Excuse me if I seem slightly biased on this but I noticed that the new DSi Was hitting the streets and it just sparked my imagination as to how bored these manufacturers must be when they try to create new games.

Is this just another console? In my opinion, yes. It will be a sunken ship within the next year when the next console is produced. It reminds me of the wii, that lasted all of a year or so...

Apart from the aditional features, the screens are bigger, there is improved sound and two cameras (one on the inside and one on the outside). You can play around with effects using the camera and you can insert an SD card into it and save pictures onto it. You can download songs and mix them by changing the pitch, tempo and adding rock and roll, jazz, pop and many more effects. You can browse the internet and and download loads of software for your DSi. It plays normal DS games but may develop it's own games in the future, but why can't people just be happy with what they've got?!

My cousin owns one, It is a great handheld device and includes A LOT of features. I am hoping to get one soon. Thanks for starting this thread!

BTW, does anybody currently own one?

Welcome to DAL Zurex! I was looking to buy one but that's when it struck me that it was "just another console" My friend owns one, apparantly they're a waste of time because they do exactly the same as any other game. I suppose it's a bit like the apple or the wii when they were first produced.

Too many gadgets in them, too easy to break

Well, we can always just buy cases and protection gear to protect the devices.
I agree though, they are a waste of time.

Consoles are... well... Consoles?

However, I have noticed that the different consoles generally cater to different audiences. Though they may overlap at times, most of the times they have a specific niche market that they try to fulfill.

The PS3 and PSP is generally targeted at people that are fans of J-RPG or Japanese RPGs. If you take a good look at the PS3 exclusives, most of them are Japanese RPG games that are hard to find on other consoles. Recently the trend has seen a slight change but I would say that it is still somewhat the same.

Final Fantasy anyone? The Last Remnant, in my opinion, does not come anywhere close to Final Fantasy.

The Xbox360 is catered for FPS fans. I'm a fan of the classic keyboard+mouse combo but I've heard many people comment on how effective the Xbox controller is for FPS games. And after all games such as Fable 2, Gears of War 2 and Halo 3 etc are all Xbox exclusives.

The Wii and DSi... I'd say Nintendo is smart. They cater to, in my humble opinion once more, the largest crowd there is. Casual gamers. Their games are not hardcore games with really powerful graphics. Rather, they have simple games that people can pick up for 5-15 minutes or even sit in front of it for an hour or two.

Rayman Raving Rabbids is a good example of a very successful Nintendo Wii game. Not an exclusive, true, but its full potential can only be enjoyed with the Wiimote.

The DS on the other hand, has casual games that I'd say is quite entertaining for the average or young gamer. Cooking Momma has attracted many girls, the "Petz" series has attracted many young children and they have a game where you play as a doctor and have to stitch a person up etc using the touch screen. Quite interesting really.

Don't forget Ace Attorney! You have to actually shout "OBJECTION!" into the mic to get the Lawyer you play as to object. I think you can hit a button to do it as well but... Where's the fun in that?

I would not say the consoles and handhelds are "all the same". But it's tough for a person that has not done some proper research to just buy one because they wouldn't be sure which one is suitable for them.

But it's tough for a person that has not done some proper research to just buy one because they wouldn't be sure which one is suitable for them.

But that's the thing. People don't research. They spend until they believe money can buy happiness, or at least happiness for the few short months for their children before they want the next NEW console.

Parents especially just jump in and buy whatever their kids have seen advertised on TV- just to keep them happy. No research is done to ensure their kids will be safe using them, and that goes for when the wii first came out. Haha, who'd have thought that if you were to swing your arm the strap would break on the remote and indefinitely smash your nice new 56" plasma TV you just bought for Christmas.

Actually, I must admit that I am quite disappointed that all the manufacturors target different audiences. The memory that these games are given can be compacted to almost nothing. The consoles themselves are also getting smaller. For example the PS2 was made slimmer, the Nintendo has been made smaller and the DS is getting smaller, sleaker but with a bigger screen.

Who'd have thought that these games need a bigger screen- what with all the public complaining that their children are squinting to look at these tiny things

The DS on the other hand, has casual games that I'd say is quite entertaining for the average or young gamer. Cooking Momma has attracted many girls, the "Petz" series has attracted many young children and they have a game where you play as a doctor and have to stitch a person up etc using the touch screen. Quite interesting really.

I believe I have fell victim to this, with no actual interest in being a "hardcore" gamer, I generally enjoy playing on the DS. Ahaha, every day, Animal Crossing Wild World. Don't ask why. I really don't know. The graphics are simple and there is no actual game play. I own my own village and it's up to me what I want to do with it. I could do nothing in my village and waste my £30.
No thanks.

Yeah it's sad that they all try to target different audiences. Sad for us consumers because competition in that sense is less, but good for them because they sort of "manipulate" the market somewhat.

As this thread has developed into a very interesting discussion it has been moved to our Discussion Section.

Please carry on.

LOL

Manipulating the audience is not what the producers should be doing. That's just like walking into a shop where the guy at the desk should be trying to sell you stuff, but instead he follows you around (much like these advertisements do for the console in the media) and this guy tells you NOT to buy what you're looking at for some bizare reason; when he should infact be telling you to buy as much as possible.

No manipulation is needed, just a bit of good advertisement and a good idea that hasn't just been messed around with by taking gadgets from existing consoles... or if all else fails... you just need a little kid to go "Mommy, if I be good will Santa buy me that one?"

well personaly im not one for hand held consels (im more of a xbox 360 guy) and the nintendo dsi just seams like the original nintendo ds but with a camara chucked in