I actually hope the system costs around $200. Not that I want them to overcharge, but because I am afraid of Nintendo, once again, not giving the thing enough juice.
As you may know, the NDS requires a 10 MB RAM expansion to run the Opera web browser. This expansion is over 2 times more RAM than the system's previous 4 MB.
The lack of RAM is definietly noticeable to homebrew development, where the DS running Linux is capable of basic text based apps and the Nano-X window system -- anything more kills it.
What would 10 MB of RAM have cost to put in there in the first place? Maybe... $12?
Had they done that, the system would be much more powerful than it currently is, and the Opera web browser wouldn't be complicating things with its memory expansion cart.
I'd like to know if they plan to add anything to their online games service.
I was just watching the Microsoft presentation, wondering around the XBox Live portion "How the heck can 6 million people be willing to do this?"
I suppose I could be a bit misinformed here... is XBox online multiplayer doing some form of Peer<->Server<->Peer system, or is it Peer<->Peer like everything else?
With my current understanding, which is that it is Peer to peer with a bit of support by the central server (which stores player data and lists games / online players), I simply cannot see why people would be willing to pay money (yes, a tiny amount, I know... but still money) every month ON TOP OF their ISP bills to play online games via XBox.
I am glad than Nintendo is doing the right thing and not charging money for such a service in the way that Sony and Microsoft do... I just hope they carry it further than they have on the DS.
I hope that on the Wii, we get a proper server list, games do not restrict us based on that silly Friends list stuff (A good example is how "Metroid Prime: Hunters"'s multiplayer lets us play any mode with our own settings online IF we use the Create Game function through the friends/rivals end of things, but regular games found at random are forced to be Battle mode with default settings).
It would be less painful if they'd been smarter there, and it told you when a friend/rival challenges you to a game while connected to WFC via a different menu. Switching between Friends/Rivals menu (where I can create/join games by friends or rivals) and the regular WFC Join Game menu requires that I disconnect and reconnect to the service.
So Nintendo could potentially be offering a service which reminds XBox/PS users that the online services by said other companies are nothing to be proud of, if they put a bit more into making it more featureful and less moron-friendly.
As you may know, the NDS requires a 10 MB RAM expansion to run the Opera web browser. This expansion is over 2 times more RAM than the system's previous 4 MB.
The lack of RAM is definietly noticeable to homebrew development, where the DS running Linux is capable of basic text based apps and the Nano-X window system -- anything more kills it.
What would 10 MB of RAM have cost to put in there in the first place? Maybe... $12?
Had they done that, the system would be much more powerful than it currently is, and the Opera web browser wouldn't be complicating things with its memory expansion cart.
I'd like to know if they plan to add anything to their online games service.
I was just watching the Microsoft presentation, wondering around the XBox Live portion "How the heck can 6 million people be willing to do this?"
I suppose I could be a bit misinformed here... is XBox online multiplayer doing some form of Peer<->Server<->Peer system, or is it Peer<->Peer like everything else?
With my current understanding, which is that it is Peer to peer with a bit of support by the central server (which stores player data and lists games / online players), I simply cannot see why people would be willing to pay money (yes, a tiny amount, I know... but still money) every month ON TOP OF their ISP bills to play online games via XBox.
I am glad than Nintendo is doing the right thing and not charging money for such a service in the way that Sony and Microsoft do... I just hope they carry it further than they have on the DS.
I hope that on the Wii, we get a proper server list, games do not restrict us based on that silly Friends list stuff (A good example is how "Metroid Prime: Hunters"'s multiplayer lets us play any mode with our own settings online IF we use the Create Game function through the friends/rivals end of things, but regular games found at random are forced to be Battle mode with default settings).
It would be less painful if they'd been smarter there, and it told you when a friend/rival challenges you to a game while connected to WFC via a different menu. Switching between Friends/Rivals menu (where I can create/join games by friends or rivals) and the regular WFC Join Game menu requires that I disconnect and reconnect to the service.
So Nintendo could potentially be offering a service which reminds XBox/PS users that the online services by said other companies are nothing to be proud of, if they put a bit more into making it more featureful and less moron-friendly.