Iwata details successor to the DS ("high res" + motion sensor)

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dallow

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http://www.siliconera.com/2010/01/0...ds-successor-with-motion-sensor-in-the-works/

The Asahi Shimbun has an interview with Satoru Iwata, President of Nintendo, where he comments on a successor to the Nintendo DS. Iwata tells the paper the future handheld will be able to output high resolution graphics and have a motion sensor.

While Nintendo is developing the machine, Iwata did not set a release date. Instead, he mentioned DS sales in North America reached an all time high in 2009.
Click to expand...

Yessssssssssssss.


But........... RIP 2D sprite based gaming. :(
That's what I loved most about DS.

Motion sensor is a nice touch though, levels the field with iPhone.
 
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Just in case people get confused, the "High-Definition" part was most likely a mis-translation. It's something that Google Translate spits out, and, as pointed out in the GAF thread, we call it High-Definition, while Japan refers to it as Hi-Vision. A more accurate translation would be things like "High-resolution," "Highly-Detailed," etc.

That aside, it sounds like this is a more direct challenge to the iPhone/iPod Touch; it will probably use an accelerometer for the motion functions, just like the iP(T).
 
Another way to do motion controls is to have sensors inside the stylus. Having the sensors inside the console is kind of dumb because you have to tilt the screen away from optimal viewing position.
 
I don't think higher rez spells doom for 2D gaming. Not with the success of NSMBWii. I can certainly see them releasing a 3D mario on a new handheld, but I doubt they'd abandon 2D in order to do it. NSMBWii shows that people still love a 2D platformer.

Will it have an (or two) analog stick(s)? I'm guessing that they are going to opt to not include one, and instead look to motion sensing as an alternative input scheme. Also if they have a touchscreen like the iphone (that doesn't need a stylus or one that supports finger and stylus) you can do virtual analog sticks pretty well with that (case in point, the iPhone/iPod touch game, 2XL ATV Offroad, which has a very nice virtual analog stick option that works great.)

It will be fun to see what they end up doing.

[quote name='laaj']Another way to do motion controls is to have sensors inside the stylus. Having the sensors inside the console is kind of dumb because you have to tilt the screen away from optimal viewing position.[/QUOTE]

Interesting idea, but then the stylus would have to have a battery. I doubt they'd do that. I agree that tilting the screen isn't a great thing, but for some kinds of games it works.
 
Well, I said sprite based.
I personally hate how New SMB looks with the polygonal models.
I'm sure there will always be games with "2D gameplay" but it's the sprites I love.
 
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO to accelerometers. They don't work. They completely suck, and that's in consoles. In a handheld they're twice as stupid since you have to move the screens around too. (That GBC Kirby game that did that was a complete pain to try to play.) Hmm...actually the only use of that I can think of that didn't completely suck were those two GBA games.

Well anyway, I'd love more power, but at the same time I want FEWER gimmicks, not more, and of course I want 2D games as well as 3D, and that goes for the 'big' systems too, not just handhelds.
 
[quote name='Wolfpup']BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO to accelerometers. They don't work. They completely suck, and that's in consoles[/QUOTE]

I guess that explains why the Wii is still stomping the alternatives. People must like stuff that doesn't work, and love to recommend stuff that doesn't work to their family and friends. Hmm.
 
[quote name='dallow']WW Twisted and Wiimote give me a lot of faith.[/QUOTE]
Ah, but WW Twisted was produced by one of the best teams in the industry. Remember, Miyamato has admitted to being jealous of Osawa.
 
Actually, now that I think about it - if there is comparable tech inside the DS2 against the iPhone/iPod, then Nintendo could make the case to those developers that they could port their games either to retail spaces or into DSiware like services.

Which means it could be seen as a way to appeal to all those smaller indie groups, as well as bolster their own game library.

Sneaky, if true. And that's the only explanation I can honestly think of right now.
 
[quote name='crunchewy']
[quote name='laaj']Another way to do motion controls is to have sensors inside the stylus. Having the sensors inside the console is kind of dumb because you have to tilt the screen away from optimal viewing position.[/QUOTE]

Interesting idea, but then the stylus would have to have a battery. I doubt they'd do that. I agree that tilting the screen isn't a great thing, but for some kinds of games it works.[/QUOTE]

Induction charging for the battery while stylus is docked with the system could work.
 
