Iwata: DS2 to feature movement sensor, new Wii Zelda coming 2010

by JC Fletcher on Jan 6th 2010 9:40AM

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has offered the first concrete information about the next DS system -- as in, not the next revision of the current DS, but the true next Nintendo handheld system -- in an interview with the Asahi Shimbun newspaper. "[It will have] highly detailed graphics," Iwata said, "and it will be necessary to have a sensor with the ability to read the movements of people playing." Sort of like the iPhone, yes, but Nintendo isn't exactly an also-ran in the field of motion-controlled gaming. Iwata declined to specify a release window for this DS2 -- or a better name than our suggestion.

Iwata also addressed potential service changes for both the current DS network and its successor, suggesting that there would be no "monthly service plan" offered for games. He indicated that Nintendo was looking to increase the number of businesses that host DS Wi-Fi hotspots instead of supporting a 3G-like service (à la Kindle or iPhone) for the DS. The "Mac de DS" service Nintendo provides in partnership with McDonald's offers free wireless connections for the handheld, along with exclusive downloadable content.

In Wii news, Iwata dropped one bomb that will delight fans ... and one that will probably initiate eyerolls. First, the good news: The new Zelda game -- sort of revealed at E3 last year -- is scheduled for release by the end of 2010. And now, that other news: The Wii Vitality Sensor, the bizarre biofeedback attachment also unveiled at E3, will be released somewhere in the neighborhood of July, following a press conference about the device.

[Via Kotaku]

Source

Tags: DS, ds2, handheld, japan, Legend-of-Zelda, Legend-of-Zelda-2010, mac-de-ds, Nintendo, nintendo-wifi-connection, Satoru-Iwata, vitality-sensor, Wii, wii-vitality-sensor, zelda

Reader Comments (83)

Seriously. I don't know if there has ever been a console Zelda that wasn't delayed.

Considering that we haven't seen anything except for a piece of artwork, a late 2010 release is extremely unlikely.

If you remember, Twilight Princess was scheduled for release in 2005, and then got delayed until 2006. Even Smash Bros Brawl was delayed from Dec 2007 to March 2008 (though it was a more tolerable delay).

Until they show us a trailer at E3 and give us a progress report on it, I'm inclined to believe it will be pushed into 2011.

Zelda is coming, Zelda is coming!

Hmmm

Considering the fact that this is the first time Nintendo has set some kind of release date for Zelda, I honestly think they're just going to show it at this years E3 and then at some point delay it to 2011.

Nintendo hasn't delayed things for a while...
Back then, delaying was Nintendo's thing. Practically always being a little late to the party, but still making great products.

Recently... they've been on time... it's scary.

Absolutely. Zelda = delay. It's science.

There's no way this game will be out in 2010. I honestly don't mind it though. I can accept the delays because it's one of the very few franchises that doesn't ever rush production and it always turns out for the best.

"ability to read the movements of people playing"

While i really don't think this is the case (nintendo already surprised me more than once) ....this sounds much more like natal than wiimote to me ....

The villain is Ganon's butler!! The butler is always guilty!!

I hope they don't rush Zelda, I do prefer a better product instead a crappy rushed game..

Well, is a first party game...with time you learn to trust first party games from Nintendo..

I've been playing Twilight Princess lately, and I'm not sure if I even want a new Zelda anymore unless it's radically different than the dozen other zelda games I've played. I find myself getting extremely bored with Twilight Princess and Spirit Tracks also bored me to death.

The series definitely needs an overhaul to make it up to current gen standards. If it's just the same Zelda game I've played a dozen times already, but with a new transportation method then consider me not buying the next Zelda.

It needs some more modern features (orchestral music, possibly sandboxing, but i'm iffy on that), but it needs to stay the hell away from others (notably full voice acting. Voice acting for cutscenes, maybe, but i do not want to have to listen to every damn NPC yakking at me).

Mostly they just need to shake up story progression (instead of the three temples, plot twist, more temples, final boss formula), and also cut out the increasingly lengthy opening sequences (it takes like an hour to get to the first dungeon in TP. They should do something like Final Fantasy III with the "fell down the well" opening)

This coming from someone who thinks FPS is an innovative genre. lol.

Its funny how people never complain when FPSs are too similar to Halo and the like but if Twilight Princess is too similar to Ocarina of Time (widely regarded to be the best game ever, and 11 years old now) then they complain and whine about it.

Oh double standard, how we love you so.

That's a hugely ignorant statement by both of you, although I expected it from bm.

In the past decade alone, the FPS genre has seen innovation starting with Halo, and then Modern Warfare 1. Games like Bioshock and Borderlands also innovated and showed what else could be done with the genre other than just straight shooting like regular FPS.

You know what Zelda innovated in the last decade? Nothing. All of the games continued to use the same format established in A Link to the Past...a SNES game let me remind you.

Not saying that there isn't room for improvement, Tmac, because there always is. I do agree with you and Mr. Khan to an extent that they should change it up a bit. Its just that I never saw Twilight Princess being similar to past Zelda games as a bad thing (or a boring one) because its a winning formula.

Perhaps if they released the same Zelda game every year or two, then it would become monotonous. But a good example to compare Twilight Princess's situation to would be Mass Effect 2. Sure, Bioware is implementing some new features and tweaking and refining the gameplay but outside of that its largely going to be the same game you played the first time around with a different story. Even still, Mass Effect 2 is going to kick ass and be a great game because, again, it's gameplay is a winning formula.

Again, I would love to see Hyrule re-imagined and the gameplay changed up, but even if
it is just another Ocarina of Time or Link to the Past with new dungeons and a new story, I'll be happy with that. Not every game will be completely overhauled like Fallout 3 did to
the Fallout series.

