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E3 2004: The Nintendo DS: Revealed
At Nintendo's press conference today, the company finally broke off the wraps of the Nintendo DS system. The system's been shrouded in secrecy since the company announced its existence back in January, but now all has been revealed officially.
The Nintendo DS is still the project name and is expected to have a new one as it gets closer to its release. The unit will feature a clamshell design and two back-lit LCD screens positioned vertically. Both screens are of the same resolution and are three inches diagonally apiece. Nintendo anticipates developers creating games with two independent perspectives, or the ability to hold chats with players during gameplay.
The lower screen will offer PDA-like touch capabilities, using either a finger or the included stylus pen. This enables users to activate an on-screen keyboard to send text, or draw directly to the screen. The touch screen will feature a tougher scratch-resistant film for extra durability.
Also built into the system is a microphone that can be used for several gameplay elements. The microphone is sensitive to any sound, and the software can be written to recognize anything from hand-claps to full-on voice commands. Nintendo even anticipates giving players the ability to chat voice over wireless internet.
That's right, the system will feature wireless connectivity, both using a Nintendo proprietary technology as well as 802.11 support for a wide array of network capabilities. Nintendo has mentioned the possibility of linking the system in hotspots all over the world for connectivity with players thousands of miles away. The system will even support single cartridge multiplayer much like the Game Boy Advance, where specially-written games can be sent wirelessly to cartridge-free Nintendo DS systems.
The Nintendo DS system will feature Nintendo 64-like 3D graphic capabilities as well as 16 channel stereo support via the headphone port.
The system is currently on schedule for a late 2004 release in the US and Japan, followed by an early 2005 release in Europe.
Source: IGN
The Nintendo DS is still the project name and is expected to have a new one as it gets closer to its release. The unit will feature a clamshell design and two back-lit LCD screens positioned vertically. Both screens are of the same resolution and are three inches diagonally apiece. Nintendo anticipates developers creating games with two independent perspectives, or the ability to hold chats with players during gameplay.
The lower screen will offer PDA-like touch capabilities, using either a finger or the included stylus pen. This enables users to activate an on-screen keyboard to send text, or draw directly to the screen. The touch screen will feature a tougher scratch-resistant film for extra durability.
Also built into the system is a microphone that can be used for several gameplay elements. The microphone is sensitive to any sound, and the software can be written to recognize anything from hand-claps to full-on voice commands. Nintendo even anticipates giving players the ability to chat voice over wireless internet.
That's right, the system will feature wireless connectivity, both using a Nintendo proprietary technology as well as 802.11 support for a wide array of network capabilities. Nintendo has mentioned the possibility of linking the system in hotspots all over the world for connectivity with players thousands of miles away. The system will even support single cartridge multiplayer much like the Game Boy Advance, where specially-written games can be sent wirelessly to cartridge-free Nintendo DS systems.
The Nintendo DS system will feature Nintendo 64-like 3D graphic capabilities as well as 16 channel stereo support via the headphone port.
The system is currently on schedule for a late 2004 release in the US and Japan, followed by an early 2005 release in Europe.
Source: IGN