[quote name='dallow']WW Twisted and Wiimote give me a lot of faith.[/QUOTE]

The thing with the Wiimote...no matter how you move it, the TV will remain in the same place (except if you hit the TV with the WiiMote). Putting accelerometers in the body of the DS would have only a fraction of the uses.

The simplest example of this - imagine doing any of the Wii Sports games using a DS with accelerometers. Wii Sports is so popular because the actions you'd do in real life are the actions you use to play the game. That won't work so well if the only screen was on the WiiMote.
 
Works well enough on my iPhone.

Obviously they don't mean Wiimote like movement.

I mentioned it to show they know how to use the tech.
 
[quote name='dallow']Well, I said sprite based.
I personally hate how New SMB looks with the polygonal models.
I'm sure there will always be games with "2D gameplay" but it's the sprites I love.[/QUOTE]
To be honest I feel this way about the new pokemon games as well. Although I will still play them, I would prefer the game to be entirely 2d, but the world is now done in a 3d style.
 
The tech doesn't work. For super, super, super simple movements it does (ie detect enough motion for Yoshi's Topsy Turvey or to initiate an attack in Galaxy), but the Wii and mobile OS X are proof it's just not good enough for general purpose game control.
 
They may know how to implement the tech into hardware, but using it in a portable environment is different enough from a console that I personally wouldn't put the same amount of faith in developers.

I also haven't seen many games on the iPhone that use accelerometers all that well. If you happen to have recommendations for games that do use them properly (and would still work on the DS, which actually has buttons and such) I'd be willing to check them out.

Just seems like the tech could be like the Microphone on the current DS. It works, but most games implement it because they can, not because it adds something to the game (in many instances, it actually detracts...see Mario Kart (battles) and Spirit Tracks).
 
[quote name='kirby145']To be honest I feel this way about the new pokemon games as well. Although I will still play them, I would prefer the game to be entirely 2d, but the world is now done in a 3d style.[/QUOTE]

I like sprites too. I mean I like 2D gameplay as well, but 2D art is great and I'd really miss it. We've had so little of it the last three generations. When you see what even the last gen hardware can do with 2D, it's just astounding, and to think what this gen could (I guess there's like...that BlazeBlue fighting game and King of Fighters, but that's about all I can think of, aside from low budget stuff that doesn't exactly count).
 
You guys think if the DS2 has a motion sensor they'll give up button and dpad controls for precise movement?

Having both would make it fantastic and give it the best of both worlds.
 
[quote name='Wolfpup']The tech doesn't work. For super, super, super simple movements it does (ie detect enough motion for Yoshi's Topsy Turvey or to initiate an attack in Galaxy), but the Wii and mobile OS X are proof it's just not good enough for general purpose game control.[/QUOTE]

I agree. It's just not precise enough right now even with the Wii Motion +. Maybe they will get it there. I doubt it though - the masses just don't care. Just this morning a paralegal in my office was telling me she got Game Party 3 for Christmas and it's the best game ever. I am crying as I type this.

I do look forward to the DS2 but if it designed like an iPhone (touch screen, no buttons or d-pad, endless stream of shit games) then count me out...
 
Nintendo isn't going to abandon buttons. Let's stop the crazy train at a few stops, people. They invented the damned d-pad for fuck's sake.Some jerk is going to scream WHAT ABOUT THE DS ZELDA GAMES, I just know it.
 
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I would think they wouldn't abandon buttons but they have done way crazier things in the past. All I'd really want out of a new DS would be more powerful specs (at least on par with the iPhone), dual touch screens and a hinge that somehow positions the screens exactly on top of each other instead of with the 1" gap. Dual analog sticks would be a nice bonus but don't give me the PSP nub - that thing blows. Make it happen, Nintendo!
 
I'd like to see bendable electronics and wireless recharging (not induction charging - true wireless recharging that's constantly running from the background radio waves bouncing around in our atmosphere all the time).

