Wednesday, January 21, 2004
Nintendo Announces New Dual-Screened Portable
Everyone knew something was coming but when Nintendo's latest press release crossed by inbox this morning, even I was a bit surprised. Code-named "Nintendo DS", this new portable system will have two 3-inch LCD screens with separate processors. According to Nintendo, the DS will be marketed separately from the GameBoy Advance and won't replace it. No pictures of the new portable have been released, so it's unclear what the actual configuration of the two screens will be. If done right, it could be a major advance in game interface design -- let's hope they can keep portability in the equation.
From information made available today, 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.
| :: posted by Donald Melanson, 1:38 PM
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