The Nintendo DS

**ThirdMarioBro** · 01-25-2004, 12:51 AM

Well, the curtian has finally fallen. Nintendo has revealed the mystery machine that they have been building in secrecy for a while now. It sounds really cool to me. Nintendo has been really secretive about it as always (but with good reason). Yesterday, they finally blew the lid on it. Here is what they said.
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Nintendo Mystery Product Revealed
New dual-screened portable will be focus of E3 2004.

January 20, 2004 - For months Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has been offering Japanese newspapers vague comments about a new mystery hardware that the company would launch in 2004. Nintendo of America today pulled back the curtains on the top-secret device and it looks to be good news for Nintendo fans worldwide.

The company's mystery machine is in fact a dual-screened portable game device that is entirely separate from both the GameCube and the Game Boy Advance. It will be marketed completely free of its sister hardware. It's called Nintendo DS for Nintendo Dual-Screen.
Nintendo DS features two connected 3-inch backlit TFT LCD display panels -- one on top of the other, according to a Reuters report -- and two separate processors. The device features an Arm9 main processor and an Arm7 sub processor.

The portable will not use GameCube optical disc or Game Boy Advance cartridge based media. Instead, it will play software on semiconductor memory of up to 1 Gigabit, according to the manufacturer.

Nintendo explains the importance of the dual-screen setup: "Players can look forward to being able to manage their game progress from two different perspectives, enhancing both the speed and strategy of the challenge. For example in a soccer game, users can view the whole game on one screen while simultaneously focusing on an individual soccer player's tackle or goal on the other screen.

"Players will no longer be forced to interrupt game play to shift perspective, such as moving from a wide shot to a close up, or alternating between a character's ongoing battle and a map of the environment. Nintendo DS makes it possible to perform the tasks in real time by simply glancing from one screen to the other."

Today's revelation is just the beginning, according to the company. The bulk of information on the machine will be unveiled at May's Electronics Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles.

"We have developed Nintendo DS based upon a completely different concept from existing game devices in order to provide players with a unique entertainment experience for the 21st century," explained Satoru Iwata, Nintendo president.

"We're not trying to take on PSP, because this machine will be completely different than anything that exists right now," said Nintendo spokesman Yasuhiro Minagawa.

The announcement, seemingly out of nowhere, likely comes in preparation for Nintendo's upcoming financial report. Also, developers have indicated that they will soon receive development hardware for the new system and with that Nintendo wouldn't be able to keep it a secret for very much longer.
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Well, what do you think? I think it's cool. There was also some spectulation on another site....
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News: Exciting 3D Prospects for Nintendo DS

An article published in the new issue of GMR magazine out this week covers some very intriguing information about what the Nintendo DS system could really be about. According to GMR, Nintendo has been in discussions with Sharp to possibly use a certain technology in a then future portable system. The big secret is that the Nintendo DS may actually have a "true" 3D display.

Considering the nature of the Nintendo DS and its two screens… it makes one think that there is more to be revealed at E3. Details have been announced, but no pictures and no mock-ups. If Nintendo has been working with Sharp for the Nintendo DS it has some good speculative evidence going for it. Sharp employees have been talkative about the company developing 3D display technology that uses two TFT LCD screens (the kind announced for Nintendo DS) that work together to create a 3D view. Coincidence? Here is what has been reported about the technology from ExtremeTech:

"Sharp's TFT 3D LCD technology works on the principle of displaying left and right eye views that are separated so that the left eye sees only the left eye image, and the right eye sees only the right eye image," said Ian Matthew, 3D Solutions Business Development Manager at Sharp Systems of America. "Since these images have perspective and are offset in the same way that the human eye normally sees the two images, the brain naturally interprets the image disparity and creates a 'sense of depth' effect. The result is 3D, 'out of screen' display that provides users with a visual experience previously unattainable without polarized or liquid crystal shuttering lenses."

There are already a few things that need to be addressed with this scenario. Could the 3D display work when the screens are stacked vertical? So far there isn’t any reason not to think so.

But what about Nintendo’s statements about the machine, that it will help to make playing games easier, allowing a person to see two different perspectives in a game? The example used by Nintendo of a player seeing different areas or camera angles at once doesn’t sound like 3D. Perhaps Nintendo has been saying such things to offset the rampant speculation and surprise the world come E3.

Lastly, the price of such technology wouldn’t seem fit with Nintendo’s philosophy on lower-cost systems. Could this be a special case where Nintendo is doing something different from the norm? That’s sort of what we’ve been told all along. Still, there hasn’t been much in the way of implying that Nintendo DS will be 3D, the closet thing is Iwata’s foggy mentions of it being "heterogeneous" and producing movement that gamers have never experienced before.
Posted by Ethan Pearson, Founder, Director
Source: GMR
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Sounds cool. I'll just leave on this totally fanboyish statement.

