I see it.

[EmoChicksAreHot.....Seriously @ Sep 27th 2008 11:44PM]

I'll believe it when I actually have an official statement from Nintendo saying that they are ,in fact, coming out with a new ds.

[webon @ Sep 28th 2008 1:51AM]

I Thought I Thaw a Puthy Cat with a NDS!


sorry that was gay, I know please don't flame me

[ybd @ Sep 28th 2008 8:49AM]

It was so gay that I'd flame anyway if I wasn't so tired

[wrabbit @ Sep 27th 2008 7:42PM]

If the new DS comes with that kitty I'm sold!

[Saad Rabia @ Sep 27th 2008 8:51PM]

So that is how DS's get so much sales...!

[Paulmichael @ Sep 28th 2008 1:55AM]

Nope, right now it comes with Dogz.

[TareX @ Sep 28th 2008 7:51AM]

If it doesn't have an accelerometer they shouldn't bother trying.

[Beamey @ Sep 27th 2008 7:47PM]

HAI!

LET ME SHOW YOU MAI POKEMANZ

[Evangelion @ Sep 27th 2008 7:55PM]

Nice. =]

[brandon @ Sep 27th 2008 7:57PM]

Iz in your militaryz computerz controlling yer armyz!!!!

I'm gonna sing the doom song!!!!

[DaCheez @ Sep 27th 2008 8:07PM]

Does the new DS come with a gaming kitty?

[Kawaiipikachu @ Sep 27th 2008 8:11PM]

I find it highly unlikely its going to be a new DS incarnation but istead i find it more likely it be the DS's successor console .

[Soylent @ Sep 27th 2008 8:12PM]

I HERD U LIEK MUDKIPS

[giuliop @ Sep 27th 2008 8:13PM]

Could be interesting, but I would be surprised seeing Nintendo stop milking a cash cow like the current DS.

[Dave D @ Sep 28th 2008 1:18AM]

Thats exactly what everyone said about the gameboy when there were rumors of the NDS... look where the GB is now...

[giuliop @ Sep 28th 2008 9:28AM]

The GBA has sold about 80 million units in 7 years, the DS 77 million units in 3 years and a half. Plus, the DS's price has never been lowered since launch. Two quite different cash cows, I'd say.

[Jon Speed @ Sep 28th 2008 11:56AM]

Never been lowered you say? Three and a half years you say? The NDS hit north america in November 2004, i purchased my first DS phat in January of 05 for the low low price of 149.99. How much are they now you ask? 129.99. And November 04 puts it at almost 4 years, not 3 and a half.

[giuliop @ Sep 28th 2008 7:07PM]

GBA launched first in Japan on March 11, 2001, all versions sold 81.24 million units worldwide as of June 30, 2008. That makes it 2669 days total; 30438 units a day on average.

NDS launched first in North America on November 21, 2004; all versions sold 77.54 million units worldwide as of June 30, 2008. That makes it 1318 days total, 58831 units a day on average.

58831 / 30438 = 1.93. That's still almost 2 times as much. Is your nitpicking mind happy now?

Yes, the fat was initially $149. The NDS Lite's price has never been lowered since launch. Since the NDS Lite alone sold 58.72 million units (about 75% of total sales), it is safe to say that most of the sales have been done without requiring a price reduction.

Which brings us back to the real point: the NDS is a much fatter cash cow.

[Nouman @ Sep 27th 2008 8:14PM]

What's going to make us buy it over the old one? new colors won't cut it.

[Harsey @ Sep 27th 2008 8:19PM]

Stronger wifi? Strength isn't a problem. The problem is reducing the security of your network for the DS to access it. WPA security is ubiquitous and Nintendo is waaaaay behind. I bought one of the originals, and I'd have bought an additional blue one if only they had upgraded wireless on it. If there's still no WPA compatibility Nintendo can kiss my assinine as it may seem to say.

[iofthestorm @ Sep 27th 2008 8:45PM]

Hopefully stronger wifi signal means new wifi chip, and I think they'd have to be seriously trying hard to cripple their hardware if they had a newer wifi chip without WPA. I'm really hoping for a successor to the DS sometime soon and this does seem to support that.