Sorry, don't know what happened to the formatting at the end of that last comment.

Its not gonon.

Because this reincarnation of Ganon researched the history books, and noticed that when etheir one of his Past-selfs treid to conquer hyrule he was killed brutally by a male in a green skirt.

So this time around,he decided to enjoy life, sitting on a tropical beach all day long, in the kindgon of Majoras Mask. Get Married, have kids, eat expensives dishes. Grow even fatter, wash him self regulary and be an gentleman.

Showing off a new model every year? That's pretty much acting like the monthly iPod iterations, in slowmo.

You've made the promise of the trifecta year, Iwata. Don't let us down.

Mario Galaxy 2 seems certain, as does Metroid: Other M, but if they really can release the new Zelda before year's end, Nintendo will have a landmark year for sure.

I don't think Nintendo has ever released all three of the major franchises (on a console, not including handheld) in one year before, but they came close twice. Metroid Prime and Super Mario Sunshine released in 2002 with Wind Waker following a year later. Then in 2006, Twilight Princess was released, with Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption arriving in 2007.

Yeah, if you go by fiscal years, it was done in Nintendo's fiscal 2003 (april 02-March 03), it's never happened in a calendar year before, though.

I think it'll happen, if only because this game will have had 4 years of development time by then, considering we heard that they started on it soon after Twilight Princess was finished.

Only one game can make me act like a zombie.

Zelda...ZELDA!!!!!.....

ZELDA in 2010 !!! YESSS !

One of the things that makes portable systems good is being able to take them out in public. Flailing my arms about on a plane or on the bus would be a bad idea.

Summary: Bad gimmick is bad.

"He indicated that Nintendo was looking to increase the number of businesses that host DS Wi-Fi hotspots instead of supporting a 3G-like service (à la Kindle or iPhone) for the DS."

wait wait wait! so does this mean that we will be able to play game's (that support online gameplay) online ON THE GO? i know i heard A TON of rumor's stating that MS was in development of a hand held platform and that would allow you to play the game's that it has online on the go (whether it be going on a trip, going to work or just going for a stroll). that would be awesome and seeing as how online game's all practically all the rage these days that would seem like the next logical step. also, yay! new Zelda Wii! now all i need to do is find out if he's talking about a Japan release date seeing as how reggie stated that he's not commited to Zelda Wii coming out in 2010.

Uhm.... it means exactly what it says. More businesses will have wi-fi that lets your DS connect.

The next handheld system is obviously the next GAMEBOY

I really hope they change the name of the DS. I getting tied of hearing. I want to see the gameboy name come back. Also they need to go back to one screen and no touch screen. All I want is a portable Nintendo system with awesome graphics and button only controls. Does anyone agree with me.

No.

Looks like maybe...just MAYBE the DS2's graphics tech may be provided by Nvidia as has been so much rumored in the past few months.....

Lets not forget that its gonna be almost 4 years since we last saw a new Zelda game for the Wii, so I'm still thinking that Nintendo might release it by the end of 2010. They announced Spirit Tracks in GDC, so that would be a good option for them to release more info...probably a trailer for the new Wii Zelda. Promote it even more by the time E3 comes and then by the end of 2010, release the game.

Oh and speaking of franchises...where the hell is F-Zero, Starfox and Donkey Kong. Its been a while since we saw anything from those. I'm already itching to play a new kickass Starfox game!

And then theres Pikmin 3 too......don't forget that!

@ annacareful
Oh please. Project Natal will fail epicly in comparison to Sony's motion control offering. First of all, Project Natal IS A DIRECT RIP OFF OF THE PLAYSTATION EYETOY. There, now that that's out of the way, I can move on to the main argument. The thing is, Natal has no buttons or input you can use other than the motion control while playing. The result is an endless stream of shovel-ware that no one will care about. There will also be a steady stream of mediocre "casual gamer games". The lack of buttons is why the Eyetoy never really caught on, and Natal will be the same.

Sony, on the other hand, knows the hardcore gamer. They know that he (or she) doesn't want a bunch of waggle filled shovelware. That's why they are releasing a much more sensible motion control offering that includes BUTTONS AND JOYSTICKS. These extra controls added to the motion will make it possible for a wider range of games to be released for the format.

In conclusion, Microsoft and Natal will fail, and Sony will win.

Well saying that Natal is a rip off of the eyetoy goes to show you don't know what you're talking about.

Natal is a Z-Buffer camera not a simple camera like the Eyetoy. The eyetoy can't do what natal does. So go crawl back into your hole.

I also like the irony of you raving about the Sony motion control a obvious copy of the Nintendo wii, yet attacking microsoft for making a ripoff of the eyetoy.

You are also mistaken. The playstation motion controller is most certainly not a copy of the wii controller. The playstation controller is tracked in 3D space by a camera, so there is TRUE 1:1 control. The wii controller is not tracked fully in 3D space. It can come close to 1:1, but it will never reach it. Also, the wiimote has a camera in it that detects its relative location in relation to the sensor bar. On the other hand, the playstation motion controller has a camera on the television that tracks where the remote is.

Also, about Natal being a ripoff of the eyetoy: It's the same thing except with more data being collected by the camera. Sure, the Natal camera is more complex, and can collect a wider array of data from its field of view, but in essence, it will have the same type of waggle mini games the eyetoy did. Just with a little more complexity.

Who wants to bet that they call the next handheld the 'Pii'?

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Iwata: DS2 to feature movement sensor, new Wii Zelda coming 2010

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