Think the DSi is doomed to failure? Think again...
(by Kombo.com - Lucas DeWoody Senior Editorialist)
To anyone who thinks the DSi is just another Game Boy Micro -- doomed to obscurity because people don't see the need to another model of the same hardware -- I urge you to think again. DSi is more akin to the Game Boy Color.
When the Game Boy Color hit in 1998, many people looked at it as simply the original Game Boy with a color screen since the marketing didn't really delve beyond that headline feature. In reality, it was much more than that. The original Game Boy ran at 4Mhz. The Game Boy Color doubled that to 8Mhz and also doubled the system RAM. The GBC was capable of all kinds of new hardware tricks that put it somewhere in the middle realm of hardware placement. It may not have had the Super NES's graphics capabilities, but it's processor was three times as fast. A small assortment of GBC titles even support PCM sound effects, and one in particular (Cannon Fodder) even supports a full motion video intro.
Aside from the hardware upgrade, the GBC also got a better screen. At first, software created for the platform featured a dual boot mode so that the millions of existing Game Boy owners out there wouldn't miss out, but these titles were essentially plain old Game Boy titles with a few perks and didn't really utilize the new hardware. As people flocked to the GBC though, exclusive titles became far more common and games that fully abused the enhanced hardware came out regularly. Gamers could see the difference, but Nintendo didn't really promote the new hardware features of the GBC beyond it's color screen. Gamers noticed the difference though.
This same exact cycle is happening again with the DSi. Nintendo promotes the new features such as DSiWare and the added cameras, but they aren't really touching all the other new hardware boosts the DSi enjoys. The original DS Phat/Lite's main processor runs at a mere 67 Mhz. The DSi doubles that to 133Mhz. The RAM has also been quadrupled from 4MB to 16MB, perhaps mainly for the web browser, but there's nothing stopping exclusive software from using that extra power. Aside from that boost, most people know about the enhanced operating system, online store, SD support, new buttons combining the look of the DS Lite with the feel of the DS Phat, and the upcoming downloadable back catalog of Game Boy titles. The DSi is far more of an upgrade than even the Game Boy Color was.
It works out like this...
And if I remember correctly, the Game Boy Color in it's day sold somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 million units (Nintendo wouldn't give exact separate numbers of the Game Boy and Game Boy Color individual sales) and extended the Game Boy's life cycle another three years. Sure, the DSi doesn't have the benefit of riding 90's "Poke-mania" to easy success, and sure, adding color to Nintendo handhelds after ten years of monochrome vomit green screens may have been a bigger deal, but that doesn't change the fact that the DSi is destined to be a success. Perhaps not every mom and dad out there will see the need to buy little Jimmy or Jasmine another handheld when the hinge of their DS Phat is still working just fine, but millions of other people will. My sister just did. I just might too when I see some compelling downloadable software.
When the Game Boy Color hit in 1998, many people looked at it as simply the original Game Boy with a color screen since the marketing didn't really delve beyond that headline feature. In reality, it was much more than that. The original Game Boy ran at 4Mhz. The Game Boy Color doubled that to 8Mhz and also doubled the system RAM. The GBC was capable of all kinds of new hardware tricks that put it somewhere in the middle realm of hardware placement. It may not have had the Super NES's graphics capabilities, but it's processor was three times as fast. A small assortment of GBC titles even support PCM sound effects, and one in particular (Cannon Fodder) even supports a full motion video intro.
Aside from the hardware upgrade, the GBC also got a better screen. At first, software created for the platform featured a dual boot mode so that the millions of existing Game Boy owners out there wouldn't miss out, but these titles were essentially plain old Game Boy titles with a few perks and didn't really utilize the new hardware. As people flocked to the GBC though, exclusive titles became far more common and games that fully abused the enhanced hardware came out regularly. Gamers could see the difference, but Nintendo didn't really promote the new hardware features of the GBC beyond it's color screen. Gamers noticed the difference though.
This same exact cycle is happening again with the DSi. Nintendo promotes the new features such as DSiWare and the added cameras, but they aren't really touching all the other new hardware boosts the DSi enjoys. The original DS Phat/Lite's main processor runs at a mere 67 Mhz. The DSi doubles that to 133Mhz. The RAM has also been quadrupled from 4MB to 16MB, perhaps mainly for the web browser, but there's nothing stopping exclusive software from using that extra power. Aside from that boost, most people know about the enhanced operating system, online store, SD support, new buttons combining the look of the DS Lite with the feel of the DS Phat, and the upcoming downloadable back catalog of Game Boy titles. The DSi is far more of an upgrade than even the Game Boy Color was.
It works out like this...
And if I remember correctly, the Game Boy Color in it's day sold somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 million units (Nintendo wouldn't give exact separate numbers of the Game Boy and Game Boy Color individual sales) and extended the Game Boy's life cycle another three years. Sure, the DSi doesn't have the benefit of riding 90's "Poke-mania" to easy success, and sure, adding color to Nintendo handhelds after ten years of monochrome vomit green screens may have been a bigger deal, but that doesn't change the fact that the DSi is destined to be a success. Perhaps not every mom and dad out there will see the need to buy little Jimmy or Jasmine another handheld when the hinge of their DS Phat is still working just fine, but millions of other people will. My sister just did. I just might too when I see some compelling downloadable software.
What do you think of this?
I can see the DSi extending the life of the DS and 3 years is probably about the outside length of time. If they didn't do it, the DS would have started a much earlier slide.
I also think the changes are much greater than we give credit for, but unless they get used properly, what point are they. The first company to break with a DSi only game will be my new favourite developer. Please let it be Square Enix and a big RPG :-)
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