The next tickle me elmo?... Nintendo's pricing for the DS

[Ransure]

Wow, at this price point... Id be pretty surprised if it wasnt the hottest seller of the holidays...

Nintendo has officially announced pricing and a launch date for its new dual-screen handheld console, the Nintendo DS. Scheduled for US launch on November 21, the DS will sport a surprisingly-low price tag of US$149.99. That price, coupled with the timing of the launch at the beginning of the holiday shopping season, will likely mean strong initial sales for the handheld. Nintendo is banking on a surge of purchases, as they have also raised their shipment forecast to 4 million units by the end of March.

Aside from the dual displays (one of which is touch sensitive), the DS will also feature built-in Bluetooth and WiFi for multiplayer gaming and Internet access. Perhaps most important of all, the new handheld will run current GameBoy Advance games. Such backwards compatibility should help boost initial sales. Nintendo claims there are currently over 120 titles in development for the DS, but even if there are relatively few games available at first, the combination of the price and GBA compatibility will make for strong sales.

Sony's upcoming PSP handheld is set to be released in Japan by the end of the year, and in the US and Europe come March 2005. It is also expected to be up to twice as expensive as the DS. Will Nintendo's four-month window of opportunity give it an insurmountable advantage in the next-generation handheld console market? Sony appears unconcerned about the possibility:

Asked about Nintendo's DS pricing, Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) president Ken Kutaragi said: "We expect PSP to create a new market, helping expand the entire game market. But (direct competition is unlikely as) PSP and the DS will probably have different roles in the market."

Is Kutaragi right? Some analysts believe the DS will appeal primarily to kids while the PSP market will consist primarily of young adults. Sony's handheld will also have a few features absent from the DS, notably the ability to watch videos on its 480x272 display. Whose handheld cuisine will reign supreme? The early guess is Nintendo, as the advantage of having the store shelves to itself for a few months gives it a strong early advantage. Also, while it lacks in features when compared to the PSP, the price tag should be low enough to entice parents into buying them for their children.

[masteen]

You had me at touchscreen...

[Aslanna]

When I think of you I touch my screen.

[Akaran_D]

I want this, but not 150$ want this.

[Sionistic]

i wont be buying this when it comes out, Nintendo is gonna need to put in a lot of innovation with this thing just to prove the second screen isnt a gimic

[vn_Tanc]

It's half the price of the PSP (alleged $299 release price) so I think it'll do well.

[TheDarkreigns]

I feel like I'm gonna start seizing up any second looking at Ransure's sig.

[Funkmasterr]

I don't think that the price is too high for this. I guess I will have to wait to see the final product with some of the games designed for it, but what I have seen in screenshots and such weren't bad. I will probably pick it up just for something to do at work.

[Animalor]

I need to get my hands on a early version of this so I can invent something that will get dorito stains off the touchscreen.

[Funkmasterr]

el oh el. I can just see that though, how many little kids are going to ruin the touch screens. Someone should open a string of nintendo repair shops asap.

[Llaffer]

I was holding up buying an Advance planning on buying a DS when it comes out. $150 is about what I expected.

I'll be in line.

[masteen]

The touchscreen for secondary tasks is such a good idea. I can't wait to see the next gen FF:Tactics.