Fair point with the pricing although it is not that far from the DSi is it? I agree with your statement that this is not a gaming system as of yet but we are getting closer and closer. If the shoulder button rumors hold true we are definitely nearing a gaming device. Exactly I would be surprised if this gaming system/apple tv is not fully integrated with the iTouch/iPhone interface. The controller they recently patented was basically a iTouch interface as you describe. Maybe Apple will actually be the first ones to make an integration between handheld gaming device and home console that actually makes sense (I dont know if you remember Nintendos GameCube/GameBoy, experiment, a good idea but just so freaking expensive in hardware.)
So I guess the question is whatever the iTouch is more likely to be a Nintendo competitor if this is the case (the seamless integration with a home gaming console)
Neither idevice is a competitor to Nintendo in hand-held gaming. As someone else said they target different markets. Three of my kids (the other two aren't old enough yet) have a Nintendo DS. At their current ages none of them could have an iTouch. The DS is extremely durable and they get beaten down all the time without one even breaking, can't say the same for the the touch or the phone or even the PSP. As for pricing, the DSi sells for $169 and they sold 435,000 in the first week of sales (more than twice the amount of DS Lites sold in the first week) - even though it's over the $150 magic price point. If you have quality games people will pay for the hardware - especially if their kids want it. Oh and they make M rated games for the DS (not many, but they do). Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is the latest. As for interoperability the PSP and PS3 have this, they call it remote play. Also the PS3 can stream content from your PC, which the PSP can stream, via wi-fi, from anywhere in the world. I play games on my iPhone often but don't consider them a replacement for the games I play on my DS or PSP. Apple will continue to get game sales from people who don't own any gaming system though, so there's definitely money and incentive to improve on the platform.
Maybe a little off topic but just came to think of this: One other thing that is actually interesting is how Nintendos and Apples product development cycles are strikingly similar. They both come to market quickly with early iterations of their products, and then they introduce updates in short cycles. If you think about it the GameBoy, GameBoy SP, DS, DS Lite, DSi, iPod, iPod touch and iPhone the product iterations are strikingly similar. One thing that is amazing about both Nintendo and Apple products is that as soon as a new product comes out the old one feels completely outdated. I felt this way going from my first iPhone to my second this was the same feeling when I had to replace my first DS with a DS Lite (although I dont have a DSi yet). So what is interesting is that Apple has the same approach to its market as Nintendo just coming from the complete opposite side, and there is no doubt as the market gradually merges these two companies will become bigger competitors. Question is just whatever Nintendo will move into Apples domain as well. Looking at the DSis image editing capabilities for instance suggest that Nintendo is also moving into a broader segment.
yea the iphone way better than the ds or wii. Microsoft should also fear this because the potention is great for the games
ya the wii and ds suck now. Well the ds doesn't but i broke my screen hinge and i haven't played it in months but i want fire emblem and a few other games. The wii is garbage though. I don't know why microsoft would have to fear the iphone though that makes no sense at all
True, but like I stated, at or near the magic price point is the strategy to have. Nintendo never goes much over the $150 magic price point for portable game systems, and they've never gone over the $300 magic price point for video game consoles. Not really what I was thinking in terms of the hypothetical Apple game system (iGame? iPlay?). For interoperability from Sony, you have to buy two wholly separate products: PSP and PS3. What I was getting at is the idea that the next Apple TV and iTouch/Phone could be one and the same. The purchase of the iTouch/Phone 2 could come with a 100GB HDD/network connection/TV output/charge station "hub" (in a case styled after the current Apple TV) that would facilitate connection to the App Store and iTunes, be used as storage, and would be a "closed" connection. No need to ever connect to a PC or Mac, and this in turn would actually cut down piracy (as it is too easy, apparently, to pirate iTouch/Phone apps right now). It wouldn't be a separate system communicating with another, but one single system that hits two (possibly even three) markets in one: mobile and home console use. The hub would just be used for storage, connection to the network, charging, and facilitate output to a tv set.
id really given up on my ds and psp but i might have to start using them again for monster hunter unite-rock band unplugged-ff:dissidia-kh:bbs-kh(ds)-new ds zelda