Graphics and screen sizes and all that are pretty much second tier when it comes to new honest tech I'd like to see in a portable.

A GB/GBC/GBA VC would be nice, but expensive, and I'd rather see the ability to offload VC/Wiiware titles onto portable systems (this will never happen).

Likewise, true dual-analog sticks - or something resembling them - would be a nice touch.

There's a lot of room for growth.
 
No, it's here and possible. I don't know if it's financially viable right now, and Nintendo is 100% about keeping extraneous costs low. Same with solar.

Really they need to stop with the fucking "every new system has a new charger." I know they can charge troves for replacement adapters and so forth, but it's wasteful. Either use USB charging or stop the insanity - there's no reason you can't have a universal one by now. Even Sony did this, and they still use Memory Sticks for god's sake.
 
Well that's what I meant, not in time because the cost would be ridiculous.

Seriously though, I was shocked the DSi had a different plug than my sister's DSLite. Couldn't play with her on her birthday because I thought I could just use her charger. :(
 
Wacom's line of graphics tablet involves a pen that does not require a battery. Their higher end products can sense the tilt angle of the pen as well as varying levels of pressure, etc. And this technology can be implemented into a screen, example their Cintiq line of products. Perhaps something similar can be put into a DS successor.

Ruahrc
 
[quote name='laaj']Induction charging for the battery while stylus is docked with the system could work.[/QUOTE]


This would be a fantastic idea if the battery in the stylus would allow for rapid charging. But it would be hard to put a battery in something to control motion, need to recharge it, and not scratch your screen. While im sure Nintendo can come up with this, they might as well just go with the build into the system tilt controls. But hey, what if they did both??? Worked a way to use the stylus while being able to move the screen by tilting.
 
[quote name='dallow']You guys think if the DS2 has a motion sensor they'll give up button and dpad controls for precise movement?

Having both would make it fantastic and give it the best of both worlds.[/QUOTE]

Ugh. I hope so. If not no way would I buy it. Just having any sort of touch screen or accelerometers in a system makes me LESS likely to buy it, but if it's like the DS where it also still has real controls than if it's successful there will be games that use real controls.

[quote name='javeryh']I agree. It's just not precise enough right now even with the Wii Motion +. Maybe they will get it there. I doubt it though - the masses just don't care. Just this morning a paralegal in my office was telling me she got Game Party 3 for Christmas and it's the best game ever. I am crying as I type this.[/quote]

:hot:

I love when the Giant Bomb guys talk in horror about...Game Party. The fact that there's a Game Party 3 is at this point hysterical to me :lol: I think I've gotten past the stunned horror phase.
 
you already got a DS successor, the DSi. Nintendo, please take advantage of the faster process and extra memory on the DSi.
 
The DSi is a bump, not a successor. I like my DSi, but I do wish it had a much higher resolution screen so we could for example, have a great version of Pinball Hall of Fame, full resolution old-school game ports (virtual console), etc. Also it would wunderbar if it had a free cell network for online play and game downloads, like the Kindle has for book downloads. Iwata made a mention of that possibility (cell network), though I have my doubts that would really happen, at least not for online play, maybe just game downloads since that has an obvious benefit for them.
 
For portable games I dont see hi res making a huge difference. I would like to see developer take full advantage of DSi hardware. I want to see DSi only games that more than just using the camera and advantage of the improved hardware.
 
[quote name='crunchewy']The DSi is a bump, not a successor.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, there have been examples of similar things before. The PSP post-1000 pretty much qualifies...

Although, I guess *IF* we ever see a large amount of software getting released for it specifically (and I don't mean "DSiware") then it would be like the Gameboy Color, where it's a successor and basically separate platform, but still part of the same hardware generation. But so far there's no indication it's ever going to be treated as a separate platform really (I guess one single game aside), while the GBC got pretty heavy support from launch on (I still remember excitedly slapping batteries in mine in the mall parking lot!)
 
[quote name='62t']For portable games I dont see hi res making a huge difference. I would like to see developer take full advantage of DSi hardware. I want to see DSi only games that more than just using the camera and advantage of the improved hardware.[/QUOTE]

DS 3D sucks, DSi 3D ain't gonna be much better. DS 2 is needed. I want a portable Smash Bros., DS 2 can deliver it.
 
