The Nintendo DSi ( ニンテンドーDSi ? ) is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, and the third iteration of the Nintendo DS handheld gaming console, following the Nintendo DS Lite. As a seventh-generation console, the DSi primarily shares the handheld gaming market with Sony's PlayStation Portable. The handheld has launched in Japan, Australasia (Oceania), Europe, and North America between 2008 and 2009. In China, it is known as the iQue DSi and will be distributed by iQue.
Most of the DS Lite's attributes are retained with fewer aesthetic changes made compared to the first two iterations. A major feature that distinguishes the Nintendo DSi is its two interactive digital cameras that can be both incorporated into gameplay and used as a standalone camera feature. The DSi also includes connectivity with an online store (Nintendo DSi Shop) as well as internal and external storage of content. A new larger model with bigger screens is called the Nintendo DSi LL in Japan and Nintendo DSi XL in Europe and North America. The handheld was released in Japan on November 21, 2009 and will be released in Europe and North America in the first quarter of 2010.
Nintendo began development in late 2006, and unveiled the console on October 2, 2008, during a Nintendo Conference in Tokyo. After the success of its predecessor, the goal of this handheld is to narrow the gap between DS units owned per household and actual DS users per household. The features Nintendo integrated into this DS attempt to create a more personalized experience to appeal to each individual of a household.
History
The Nintendo DSi was conceived at the end of 2006, the same time the Wii was released. It is the third iteration of the Nintendo DS handheld, which itself had a relatively short development period. Since the Nintendo DS Lite's launch, yearly sales numbers of the console have been higher than the competition worldwide. At a Nintendo Conference in October 2008, Nintendo announced release information for Japan of the third DS iteration, including its date, and price due to a loss of momentum of DS Lite sales. There was a lessened urgency to release the new console elsewhere due to higher market demand for the Nintendo DS Lite.
Masato Kuwahara from Nintendo's Engineering Department began development on the DSi project following instructions from his supervisor. While working on the DSi, Kuwahara reported that the team had difficulties in the marketing of the handheld, considering it was based on, and meant as a supplement to, previously existing hardware. "We have to be able to sell the console on its own. It also has to be able to meld into the already-existing DS market." The idea for the cameras began early on; Nintendo president and Chief Executive Officer Satoru Iwata revealed that the touchscreen represented its sense of touch, the microphone input was its "ears," and a coworker suggested how the device should have "eyes." Yui Ehara, the designer of the DSi's casing, advocated a change to the speaker apertures because of the redundancy of the design's circular perforations. This alteration signalled also a clearer distinction between the DSi and its predecessors. Ehara wanted to keep the unit "neat" and "simple", but also include new features.
The original concept of the DSi involved the console having two DS game card slots due to in-house demand and fan requests. This led the device to be approximately 3 millimetres (0.12 in) thicker than the final version. In regards to the in-company unveiling in October 2007, Kuwahara stated that "the response wasn’t that great, and, ... we’d sort of been expecting that." This additional slot was removed to make the final product slimmer which was shown to the public at a 2008 Nintendo Conference in Tokyo.
Launch
Main article: Launch of the Nintendo DSiThe console was first released in Japan on November 1, 2008, in matte black and matte white, with the same colors available for its launch in Australia and New Zealand on April 2, 2009, and in Europe on the following day for 149.99 Pound sterling. The unit was released in the United States and Canada on April 5, 2009 alongside the game Rhythm Heaven . It is the first in its product family to be available in multiple colors at launch for North America—matte black and matte blue, for US$169.99. Nintendo DSi's first two days on the United Kingdom market totaled 92,000 sales of the handheld. According to GfK/Chart-Track data, the console's UK region launch had the fourth fastest-selling opening weekend, higher than previous records set by its predecessors.
Demographic and sales
Nintendo launched the Nintendo DS in 2004 to target a wider demographic than that of its Game Boy line. After the success of its predecessor, the concept of DSi involved focusing on making the device "My DS"—one console per person instead of its predecessors which were shared among multiple members of a household. Satoru Iwata, president and CEO of Nintendo, mentioned game machines are shared by multiple members within a household. In order to narrow the gap between DS's owned per household and actual DS users per household, the company will attempt to make the DS a more personalized experience to appeal to each family member of a household. Iwata stated the DSi is meant to be the first camera for children and a means of social networking for older people.
The lower-case "i" character in DSi is symbolic of its two cameras representing an "eye" and also the subject "I" and its personal individuality. As opposed to the two lower-case "i" characters in Wii representing players gathering together, Nintendo defines DSi as a more personal experience for the "individual" gamer. A Nintendo representative said the company "hope that the Nintendo DSi becomes more than a game system and more of a personal tool to enrich our daily lives."
Shortly after the console was unveiled, Iwata insisted in response to some media reports that the added capabilities of this DS are not meant to compete against mobile phones, the iPod or the PSP. By September 30, 2009, all three Nintendo DS iterations had shipped 113.48 million units combined worldwide.
Hardware
The Nintendo DSi has a similar appearance to the Nintendo DS Lite, the second DS iteration. The console has two larger TFT-LCD screens at 82.5 millimetres (3.25 in), instead of the former 76.2 millimetres (3.00 in), capable of displaying 260,000 colors. The lower display of the console is overlaid with a touchscreen, designed to accept input from the included stylus or a curved plastic tab attached to the optional wrist strap. Also on the front are the four face buttons, the directional pad, and the Start, Select, and Power buttons. The back of the DSi features the two shoulder buttons, a slot for game cards and a power cable input underneath the hinge. The DSi is 74.9 mm tall × 137 mm broad × 18.9-mm wide (when closed) which is about 12% narrower (2.6 mm) than the Nintendo DS Lite, but slightly broader.
The handheld has two VGA (0.3-megapixel) digital cameras: one on the internal hinge pointed towards the user and the other in the outer shell. In addition to the cameras, the DSi has an SD card slot behind the cover on the right-side of the handheld. The power switch has been replaced with a power button, such as the original DS had, but it provides extra functions and is located next to the bottom-left side of the touchscreen. Volume and brightness are adjustable on the left-side of the handheld. The DSi has five brightness settings compared to the DS Lite's four, however battery life is reduced on all brightness levels; such as 9–14 hours on the lowest brightness setting compared to the 15–19 hours of its predecessor. The unit uses an 840 mAh internal rechargeable battery compared to 1000 mAh for the DS Lite, and it may be replaced by the user at the end of its useful life of approximately 500 charge cycles.
The DSi has a matte surface to prevent fingerprints from appearing, as opposed to the more glossy finish of the DS Lite. The DSi is currently available in seven colors; only the matte black and white models are available in all regions. The lime green color is only available in Japan, and pink is available in Japan, North America, and Australasia. The metallic blue color is available in Australasia, Japan, and Europe. European countries also received blue and red on October 23, 2009. There are numerous special edition models available, including the Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time models.
Technical specifications
Nintendo has released few technical details regarding the DSi system. The company has modified some of the DSi's hardware (as compared to the DS Lite), such as the main central processing unit (CPU) and the random-access memory (RAM). Also, the CPU was relocated, and
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