Nintendo top dog Satoru Iwata just let slip something very strange about the Nintendo DSi, loosely talking about use of the handheld as a phone. Read on to find out why we think he might be cooking up a cut-price phone service, with the DSi at its very core.
Speaking in an interview, Nintendo President Iwata didn’t completely rule out a Nintendo phone when asked, but instead let slip an intriguing stipulation. The FT reports that “Mr Iwata said… Nintendo would not release a console that could be used as a mobile phone unless it could do so without the need for a monthly subscription.”
That’s a very strange qualifier to put on the end of “Nintendo isn’t making a phone”, especially when Nintendo has said time and again that it doesn’t see the iPhone or other mobiles as gaming threats.
However, since the Nintendo DSi has Wi-Fi inside it’s completely possible that a VoIP application could be in the works, letting gamers make free calls over the internet from wireless hotspots.
We know Nintendo has been pushing developers to create apps beyond games for the DSi Shop, and a Wi-Fi VoIP app would let owners make calls without the need for a subscription. Hackers have also managed to get VoIP phone apps running on the original DS, so it’s definitely doable.
Skype finally launched on iPhone last month, and is due out on BlackBerry in May. Has a Skype or other VoIP app been considered for the DSi Shop? We certainly hope so.
Out TBC | £TBC | Nintendo (Via FT.com) (Nintendo DSi available at Amazon)