I wonder if they'll underplay graphics again... I mean, they could have GC quality graphics running at a high resolution.
 
[quote name='thingsfallnapart']..How can motion controls work when you are portable with a system? What if your on a bumpy road in a car and your not perfectly flat constantly?[/QUOTE]
get out of here with that desire to have control in a video game, this is the nintendo forum. the wii and DS proved gamers don't care about responsive control.
 
I wonder if some people here know they say stupid bullshit on purpose, or if they are really that flaming dumb.
 
[quote name='thingsfallnapart']..How can motion controls work when you are portable with a system? What if your on a bumpy road in a car and your not perfectly flat constantly?[/QUOTE]

Motion controls work fine on a bus and train with my iPhone and iPod touch before it. I suppose if the bus were to go off the road, fall 200 feet into a ravine, tumbling over and over all the way down... then you've got a problem.
 
[quote name='Koggit']get out of here with that desire to have control in a video game, this is the nintendo forum. the wii and DS proved gamers don't care about responsive control.[/QUOTE]

Thumbs up :D

[quote name='crunchewy']Motion controls work fine on a bus and train with my iPhone and iPod touch before it. I suppose if the bus were to go off the road, fall 200 feet into a ravine, tumbling over and over all the way down... then you've got a problem.[/QUOTE]

Accelerometers don't work fine ANYWHERE. For super basic stuff they're okay, but they're too glitchy and pointless.
 
[quote name='Wolfpup']Accelerometers don't work fine ANYWHERE. For super basic stuff they're okay, but they're too glitchy and pointless.[/QUOTE]

If you're an unflinching accelerometer control hater, you aren't going to like accelerometer control. However, such controls do work well when used and implemented properly and they allow for different kinds of games. Certainly they work great in the games Labyrinth 2, Dizzy Bee 2, and many other good iPhone/iPod touch games that use them well. They not only work great there, but no other control scheme could possible be as good for those games. They were designed for it. Surely you don't think Dizzy Bee 2 would be better with some other control scheme? If you don't know what these games are I imagine you could probably find a video of them on YouTube, though I haven't checked.

OK, checked for you. Here is a review of Labyrinth 2 with some good gameplay footage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbnPdXYwm_4

There is no other control scheme that could possible be as good as accelerometer control for this game. It's natural and works great.
 
[quote name='crunchewy']If you're an unflinching accelerometer control hater, you aren't going to like accelerometer control. However, such controls do work well when used and implemented properly and they allow for different kinds of games. Certainly they work great in the games Labyrinth 2, Dizzy Bee 2, and many other good iPhone/iPod touch games that use them well. They not only work great there, but no other control scheme could possible be as good for those games. They were designed for it. Surely you don't think Dizzy Bee 2 would be better with some other control scheme? If you don't know what these games are I imagine you could probably find a video of them on YouTube, though I haven't checked.[/QUOTE]

That there's the issue. Accelerometer games are awesome whenever they use the accelerometer properly. Problem is, most don't. Most games use the accelerometer to either compensate for a lack of buttons (see: iphone, wii) or just because it's there. For a good many games, they could either map the accelerometer movement to an extra button, if not remove it all together, and nothing would be lost.
 
The only two games I've EVER played where it's used in a somewhat interesting way are Yoshi Topsy Turvey and Warioland Twist...but both are really specific to it. It doesn't make sense as a general input device.
 
dissent?! oh my. but my opinion is law! no, it cannot be dissent. must be the work of trolls. yes, that is reasonable. troll for sure. great, mystery solved.
 
[quote name='dallow']
But........... RIP 2D sprite based gaming. :(
That's what I loved most about DS.
[/QUOTE]

Same, it's the only reason I bought a DS in fact. I have no need for a portable system (only play it at home 99.9% of the time), so the 2D games were what lured me in.

Also don't dig motion controls. Warioware twist was ok, but the first game was much better than it or the DS one IMO. I just want to chill and press buttons when I game.
 
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