Nintendo's Media Summit has just thrown us its first juicy bone of the night, and it's a big one. As was previously rumored, Satoru Iwata has revealed the Nintendo DSi, the direct successor to the DS Lite which comes absolutely jam-packed with new features and trinkets, including two cameras, music playback functions, expanded screens, an SD card slot, and a whole new, DS-specific download service. Hit the break for the full list of improvements and adjustments, as well as the Japanese launch date and price!

No, we're not going to stop talking about this new DS thing until it's in our hands (or turns out to have been some prank or something). With a proposed Japanese release by the end of this year, we could be facing a new money-spending situation this holiday.

Were you expecting to buy new hardware this year? Are you ready to do so? Are you shuffling your game-buying plans around? Nintendo fans are fiercely loyal, so we expect many of you may have already tried to preorder the thing.

Last night's breaking rumor about a DS redesign came seemingly out of nowhere, but with the next Nintendo conference right around the corner, maybe it's not such a surprise as all that. What we did find surprising were the purported changes in the redesign. Camera? Music? Interesting, sure, but how many of us are already strapped with devices that handle those functions just fine? Is this what you would have chosen for the next DS?

This is fairly huge, and fairly believable! Japanese business newspaper Nikkei posted an article describing features in an upcoming new DS model set for this year, designed with the intention of competing with the iPhone and other mobile devices. According to the article, the new hardware will include a camera and music playback functionality. The camera will be integrated into gameplay, which suggests that it may be more of a new system than an upgrade. It also features the ability to connect with "information terminals" to get location-sensitive information, which we know Nintendo has looked into. There's even more in the print version of the same article. It states that the device will cost less than 20,000 yen.

A removed article on the site Monex.co.jp (screenshot available at the NeoGAF link) said that the new DS will feature the ability to share data with the Wii via the SD slot, as well as larger screens.

We wonder what that Nintendo Media Summit is going to be about.

[Via NeoGAF, Game|Life]

Rumors of new DS hardware keep popping up and, like errant plastic moles, they get bopped by the tethered mallet of, uh, Nintendo's unwillingness to respond to rumors. No matter what Nintendo doesn't say, we can expect some kind of new DS system at some point in the future.

Would you rather see a new refresh of the current DS, made to play the same games that current systems do, or a new DS that plays new games? A DS Liter or a DS 2, so to speak? Are you ready for developers to move on to an upgraded system?

Like a bad penny, talk of a redesigned DS never seems to go away for long (we can't resist gossiping about the prospect ourselves). Many predicted an announcement at E3, only for the LA event to pass without incident, but now the speculation is back with a vengeance, courtesy of Kotaku and "several industry sources" that aren't Nintendo. According to the whispers, the next DS will release early next year, and will feature screens that are slightly bigger than the current model, both of which will be touchscreens. Dual touchscreens? Amazingly, it's a possibility that we haven't seen discussed yet, and a fairly intriguing one!

Sadly, an industry source that is Nintendo has since dismissed such idle chatter as a load of old baloney to GamesIndustry.biz, though they used the more professional "rumor and speculation." Not that such denials mean a great deal nowadays.

Source: New DS! -- Internet
Source: Not! -- Nintendo

For the last few months, we've been back and forth on the redesign issue. Will it happen? Won't it? We almost convinced ourselves that we'd hear something at E3, but Nintendo was pretty mum on the DS in general, but for a few exceptions. Now that all that's over, however, we're back in the fray, with all-new rumors of a DS redesign. Michael Pachter is the latest to throw his name into the ring of redesign predictions, and it makes sense that he's said we'll see the new DS debut in Japan, as the DS is as important an accessory there as, say, shoes. But are we ready to start believing again? Are we just setting ourselves up for all new heartbreak and despair?

E3 has come and gone, and to the surprise of some of us, Nintendo didn't announce a DS redesign. How do you feel about that? Are you disappointed? Or, maybe you're relieved that you won't be tempted to buy new hardware anytime soon? Either way, let us know what you think about the lack of a redesign announcement from Nintendo.

Also, out of curiosity -- what would your ideal DS redesign include?

The redesign rumors just won't stop, will they? The latest cuts the GBA slot, may or may not add an accelerometer, and reduces the size of the already-slim handheld ... and may just come with a sizeable price cut. Think it's viable? If you wanted a redesign, is this what you had in mind?

Here we go -- with the Nintendo press briefing just hours away, the rumor brigade in Los Angeles is kicking things into high gear, and there are all sorts of rumblings about the DS. According to IGN, a number of things may or may not happen this week, including but not limited to:

• Activision (wait, didn't they bail on E3? No matter; they have their own presentation coming up tomorrow night) announcing a(nother) DS peripheral that will add tilt and motion functionality to the handheld via the GBA slot
• The next Tony Hawk game is rumored to be the first to use the Activision peripheral
• Nintendo is preparing to provide built-in tilt and motion within the carts of some upcoming games

But the most interesting thing from the rumor mill is the big possibility we've been discussing of late: DS Micro ahoy! Word is that Nintendo may be preparing to release that redesigned handheld after all, but per these rumors, it looks like the new design is not meant to supplant the current Lite model -- which explains the color explosion. The slimmed-down DS may sacrifice the GBA slot and could possibly feature that accelerometer functionality built-in. The best part? We may be looking at a drastically-reduced price -- IGN is talking about a DS that's $100 cheaper than the current model.

