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Portables (Games) Businesses Nintendo

What Makes The DS So Popular? 99

Posted by Zonk from the two-screens-no-waiting dept.
Next Generation is running down the reasons why the Nintendo DS is so popular in Japan, by analyzing an article on the subject from Famitsu. From the article: "In any department store in Japan, there are DS demo stations. Usually the screens are scratched to high hell (I can't imagine what people are DOING with the stylus), and lately, there are a lot of games to choose from. On the launch day of Xbox 360, I recall seeing a line eight persons deep to play Super Mario Kart DS, and not one person even looking at the 360. This was in Shibuya Tsutaya, statistically the most foot-trafficked game retailer in all of Japan."
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What Makes The DS So Popular? More

What Makes The DS So Popular?

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  • Scratches? (Score:2, Funny)

    by Walkiry ( 698192 )
    >Usually the screens are scratched to high hell (I can't imagine what people are DOING with the stylus)

    E)Elbereth

    Makes the DS safe from meddling kids and store managers, and lets me play for longer! Oh crap...

    z)d
    Which direction?>
    *Crash*

  • Why I think it's so popular (Score:1, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Online play.
    Huge library of GBA games (RPGS! FUN!).
    No loading times. Not that expensive.
    Kinda looks like a PDA.

  • Hmm... (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Koiu Lpoi ( 632570 ) <koiulpoi@gma i l .com> on Friday January 20, 2006 @08:06AM (#14518140)
    Curiouly, the article mentions that Shigesato Itoi may develop Mother 3 (That'd be Eathbound Two in America) for the Revolution.

    *crosses fingers*

  • Innovation (Score:5, Interesting)

    by neillewis ( 137544 ) on Friday January 20, 2006 @08:26AM (#14518207)
    The DS is a strange and unique beast for gaming, with its dual screens, touch screen, stylus, microphone, etc. I think its this innovative approach that has led to some interesting games. I have a PSP and a DS, and evn though the PSP is more spangly in design and screen size, the PSP is positioned for the trad gamer market and the DS is going after a wider non-traditional market. That's why its puzzle games and sims are so popular. I never expected much from the DS, but I can't find many compelling games on the PSP. Whereas I've spent hours on Nintendogs, its just so clever. The DS is much cuter than I expected.
  • I think the answer lies in the fact that it is so portable and that in the urban japanese scenario, they can be used while travelling, waiting etc.

    It's the same reason why mobile data services are so popular in Japan. i-mode hit japan a lot before the rest of the world understood 2G or 3G...

    • I think the answer lies in the fact that it is so portable and that in the urban japanese scenario, they can be used while travelling, waiting etc.

      I think you kind of missed the point. There are two handhelds out right now - the PSP and DS. The PSP is more powerful, has a lot of games ported from the PS2, etc. But the DS at its peak (before it sold out) was selling 600,000 units per week in Japan about a month ago, whereas the PSP rarely breaks the 100,000 barrier. That's where the "why?" question comes
      • The Ds is more portable. It has a standby option where you can instantly put it on standby and come back few minutes or couple of hours later and be at the same level. I did this when I went to my doctor. Play a little while waiting at the doctors, then my name is called go into the little room where they make you wait for 20 minutes. Then afterwards to get blood work done you wait for another 20 minutes. Its easy to close your DS talk to your doctor, and then wait for Xrays, blood tests and what not. Put
        • I have not used the DS, so I can't compare, but the PSP does have a sleep mode. You just hit the power button and it goes into sleep mode. When you hit the power button again, you'll be right where you left off. To actually shut the PSP off you have to hold the button for at least a second.

  • Because its good at what its bought for (Score:5, Insightful)

    by el_womble ( 779715 ) on Friday January 20, 2006 @08:41AM (#14518262) Homepage
    You don't realise how much a PSP is missing a touch screen until you use a DS.
    You don't realise how slow UMD is until you buy DS.
    You don't realise how time consuming transcoding video is until you buy a PSP.

    The one area where the PSP kicks the DS is graphics. The graphics on the PSP are incredible for a handheld system, but they come with a heavy price: game loading time and battery life. Whats worse is that once its loaded your still left playing with an analogue stick and 6 buttons. Its a platform thats been done to death.

