The Nintendo DSi isn’t an iPhone – and nor will we likely see a response to the ballooning mobile phone games market from Nintendo for some time, according to a new interview with Nintendo UK boss David Yarnton.
Speaking to The Times newspaper, Yarnton implied that multimedia competitors such as the iPhone were “a jack of all trades, and a master of none” compared to the Nintendo DSi and followed that by adding he was “still waiting” for mobile phone games to happen.
Of course, Nintendo famously admitted they didn’t really get Internet gaming for years either. And the Nintendo Wii is still the worst console when it comes to setting up and running online gaming on it, with a very poor level of support for Internet gaming from Nintendo. So it comes as no surprise that despite adding a camera and download functionality to the Nintendo DSi, the company is not about to stick a SIM card slot in its successor.
Elsewhere in the interview, Yarnton offered a reason as to why the Nintendo DSi is to feature region locks, when the DS doesn’t: “There are many different age requirements with games around the world.”
So, will the iPhone eviscerate the Nintendo DSi market? Is adding a low-resolution camera too little, too late for the Nintendo DSi? Or is Nintendo’s simple emphasis on fun games still going to rule the handheld roost? What do you think?
Out April 3 | £150 | Nintendo