Our own JC Fletcher is on the ground in LA as we speak, and David Hinkle is en route, so we hope to have more information -- or at least, more rumors -- for you soon. Whatever happens, we'll probably be scratching off a few of our DS predictions very soon.

Some are awful, some are amazing. Yes, the DS has precisely one gazillion "concept" models floating around the place, from fans who want their own particular quirks included with the inevitable possible redesign of the handheld. Nintendo Power has featured this image with an advertisement for Disgaea DS and Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure, and although it looks pretty cool, it's extraordinarily doubtful that one of the most talked-about rumors in the history of the DS has just awkwardly been confirmed via this image. Bogus, but neat!

It's pretty much the same thing as the DS Lite now, only with bigger screens. Which is more or less exactly what the DS needs -- the rest is spot on. The fact that the bottom screen is misaligned with the top screen lends evidence to some guy taking one too many coffee breaks during his Photoshop training. Looks rad, not official -- redesign will probably come soon anyway. Watch this space for all E3 Nintendo revelations!

Update: Just as we thought, Nintendo denied that this widescreen DS is a representation of a new unit, stating this is "purely rumor and speculation."


[Via Aeropause]

Lately, there's been a lot of discussion over whether or not Nintendo is planning a redesign of the wildly successful DS Lite. The rumors surfaced, and were drowned in a wave of denials ... but those denials were suspiciously similar to the things we heard when Nintendo was busily denying the move from Phat to Lite prior to the launch of the newer model.

Nintendo redesigns things, especially when it comes to their handhelds. They love to launch the new model, the smaller, better design, and it seems likely that they'll continue that cycle with the DS. But will we see it this year? That's the question on the table today, and we'll look at both possibilities. After that, it's up to you to decide whether or not Nintendo will announce a new DS this year.

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		Oh, it's coming.

While we all think it would be totally rad if Nintendo issued either another redesigned DS model or a whole new handheld unit altogether, certain things must be considered first. Like, will it make Nintendo some money? Also, is there a demand? And, finally, is the DS as it is now outdated and no longer a viable option for the consumer?

Let's look at the facts, folks:

• The original Game Boy released in 1989 and saw several revisions, including a color change in 1995, a smaller system in the Game Boy Pocket in 1996, the Game Boy Light in 1997 and the Game Boy Color in 1998
  
• The Game Boy Advance released in 2001 and saw 2 revisions before it was officially retired, with the Game Boy Advance SP releasing in 2003 and the Game Boy Advance Micro releasing in 2005
  
• The original DS was released in 2004 and since has received one revision, in the DS Lite, which released in 2006
  

But, this is not all that needs be considered. For one, the DS Lite is still selling incredibly well, and Nintendo might think to adopt the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" plan of attack on this one, choosing to sit back and let the thing sell as long as it possibly can. However, due to the lowering manufacturing costs and Nintendo's profit on each unit sold, a revision with newer features might be manufactured for the same, or a very similar, price. This would allow Nintendo to sell the new unit at a higher price than the DS Lite and make even more money on each handheld sold. There goes the answer to the first question.

What about demand? Well, the demand for the existing DS Lite is there, but we'll be the first to tell you that, while we love the handheld , it's not perfect. Alterations in the best interest of the handheld may still be made, including generic improvements such as improving battery life and the like.If the people still love the DS Lite, we find little reason for them not to upgrade and froth at the mouth for something like a DS Liter.

What about its use to the consumer? Does it still remain a great choice for the general consumer? Sure, but in technology years, the thing is like a Brontosauras with Jesus resting comfortably on top of it. What we're saying is, the thing is old. While its appeal may never go away thanks to the easy control scheme and mountains of amazing titles available for it, one cannot ignore the competition. As new features are released everyday for Sony's PSP system, the DS Lite is increasingly dwarfed by the technological wizardry capable with Sony's handheld. If Nintendo went with a new version of the DS, we'd like to see them implement some of the more standard technological features that exist in other handheld devices on the market.

So will Nintendo release a revision to the DS? Sure, whether it's a new handheld entirely or a new DS, Nintendo would be crazy not to build on what they have with the DS Lite. Will we see it at E3 this year? This blogger thinks so, because, to be honest, what other megatons could they possibly drop on us?

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Okay, folks. You've read the arguments for and against a redesign of the DS this year, so now it's time to weigh in. Cast your vote in our poll below and make your voice heard!

Will there be a DS redesign this year?

Yeah, fo' shoNot this year, no way!What, are you crazy? The DS is fine how it is!What is a DS and why is this blog all about it?Vote

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Not this year, no way!
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