    Cartridges make a lot of sense for a mobile platform. Low battery consumption and instant on are what gaming on the move is all about. Having two cartridge slots was a work of genius. Not only do you get a huge back catalogue, but you also get an explansion slot. How long will it be until you can buy a DS game that comes with a tilt cart, or a rumble pack? Thats simply not an option for the PSP.

    As for games?

    I haven't been as consumed with a gaming system since I got my first console, a NES. Mario 64 took a while for me get into, but now I'm hooked. Mario Kart is genuily the best in the series and Nintendogs is the most bizarly addictive game I've ever played, it really snook up on me. I'm looking forward to the port of Viewtiful Joe, Mario Soccer and the inevitable Pokemon game. I think, as a platform it shows a lot of promise.

    However, I only know of one other person with a DS, everyone else owns PSPs... so what do I know?
    • I have a DS and your comment struck me - especially the bit about no loading times.

      I realised I've grown so accustomed to optical media that I forgot games used to just....work.
    • Metroid Pinball comes with a rumble pack and Nintendo sells it online for 10 bucks.
    • The PSP video function is the ONLY thing that keeps on making me come back to the games section to drool over the gigapac. If they even had 2 games I was remotely interested in I would buy it, but I just keep on getting more games for my DS(both DS games and GBA games)
      I keep on finding myself having to resist the temptation of that damn sexy screen though....
    • re: rumble packs or tilt carts

      the PSP /could/ have both funtionalities. due to the USB port at the top, it would only be a matter of someone releases an addon to the top much like the talkman software has. there are innovators in this industry in both camps, but you've got to hand it to nintendo for finally setting fire to developers imaginations. lets see how long it burns...

      the game loading time is more than most of us are accustomed to, simply because i cant recall any other handheld that needed to acces

    • Re:Because its good at what its bought for (Score:5, Informative)

      by Cutriss ( 262920 ) on Friday January 20, 2006 @11:15AM (#14519365) Homepage
      Not only do you get a huge back catalogue, but you also get an explansion slot. How long will it be until you can buy a DS game that comes with a tilt cart, or a rumble pack?

      As was mentioned by another poster, Metroid Prime Pinball comes with a rumble pack, and the rumble pack is also compatible with Mario & Luigi: Partners In Time. I expect this is the reason that DS cases have a GBA cartridge holder in them.

      Not to mention the growing number of games that support GBA linking features.

      I finished playing Castlevania DS the other night, and in reading a FAQ while looking for some things I had missed, I found out that if you start a new file with Aria of Sorrow in the GBA slot, you get a free Rare Ring. Since you can get that pretty easily later in the game, it's basically a free drop of cash, *plus* it helps you get more junk early on in the game, so it's super-helpful.

      Megaman Battle Network 5 for the DS also supports a large amount of linking features. If you play it with any of the previous Battle Network GBA games inserted, the battle music and environments change to match those in the GBA game you used. They also each unlock extra chips for use in the DS game.

      Even *neater* is the cross-company connectivity. The creator of MMBN (a Capcom employee) is good friends with the creator of Boktai (a Konami game/employee), and the two of them have worked together to put little tributes to each other in the games. You can unlock an extra Navi chip after you've finished the game if you play MMBN5 DS with one of the Boktai games in the GBA slot.

      Also, there's a Japanese music game called Daigasso! Band Brothers which now has an expansion pack sold in GBA cartridge form.
    • NDS Metroid Pinball [amazon.com] comes with a Rumble Pack that fits into the GBA slot. I know that Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time has support for the Rumble Pack as well - not sure about other games.

    • The one area where the PSP kicks the DS is graphics. The graphics on the PSP are incredible for a handheld system, but they come with a heavy price: game loading time and battery life. Whats worse is that once its loaded your still left playing with an analogue stick and 6 buttons. Its a platform thats been done to death.

      Yeah, but you can play a lot of games with a config like that. And for me, portable gaming was a huge factor in choosing between the DS and the PSP. Game library should also be a la

      • Re:Because its good at what its bought for (Score:1)

        by Anonymous Coward
        Yes, just games that are franchise ports.

