Nintendo DS interview on IGN
 

Nintendo DS Interview
On GBA overlap, dual screens, E3 and more.

February 02, 2004 - On January 20 Nintendo announced the Nintendo DS, a dual-screened portable that would be positioned as the "third pillar" next to Game Boy Advance and GameCube. The company released only a handful of facts about the machine and very few details have surfaced since.

Earlier today we caught up with Nintendo of America's vice president of corporate affairs Perrin Kaplan for some additional answers. Though she was predictably mum on a number of DS subjects, we still walked away with a better understanding of what to expect from the still mysterious portable. Following, our interview:


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IGNcube: Why announce the Nintendo DS when you did and why reveal so little about it?


Perrin Kaplan: The main reason is that we were heading out on the road to talk to licensees and provide them with development kits. We thought it would be a really good time to let the rest of the world know about the exciting new product and give them something to whet their appetite. Hopefully all the millions of portable players wanted to hear more about a product like this.

IGNcube: So it wasn't in response at all to anything that might have been happening with Sony's PSP handheld?

Perrin: No. It really had more to do with going out on the road with it. We've got folks on the road with it as we speak.

IGNcube: Is there a system in development that is the true successor to Game Boy Advance?

Perrin: Yes.

IGNcube: When can we expect to hear anything more on that?

Perrin: Oh boy, that's hard to say because the Game Boy Advance SP continues to sell very, very well. I think that you announce [the successor] at a time that makes sense in the normal life cycle for any of the systems and the SP is still very much on the upside.

IGNcube: There's a lot of confusion about where Nintendo DS fits in. Some aren't sure if it's an extension of the Game Boy Advance or if it's an all-new, completely separate entity. What are your thoughts?

Perrin: It's actually something completely different as it has the two screens and the software that's developed for it will really be evidence of that. That's why it's being marketed separately as a third product, if you will. There will be a whole separate marketing program versus it being an extension of the Game Boy Advance.

IGNcube: How do you plan to separate DS from GBA?

Perrin: It will really depend on the software that's built for it -- the games that are made that take advantage of two screens and the ability to either view two things at one time or view something in a larger manner. It really will be very software dependent. And the fact that it has two screens is obviously incredibly unique and will allow very creative ways to play games.

IGNcube: Are you worried about overlap? Or of diluting the sales of GBA?

Perrin: I think we'll be very strategic about how we package it. We'll make sure that consumers newly introduced to it will be very interested and those consumers who already have the Game Boy and love it will be enticed to try this product as well. You can never have too many Game Boys, let's be honest. I mean, how many do you have?

IGNcube: Three of them. But we're a special case, we think.

Perrin: No you're not.

IGNcube: Nintendo describes the DS as "portable." Can you elaborate?

Perrin: Do you mean, is it small enough to be considered handheld?

IGNcube: Yes.

Perrin: I think that anything that's portable that has that kind of ease, you could consider to be a smaller kind of a unit. But whether or not you want me to give you the dimensions, again it's just a short car ride away to E3.

IGNcube: Other than the addition of another screens, the DS similar to the GBA. What do you say to skeptics who believe that the two won't be much different?

Perrin: I say, give us until E3 and we'll show you more. There you'll start to understand why and how the products really are different from each other.

IGNcube: Is there a catch to the system that we don't know about? Will Nintendo announce another major feature integral to the DS?

Perrin: Could be.

IGNcube: Hint time. Go ahead.

Perrin: Nope.

IGNcube: Let's put it this way -- do we know all of the details?

Perrin: Well let me just say that you won't have to drive very far to get to E3. When you do get there you'll learn a whole bunch more and it'll all be good.

IGNcube: When will photos of the device be released?

Perrin: You'll probably see things closer to E3.

IGNcube: Do you have a marketing budget for the device yet?

Perrin: We don't have that settled just yet.

IGNcube: But it will have a substantial marketing budget?

Perrin: I think that would be a fair assumption.

IGNcube: What's the launch date for Nintendo DS?

Perrin: Don't have that yet.

IGNcube: Are you seeing a lot of developer interest for the DS?

Perrin: Too early to tell, but with the few that we've talked with, yes, definitely.

IGNcube: Japanese support?

Perrin: Yes.

IGNcube: Will it be fully playable at E3?

Perrin: You will be able to experience enough of it to make your judgment about how fantastic the product is going to be.

Wow. Not IGN's fault, but I could have been the interviewee and given them more details.

In geology we used to use these very simple plastic glasses called stereonets that would allow you to position two aerial photographs in such a way that the topography of the landscape would leap off the page at you in a wonderful 3D display. You could feel like you could run your fingers over mountains and drop into valleys and all it was was a pair of black and white photographs and plastic glasses on 6" metal stands.

I know I might be alluding to a Virtual Boy-esque thing, but I'm not. I'm just saying that we were looking at wonderful 3D landscapes with about $8 worth of equipment and part of me is really starting to hope that this DS produces holographic images. I don't know why, and I obviously have no basis for my guess, but I really want to be impressed. And holographic gaming in a portable device would definitely impress me.

Your excitement is starting to spread, Perrin, don't let us down! :)

just like i and other people have said, this has gba-gc connectivity written all over it. tons of great ideas and opportunities and nothing will amount from any of it, except save for one or two gimicky games and a load of average games that could be played on any other system

That cracked me up!

OK IGN, "interview" is over. Now go have another box of donuts, you juicepig.