[Technex @ Sep 29th 2008 4:16PM]

WPA2 FTW. Sadly you will never see it...

Man, just trying to connect my Wii and DS is almost impossible with this shitty Nintendo Wifi USB crap.

[Technex @ Sep 29th 2008 4:18PM]

WPA2 FTW. Sadly you will never see it...

Man, just trying to connect my Wii and DS is almost impossible with this s*itty Nintendo Wifi USB crap.

(In case it blocked out my word in last post)

[aznofazns @ Sep 27th 2008 8:28PM]

omg that is so fucking cute.

[e @ Sep 27th 2008 8:30PM]

DS is for pussies

[Wormbolt @ Sep 27th 2008 8:39PM]

Meow.

[Muhammed @ Sep 27th 2008 9:50PM]

lolz
D

[Cody @ Sep 27th 2008 8:32PM]

About the part about competing with cell phones...it could just be meaning it will have an app like Skype. Since you can use Skype to call phones...if you feel like paying some for it that is.

[Alex Padilla @ Sep 27th 2008 9:33PM]

badass profile picture, yo

[Aaron @ Sep 27th 2008 8:35PM]

I'm never sure about predictions after Rose was right about the nano.

[oZone @ Sep 27th 2008 9:33PM]

And yet so wrong about the iPhone...

[jfrdricks @ Sep 27th 2008 9:32PM]

How much do you wanna bet that the next DS will have an accellerometer in it?

[fastharry @ Sep 27th 2008 9:53PM]

Right...they're gonna make a cell phone competing DS and show the world what they got.....meanwhile they ain't got no HD, ONLINE, NEXT GEN stats for there main gaming system....

[Sudo @ Sep 27th 2008 11:31PM]

There's online play for Wii.

[Game_playa @ Sep 28th 2008 2:57PM]

Online play?
O rly?

[fastharry @ Sep 28th 2008 8:47AM]

with no voice chat....

[decadeofevil @ Sep 28th 2008 9:04AM]

arent they coming out with a charlies angelsesque speaker/ microphone box lol

[[e-mail] @ Sep 29th 2008 11:59AM]

Does not having voice chat somehow make it NOT online play anymore?

[Nipponese @ Sep 27th 2008 9:53PM]

Coming from Nikkei, it is pretty believable.

[richard @ Sep 27th 2008 10:17PM]

i can haz nintendo ds?

[Jon Doe. @ Sep 27th 2008 10:50PM]

Can has win?

[Muhammed @ Sep 27th 2008 11:11PM]

Plz Everyone, stop talking in that retarded language.

[nizzy1115 @ Sep 28th 2008 12:24AM]

wat? i can haz nao!

[Isomorphic @ Sep 28th 2008 2:49PM]

I just find it ironic that the guy with a cat for a Profile picture, is telling us to stop speaking like LOLCats

I meen srsly

[kyle allen @ Sep 28th 2008 11:13PM]

"I iz in ur comments, sendin teh mixed messagez"

[Khaos @ Sep 28th 2008 12:19AM]

This is for REAL. I am starting market research for the new DS within the next few weeks. Once I can get my hand on an new DS I will be sure to take pix. I have been told I should have it in my hands in about 3 weeks.

[gabe @ Sep 28th 2008 1:40AM]

how adorable :)

DS rocks - hopefully the M3 real still works :lol:

[Trevor @ Sep 28th 2008 2:51AM]

I heard that sony was coming out with a new psp, It has a numerical keypad, 3g, shoots lasers, has turntables instead of buttons, and it has a disco ball button next to the umd drive. Apparently its supposed to compete with cellphones and night clubs.

Like the others have said, I'll believe it when I see it. I'll wait till the TGS. This is what, the 4th time we've heard of a DS redesign this year?

[Patriks7 @ Sep 28th 2008 4:43AM]

I believed your post until you got to the UMD drive.. damn you!