        Unlike the DS:

        Akachan wa Doko Kara Kuru no (Where do babies come from? in the US)
        Iron Feather
        Daigasso! Band Brothers
        Electroplankton
        Jump Superstars
        Kirby Canvas Curse
        Lost in Blue
        Meteos
        Metroid Prime Pinball
        Nintendogs
        Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan
        Phoenix Wright
        Polarium
        Trace Memory
        Trauma Center: Under the Knife

        Even the games on this list that involve franchise characters PLAY completely differently from their older counterparts, and this isn't even a complete list! I'll give you t
        • Yeah, because if someone owns a PS2 and likes all their games, there's no way in hell they'd ever want to play those same games that they love on the bus. That would just be stupid!

          Sheesh.

          I say this as a DS owner: if you can't understand why having a portable Playstation 2 and it's associated franchises would appeal to a large number of people, you're an idiot.*

          * You may be an idiot, anyway.
      • When I get to my bus stop, I don't need to exit the game and save. Instead, I just push the power slider to "Hold" and the game stays right where it was until I go home that evening. And when I "Resume", it's instant on.

        The DS, with its clamshell design, does the very same thing when you close the shell. It goes into instant sleep-mode. Some games even add a little extra: Mario says "Bye bye" when playing MarioDS, your puppy will bark with Nintendogs, etc.

      • If you count shoulder buttons then the DS has 6.
        If you use the thumb tack strap the bumpy bus can be negated to some degree.

        I hear you on the silliness of speaking to the games, but it's a feature I wouldn't be without, Two of my friends and I pulled out our DSes at a party and were blowing up our baloons at the start of every mario kart battle and people thought it was hysterical...
        and then they all wanted a go.

        As an aside, yes we played hand helds at a party, and about 40% of the people who go to th

    • UMD isn't slow. DS is fast because it uses less memory and not as good graphics/sound. Thats all.

      PSP comes internet ready out of the box, it can hook up to a PC out of the box, you can play movies, podcast, surf the web.

      DS sells well because it is cheap and its easy to get (PSP is getting easier now though).

  • It's Amazing that's why! (Score:5, Insightful)

    by MrJack5304 ( 908137 ) on Friday January 20, 2006 @09:00AM (#14518375)
    I think the reason the DS is so popular is a simple one... It's fun to play with.*Gasps* There have been alot of fresh games come to the market that really showcase how bland gaming has become lately. It's these games that give the DS such appeal. Gamers want something new, even if they say they don't. I think the article points that out very well.

    Not to mention that people who don't play video games want the DS because it looks like something manageable. It has a simple interface and looks like fun. Little kids are starting to want it because of games like Nintendogs, The Urbz, The Sims 2, Mario Kart, etc. For somebody like me, a hardcore gamer, there is just and endless supply of awesome games, that are portable to boot. There seems to be a little something for everyone in the DS whereas the PSP doesn't have that kind of appeal at all.

    I agree whole-heartedly with the writer that we shouldn't count Nintendo out yet. They have a better head on their shoulders than some may think. The Revolution just may be the system everyone is looking for and personally I am curious to see where Nintendo takes this crazy world of gaming. All I have to say is, Nintendo, you have my vote, continue kicking ass.
    • I think the reason the DS is so popular is a simple one... It's fun to play with.*Gasps*

      Exactly. I'm not curious enough yet to plunk down money for Nintendogs or Animal Crossing (although I might get them "for my wife") but Mario Kart DS is the best game I've played in a very long time. That new Tony Hawk game looks promising too. Six to ten hour battery life, free internet play via WFC, touchscreen, $130? I'm there, screw PSP in the eye.

