DS Will Triumph, Says Iwata

Speaking at the Tokyo headquarters of the Foreign Correspondents Club recently, as reported by US site GameSpot, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata restated the company's outlook that the days of technology being the main driver of the videogame industry are over.

"The old formula for success - the combination of high-specification game consoles and advanced graphics - is no longer working," Iwata said.

"We now need to create a new proposal for our customers to set a new course for the industry. The launch of the Nintendo DS is our answer to such challenge."

The PSP, on the other hand, is the antithesis of the Nintendo DS. With its sleek lines, large screen and multimedia capabilities, the PSP is the next logical evolution of Sony's traditional hardware design approach.

Iwata is not convinced.

"I believe the PSP is built on the belief that the old formula for success is still viable, although we do not think so," said Iwata.

"Although we have no intention of fighting over the market share with Sony, we will make our utmost efforts to help people understand that our approach is right."

At the moment, it's hard to say which company's approach will win out. Both the Nintendo DS and the PSP have enjoyed early success, and the machines and their games are different enough that it's entirely possible for them to co-exist.

The portable market has traditionally been dominated by a single company, and that company has always been Nintendo. It remains to be seen whether the gamers will make room for Sony and whether both handhelds will be able to exist side by side.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games