NINTENDO IS TEH DOOMED?!!!?!!?

Apparently Gamestop and EB are getting an awful lot of preorders for the DS...

LINK

For those who think Sony will waltz right in like they did with the console world, keep in mind that the N64 had no 3rd party support and the DS has a ton lined up already. I don't know how the handheld "war" will end but Nintendo looks to be off to a good start.

This is especially impressive as, and this is coming from a huge Nintendo fan, there aren't really any "must-have" DS launch titles driving the demand. Mario 64x4 looks cool and all but it is just an updated Mario 64...

PSP orders are off the hook in Japan. No doubt Sony has the market there. Sony's mistake is the delay in release stateside. I think they will do really well, though, maybe not as good as they could have done. The DS is shipping for the same price in both countries, and the US gets it first. Go figure.

DS interest is big in Japan too. I can't recall what magazine but one of the big multiconsole magazines had a poll and the DS had more interest than the PSP.

I think it will be pretty tight.

I don't think they're doomed, no.

GameGear, Lynx, TurboExpress, all portable color game systems that by features alone should've killed the clunky monochrome Game Boy. It didn't happen then, it hasn't happened yet, and I doubt it'll happen in the near future.

It was all downhill since the Virtual-Boy.

the DS will definitely be successful, but to be fair, it would be more notable if nintendo HADN'T sold out their initial shipment. even the SP and the new PS2 sold out their first shipments. it's pretty commonplace these days, and creates demand.

I haven't fiddled with the DS yet, but unless the dual screens really do make for great gameplay it looks like Sony will have the tech and features edge. But with Nintendo getting to market first, and more importantly being on the market during the Christmas season, they will already have a huge installed base when the PSP drops, and it will be harder for Sony to sell a next-gen handheld game machine to people who already have one.

Getting to market first will be huge for Nintendo, just the way having the first next-gen console on the market was huge for Sony. Software will then take it from there, if the DS can keep interesting games coming, it won't matter who's system is "better" technology and feature-wise. The PS2 is a turd, every time I see one running it pains me to think how it drags down industry standards for graphics. Jesus, most of it's games still don't look any better than the Dreamcast. But hey, they beat everyone else to market and they kept the games coming.

I'm surprised to see Nintendo making the DS as advanced as it has, and really surprised that interest is so high. I had expected, after all the years of Gameboys, that Nintendo had pretty much decided that their niche is quaint, 2D handheld systems and very straightforward gameplay. But it looks like they've decided to step up.

Nick

if the PSP is actually $200 when it comes out here, like many game media outlets have been reporting, it is going to kill. SLAUGHTER. even if it has a 4 hour battery life.

which would you rather have, a portable N64 or a portable PS2? 'super mario 64' anywhere or 'gran turismo 4' anywhere?

[Edited on Nov 05, 2004 by Koenigsegg]

Satoru Iwata to Sony: "All your handhelds are belong to us."

I think Nintendo has and basically always will have the handheld market cornered, they know how to do it right and offer better games all around, plain and simple.

Well, if the PSP breaks as much as the PS2's did, I'll take my trusty 64 any day.

I'm probably not going to get a DS... the two screen thing seems more gimmicky than useful to me.

And truthfully... I'm more than happy with the portable 2d gameplay of my SP. I don't need a 64 for the road.. I preffer my NES/SNES for the road

As for the PSP.. same deal... I don't need all that 3d gameplay on a tiny little handheald screen. Simply not what I'm looking for.

i heart my GBA Sp cause i can fold it up, put it in my pocket and be gone. looks like i'll be doing with same thing with my DS, but never with a sensitive ass PSP. Sony forgot to include the portable aspect in their postable handheld. Ill have a PSP, but im gonna keep it in my glovebox or center console in teh car, or in my bookbag.

So far, I'd rather have the Nintendo one, honestly. I haven't seen anything too exciting about the PSP, and if it actually does have a four hour battery life, (I'm not sure if you're speculating) I don't even want it at all. But mostly I'm going based on the reactions of people who have played both. People seemed to get really excited about the DS. Less so with the PSP.

Of course, I'm not getting either one yet, so what do I care? I'll be waiting for reviews. But I've noticed the battery life on handhelds tends to go down from wherever it starts. If the PSP starts at four hours, it'll be damn near useless in a year or two.

could the DS be any uglier though

I hate to say it, but you're totally wrong. Game Gear, anyone? Or better yet, Remember the Nomad? Unlikely, at best.

The PSP has some cool features, but its overloaded, heavy, and overall, not very "portable". Portable doesnt mean small, it means my ability to use it outside of my home. That means simple games, good battery life, and durability. I dont want to play gran turismo anywhere, because its not portable. I dont want to ahve to sit and play for an hour to finish something. The thing I love about my GBA, and about the DS game's Ive played, is that I can pick it up for a few minutes while Im waiting for the bus, or on a break at work, play, and put it down. That's what a handheld is for. Its not a portable console.

As much as I wish the PSP was going to be cool, I dont think it will do well. Every person in the industry Ive talked to(and I test games, so I know quite a few)is not excited about the PSP. And even quite a few retailers. It's going to be a novelty at first, no doubt, but I honestly cant say its going to even put a dent in Nintendo's overwhelming market share, any more than the Gamecube is going to against the huge install base of PS2s. It just wont happen.

have you seen the psp

Alright, the PSP is not PS2 graphics at all, it is more like "almost PS2-graphics" which means more like Dreamcast graphics. Which aren't really THAT advanced over N64 graphics.

I really don't think graphics will be as big on handhelds as they are on consoles though. I mean, right now no one cares about GBA graphics. You don't hear people saying "Oh my god, Advance Wars 2 has the dopest graphics!" I just don't think people care about graphics to the same extent on handhelds. I can't imagine anyone getting too hyped for a Dreamcast-like Gran Turismo on a tiny screen when they can get the PS2 Gran Turismo on a huge pro-scan TV. Even with all these early games announced for the handhelds when people talk graphics it is still all OMG HALO 2 VS RESIDENT EVIL 4 VS HALF LIFE 2?~~~?

Actually I think 3D games on handhelds will be rather weird. 2D has the advantage because it doesn't really have to scale things back into the background (well not usually anyway...) And no matter how you look at it, handhelds are poor controllers next to well... actual controllers. So in a way, the more complex they try to make these games, the more the fact that the controls are weak will stand out.