      I've spent more time playing on these piddly little 3" screens sin

    • Re:It's Amazing that's why! (Score:4, Interesting)

      by apoc06 ( 853263 ) on Friday January 20, 2006 @04:05PM (#14521990)
      i disagree when you say that nintendo has a good head on their shoulders. they like to gamble. luckily for them they gamble and they win. alot ...and BIG! lol.

      every system theyve ever released has been a gamble as far back as the NES. console gaming was dead in the water. they gambled with even coming into the scene. they gambled using ROB the robot to garner shelf space.

      they gambled with releasing the gameboy; the first interchangable handheld console. the strength of tetris winning over countless casual gamers.

      they gambled with the virtual boy. [no comment... we all know how that one turned out]

      they gambled with releasing the n64. crossing sony on the creation of a cd-based console, sticking with cartridge based media, and sticking to their rigorous third party contract agreements spelled the end of their reign of having the best third party developer backing.

      with the n64, luckily they succeeded with creating reliable 3d control using the analog pad, and introducing the world to force feedback. making four control ports standard meant it was safer for developers to create "party" multiplayer games.

      they released the gameboy advance while the original gameboy was already selling like hotcakes. they splintered their own market, but were able to reap the rewards accordingly since their major competition was already dead in the water.

      with the gamecube they switched formats to optical media, but shunned using standard dvd. more publishers shied away from the company. the reorganized controller layout made many games difficult to port across consoles. [odd man out?]

      they release the DS while the GBA is still the top selling handheld console in the world [and continues to sell strongly]. the ds has a radically different control scheme compared to a traditional handheld. something consoles have never seen before. nintendo admits that they were worried that the control scheme would frighten developers out of designing games around the "touch" concept.

      and now along comes the revolution with its radical departure from the direction theyve lead controller designs in for the last 20 odd years.

      nintendo is a gambling company, but what can you expect from a company that made its start selling playing cards?

  • Scratched to high Hell (Score:4, Insightful)

    by steveo777 ( 183629 ) on Friday January 20, 2006 @09:50AM (#14518718) Homepage Journal
    Usually the screens are scratched to high hell (I can't imagine what people are DOING with the stylus)

    I allowed my nieghbor's kid to play with my DS a few months after I got it. I knew by then that the screen was pretty durable, so I wasn't concerned if she was a bit rough. But this kid didn't know what "tapping the screen" ment. This kid maliciously stabbed my screen... as if it were her arch-enemy. She dragged the stylus across the screen like she had to cut a trench in it to get things to move (I think I had her playing Feel the Magic XX/XY). I gave her a few gentle reminders to be gental. I told her that the weight of the pen was enough for it to be recognized. She didn't let up. I took it away and held the power button saying, "Oh, sorry the batteries are dead." She never saw it again.

    I imagine many a DS suffers this fate when the owner is young or away. Especially when in the stores. A lot of people know how to treat electronics, and a lot of people don't. This is why a few months after the 360's displays were out the tops of the control sticks were already missing.

    • that's why I got myself a screen protector - something I learned from the palm pilot days. A fairly low cost - at least compared to another $130.
    • The DS still works! I had the same experience with my nephew on my DS. He borrowed it and scratched the hell out of the screen. The only conclusion I can come to is he used the screen as a cutting board as there's no way the average person could scratch a screen that much. Anyway, when the unit is on you can't see the scratches and the touch sensitivity works fine.

      Ninetendo knows how to build a durable machine.
    • The reason why kids do this is simple.
      The nerves that do "position sensing" in their fingers are the last to develop.* The ones that operate their fingers, the ones that do sense of touch come in first, naturally, so they are left with figuring out feedback from how much pressure they are experiencing at their knuckles, finger joints and fingertips.

      Every watch a grade schooler or middle schooler write? See those callouses on their middle fingers? The white knuckles? The crappy handwriting? That's why. (P

  • Brain Training? (Score:3)

    by lpangelrob ( 714473 ) on Friday January 20, 2006 @10:13AM (#14518867)
    What the heck is Brain Training? I haven't heard of it, and it certainly hasn't shown up on Slashdot. It seems to be a Japanese-only release, coming to America, and is very confusing. Sort of like other past exports (Pokémon and Animal Crossing, anyone?).

    Anyone reading this have the game and can give a brief summary as to what it is? Is it a glorifed Magic 8 Ball? The game 20 questions [20q.net] for the DS?

  • "On the launch day of Xbox 360, I recall seeing a line eight persons deep to play Super Mario Kart DS, and not one person even looking at the 360."