DEATH TO THE PSP!!!! LONG LIVE THE GBA!!! (and apprently the DS as well)

01-25-2004, 12:51 AM	#1
ThirdMarioBro Tea Time! Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 8,905	The Nintendo DS Well, the curtian has finally fallen. Nintendo has revealed the mystery machine that they have been building in secrecy for a while now. It sounds really cool to me. Nintendo has been really secretive about it as always (but with good reason). Yesterday, they finally blew the lid on it. Here is what they said. ------------------------- Nintendo Mystery Product Revealed New dual-screened portable will be focus of E3 2004. January 20, 2004 - For months Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has been offering Japanese newspapers vague comments about a new mystery hardware that the company would launch in 2004. Nintendo of America today pulled back the curtains on the top-secret device and it looks to be good news for Nintendo fans worldwide. The company's mystery machine is in fact a dual-screened portable game device that is entirely separate from both the GameCube and the Game Boy Advance. It will be marketed completely free of its sister hardware. It's called Nintendo DS for Nintendo Dual-Screen. Nintendo DS features two connected 3-inch backlit TFT LCD display panels -- one on top of the other, according to a Reuters report -- and two separate processors. The device features an Arm9 main processor and an Arm7 sub processor. The portable will not use GameCube optical disc or Game Boy Advance cartridge based media. Instead, it will play software on semiconductor memory of up to 1 Gigabit, according to the manufacturer. Nintendo explains the importance of the dual-screen setup: "Players can look forward to being able to manage their game progress from two different perspectives, enhancing both the speed and strategy of the challenge. For example in a soccer game, users can view the whole game on one screen while simultaneously focusing on an individual soccer player's tackle or goal on the other screen. "Players will no longer be forced to interrupt game play to shift perspective, such as moving from a wide shot to a close up, or alternating between a character's ongoing battle and a map of the environment. Nintendo DS makes it possible to perform the tasks in real time by simply glancing from one screen to the other." Today's revelation is just the beginning, according to the company. The bulk of information on the machine will be unveiled at May's Electronics Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. "We have developed Nintendo DS based upon a completely different concept from existing game devices in order to provide players with a unique entertainment experience for the 21st century," explained Satoru Iwata, Nintendo president. "We're not trying to take on PSP, because this machine will be completely different than anything that exists right now," said Nintendo spokesman Yasuhiro Minagawa. The announcement, seemingly out of nowhere, likely comes in preparation for Nintendo's upcoming financial report. Also, developers have indicated that they will soon receive development hardware for the new system and with that Nintendo wouldn't be able to keep it a secret for very much longer. ------------------------------------------------------ Well, what do you think? I think it's cool. There was also some spectulation on another site.... ------------------------------------------------------ News: Exciting 3D Prospects for Nintendo DS An article published in the new issue of GMR magazine out this week covers some very intriguing information about what the Nintendo DS system could really be about. According to GMR, Nintendo has been in discussions with Sharp to possibly use a certain technology in a then future portable system. The big secret is that the Nintendo DS may actually have a "true" 3D display. Considering the nature of the Nintendo DS and its two screens… it makes one think that there is more to be revealed at E3. Details have been announced, but no pictures and no mock-ups. If Nintendo has been working with Sharp for the Nintendo DS it has some good speculative evidence going for it. Sharp employees have been talkative about the company developing 3D display technology that uses two TFT LCD screens (the kind announced for Nintendo DS) that work together to create a 3D view. Coincidence? Here is what has been reported about the technology from ExtremeTech: "Sharp's TFT 3D LCD technology works on the principle of displaying left and right eye views that are separated so that the left eye sees only the left eye image, and the right eye sees only the right eye image," said Ian Matthew, 3D Solutions Business Development Manager at Sharp Systems of America. "Since these images have perspective and are offset in the same way that the human eye normally sees the two images, the brain naturally interprets the image disparity and creates a 'sense of depth' effect. The result is 3D, 'out of screen' display that provides users with a visual experience previously unattainable without polarized or liquid crystal shuttering lenses." There are already a few things that need to be addressed with this scenario. Could the 3D display work when the screens are stacked vertical? So far there isn’t any reason not to think so. But what about Nintendo’s statements about the machine, that it will help to make playing games easier, allowing a person to see two different perspectives in a game? The example used by Nintendo of a player seeing different areas or camera angles at once doesn’t sound like 3D. Perhaps Nintendo has been saying such things to offset the rampant speculation and surprise the world come E3. Lastly, the price of such technology wouldn’t seem fit with Nintendo’s philosophy on lower-cost systems. Could this be a special case where Nintendo is doing something different from the norm? That’s sort of what we’ve been told all along. Still, there hasn’t been much in the way of implying that Nintendo DS will be 3D, the closet thing is Iwata’s foggy mentions of it being "heterogeneous" and producing movement that gamers have never experienced before. Posted by Ethan Pearson, Founder, Director Source: GMR ------------------------------------------------------- Sounds cool. I'll just leave on this totally fanboyish statement. DEATH TO THE PSP!!!! LONG LIVE THE GBA!!! (and apprently the DS as well) __________________