Nintendo DSi coming Stateside by summer 2009, tomorrow in Japan

Nintendo's tip-toeing around an overseas, US release date of its new DSi handheld has now been narrowed to the summer of 2009, according to president Satoru Iwata. That's a whole lot better than "well into" 2009 if you ask us. Meanwhile, Japan gets theirs starting Saturday for ¥18,900 or about $192 tax-inclusive -- that's up from $178 earlier this month thanks to a skyrocketing Yen. Nintendo has already shipped 200,000 of the slimmer, dual-cam handheld consoles in preparation for weekend sales with another 100,000 planned for the following week. Clearly there's no such thing as an economic slowdown in the land that Mario built.

[GoCarnivore @ Oct 31st 2008 6:48AM]

I'm tired of living in the past.

[High Ranks make you sterile @ Oct 31st 2008 8:30AM]

Yeah exactly.... what else is there to do besides TRANSLATING to get this thing out here now??? :-P

If video game giants dislike importing, why do they make it so enticing but screwing over regions constantly?

[cheater912 @ Oct 31st 2008 6:51AM]

Why not buy the Japanese version online? I bought a fat DS during the Christmas after launch and it was Japanese (got it from Dragons Den).

[Kragebein @ Oct 31st 2008 7:02AM]

Because the DSi-exclusive games will be region-protected.

[Beef Stalmer @ Oct 31st 2008 7:20AM]

Region locking FTL!!!!

[MattyG @ Oct 31st 2008 7:20AM]

i hear the new ones are region locked

[Patriks7 @ Oct 31st 2008 7:46AM]

Region lock? :\ That sounds so stupid..
I mean if you buy this in the US of A and go to Europe.. while on your 9 hour plane ride you get bored of all the games you brought with you, you won't be able to give Nintendo more money by buying some new games in Europe.. how convenient..

[nosepicker @ Oct 31st 2008 7:02AM]

Got mine today. Preordered from Renchi.com but unfortunately...no English GUI.

[Hashbrown Hunter @ Oct 31st 2008 7:06AM]

Well the hackers will be sure to remedy that issue.

[Scotty Doo @ Oct 31st 2008 7:11AM]

I know that Nintendo want to harvest as much as they can from the success of the DS but i personally think that if they were going to make something to promote alongside the old DS (as they claim to be doing) then shouldn't they have brought out a new product that has something more to offer than a slightly larger screen and some low resolution cameras, loss of backward compatibility and an SD slot.

What you guys reckon?

[tekdroid @ Oct 31st 2008 7:42AM]

I reckon it's a third revision of the DS and not DS2.

When you think of the compromises that entails to maintain the 'same old' compatibility with DS yet offer some new exciting things, I think they did a fantastic job (from what I can tell so far).

They certainly did more than I thought they would.

[Ozzman_79 @ Oct 31st 2008 10:35AM]

The wonderful thing about DSi is, if you don't like the new features, you don't have to buy it. Nintendo now has 3 different versions of the DS, each offering different options for different people. So, if you want one, buy the one that best suits your needs. If you don't like any of their setups, don't buy any of them. What a truely amazing product.

[arcadeninja @ Oct 31st 2008 7:35AM]

At the end of the day I believe that its the software thats going to drive almost any product. If fun and original games and other apps are released that make good use of the new features then this thing can be a killer just like the old DS.

[jekoln @ Oct 31st 2008 7:43AM]

between the pushing back of the DSi and the perpetual shortages of the wii/wii fit in north america, it really does feel like nintendo prioritizes japan to an unprecedented degree.

[nutts @ Oct 31st 2008 7:48AM]

I have an original DS, but I won't be getting the new one, as I just don't use it anymore. My iPhone however, although initially for the first 2 months I refused to buy any games for it, now that I have I have realised it will keep my DS on my bookshelf. It has more power, a bigger screen and the accelerometer and finger-touch-ability make it a more immersive experience IMO.

At the moment it's the Tower Defence game 'Fieldrunners' that's keeping me addicted, but I'm looking forward to seeing what else comes in future. I think its gaming potential has yet to really kick off.

[tekdroid @ Oct 31st 2008 7:54AM]

without tactile controls, keep waitin'

[martin @ Oct 31st 2008 12:00PM]

SUMMER 09, are you kidding me? Its not even winter yet, this refresh is not large enough to a warrant a purchase that late in the game. How long does nintendo think these will sell for? Yeah yeah its the best selling console, but considering how underwhelming this "DS2" is I hope they have an actually new hand held at least a year in the wings. Also what ever happened to that gameboy update? When the DS was first released I recall Nintendo saying that the DS was not a sequel to the gameboy. Hmmm

[Link2877 @ Oct 31st 2008 2:04PM]

completely agree with you.

I still don't see who would be stupid enough to even buy this thing, let alone why nintendo is even releasing it. The DS will be five years old by the time this is released outside of Japan; and the last time I checked every console, even handhelds were on a 5 year cycle. So by the time this thing is released everywhere else we should be getting a new handheld. So this whole DSi thing is pointless (Unless Nintendo desides to milk the DS as long as possibly).

[Mega 777 @ Oct 31st 2008 1:21PM]

I might be buying it since i already have a GBA SP and have the DS lite.
Still...it is a good idea for Nintendo to remove the GBA slot since some
people who buy have no GBA games.

[Maxim K @ Nov 1st 2008 12:27AM]

If you've already got a DS Lite etc then why buy the DSi? I haven't got a DS or DS Lite so I may consider buying this but only because of some of the adult orientated games. The software will drive this thing forward for a few more years so stop complaining and get on with your lives.

[McScott @ Nov 2nd 2008 10:42AM]

Anyone heard specs yet regarding wireless? WPA come around yet, or are we still never using the online play because it is stuck in the WEP daze...?