Will the iPad encroach on DS?

Michael Pachter on his new GTTV show ‘Pach Attack‘ was asked a question;

Now that the iPad has been announced, do you think the device will impede on the console market space?

To which he give a reasonable response to about how maybe in 5 years it will start to contest in the space of the consoles but gives a “yes” to the case of the DS and how it is a better device to play portable games on. Well many of us would argue till were blue in the face about what is a better device to use for portable gaming. But that is not part of my counter argument.

Why are Nintendo consoles the only one’s referred to as “Toys”?

Well we have all seen it out there in the consumer space, time and time again, “get your latest toys from {generic store name} like the all new Nintendo DSi/Wii”. It struck me vividly with the new UK retailers Argos advert about being the UK’s largest toy retailer, and their focus of the advert is Nintendo.

But why is it that Nintendo consoles are the only ones relegated to “Toy” status while the PS3 and 360 are electronics devices/media hubs?

The Next Generation – Nintendo’s Hardware Attitudes

As I was discussing with a friend on Live Messenger today, the consumer or hardcore consumer knew much more about the Wii before anything was known about the system. All we had to do was to look at the attitudes being adopted and implemented in the new at the time Nintendo DS. Nintendo did not push the graphical power of the DS as it implemented a 3d chip that was as powerful as the 64bit era and it also included the chip that made the Gameboy 2d graphics as a security measure, they were using tried, tested and reliable hardware and architecture. They brought about innovation through their “New Play Control”, and they tip toed onto the online gaming scene with an overly cautious system. Now with hindsight, are all these sounding familiar. Wii hardware is related to an overclocked and slightly enhanced for security Gamecube system, we have innovation through a “New Way To Play” and they slightly enhanced but not as much as touted their baby steps into the online gaming scene retaining their overly cautious system.