Why the DS Needs to be Nintendo's iPod

Here's an essay I posted on a defunct E3 blog, Wiishfulthinking. Too busy with my Mac stuff to keep a game blog going unfortunately, but thought you guys might enjoy this. PS, if you haven't picked up a Nintendo DS lite for yourself yet, I highly recommend one, it's a great console with the best Nintendo game library in generations. (Console generations that is.)

Nintendo's E3 press conference left me pretty satisfied. I think it's fair to say that they delivered a healthy lineup of video game support for the Wii. I mean, who can complain with both Mario and Link slated to power the Wii launch? As for the reveal of the last big Wii hardware secret, it sounds like a great idea to me. All right, it isn't exactly total immersion 3D laser goggle technology, or whatever you were expecting, but still, who can't get excited by the idea of hearing an arrow whiz out of your hands and into an enemy?

In a lot of ways, the conference reminded me of a classic Steve Jobs Macworld Expo keynote performance. Flashy new software and updates, sleek hardware revisions and reveals, and of course a really excited and responsive audience. Iwata is no Steve Jobs, in terms of on-stage charisma, but he had plenty of great news to deliver to a ready audience, and deliver it he did. Continue reading...