    And this suprises you, how?

    Nintendo = Japanese company. They heavily advertise and have a very deep market penetration there. Microsoft = American, they heavily advertise and have great market penetration here.

    If you go to a game store here you see the exact opposite. The 360 has people huddled around and fighting over the chance to play COD2, and th
    • Nintendo = Japanese company. They heavily advertise and have a very deep market penetration there. Microsoft = American, they heavily advertise and have great market penetration here.

      MS fully intended the 360 to at least crack the Japanese market. It just hasn't. We're not even talking about people buying the system; we're talking about whether they're even curious about it on launch day, yes? And they're not.

      If you go to a game store here you see the exact opposite. The 360 has people huddled around a

      • Those who forecast doom and gloom for the 360 in Japan need to wait a little bit longer. Wait until the Mistwalker games come out (Blue Dragon and Lost Oddysey). For those who don't know, Mistwalker Studios is head by one of the guys that left Square-Enix. There are a couple of other Japanese RPGs on the horizon too. Those are what the Japanese gamers (and myself) really enjoy, which explains why Dragon Quest VIII did so well in Japan but did so poorly in the US. Finally, there's the wildcard of what Square
        • which explains why Dragon Quest VIII did so well in Japan but did so poorly in the US

          No, the explanation for that is a complicated two-part rant. Let me bullet-point the ways...

          - Dragon Quest sucks. It has always sucked. When compared to the (much more popular in the US) Final Fantasy series, it lacks polish. It doesn't impress at all. And since they left off sending them over here after the demise of the NES, Chrono Trigger took the spot of Akira-Toriyama-Artwork-RPG (a.k.a. "It Looks Like DBZ!" or "Oh God
          • I happen to like DQ8, although I can easily see many folks turned off by the "old school" aspect of it. I happen to think it has a lot of polish (voice acting is quite good, and I was surprised by how much I ended up liking the character design ... cell-shading can be so much better than 3D). However, I haven't played any of the other DQ games, so I can't comment on them.

            I just think games like DQ8 are made and designed for a different "niche" of RPG fans. In Japan, that niche is pretty huge (probably the m
            • FF7? Ugh. Allow me to clear your mind of that notion. FF7 is one of the worst abominations done against the franchise, FF11 being the only one worse, and only because they wanted to bilk extra money out of me.

              No, I'm from the old school. Here's how they break down in my mind, in order from best to worst:

              - FF6 (3 US)
              - FF5
              - FF4 (2 US)
              - FF1
              - FF3
              - FF8 (Yes, I actually liked 8.)
              - FF2
              - FF9
              - the ones I haven't played (10, 12) since they can't be worse than 7
              - FF7
              - FF11 (worst because it's a fricking MMO game)

              Unfor
              • *phew* Just had to make sure, you know. There are a surprising amount of FF7 "fanbois" out there.

                BTW, your ranking is pretty good. I have to agree that FFIV and FFVI are at/near the top of my list. (And there have been times I think FFIV was better than FFVI). However, I did like FFIX and would probably rank it above FFVIII. FFX was alright, but X-2 was just horrible. I only played a beta of FFXI and didn't like it at all (although it's unfair since I've played WoW and much prefer it, and it came out after

    • "On the launch day of Xbox 360, I recall seeing a line eight persons deep to play Super Mario Kart DS, and not one person even looking at the 360."

      And this suprises you, how?

      Oh, it certainly doesn't, but probably not for the reasons you want to believe.

      Nintendo = Japanese company. They heavily advertise and have a very deep market penetration there. Microsoft = American, they heavily advertise and have great market penetration here.

      "Great market penetration". That's funny.

      You also left

  • It's fun. Just fun to play with. Anytime!
  • Sony made a huge mistake with the PSP, thinking that "better graphics" was going to make them the automatic winner in the handheld business. Wrong. All you need to do is take a look at the mobile gaming market to realize this.

    There are a ton of stupid PC/console ports to mobile phones with "great graphics". Games like Tony Hawk, Splinter Cell, Need For Speed, etc. Yeah, those graphics look great, but gee whiz, the games cost a small fortune and I don't really care about graphics when I just need to play som

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