14 DAY TRIAL // Nintendo is well known for the secrecy that surrounds new projects, specifically when they are hardware related. Despite the endless speculation, the company is still not saying anything about the rumored Wii HD, which some state could arrive as early as 2011.
So, it was refreshing to see company president Satoru Iwata talking rather candidly about the successor to the Nintendo DS, which he revealed as including a motion tracking system. But it seems that Iwata was misunderstood, as explained by the company he leads.
Charlie Scibetta, who is the senior director of corporate communication at Nintendo of America, told Kotaku that “Mr. Iwata did not make any comments regarding the functions of Nintendo's future hardware systems,” adding that “The answer to the reporter's question was misinterpreted.” It seems that the problem was the translation of the statements made by Iwata, who was misquoted as saying that the follow-up to the DS line “will be necessary to have a sensor with the ability to read the movements of people playing.”
The Nintendo DS line, which now includes the camera wielding DSi and the larger screen XL model, is facing strong competition not only from the PlayStation Portable made by Sony but also from Apple’s iPhone. Implementing a system that translates the movements of the user into input might help the Nintendo handheld fend off its newest rival, which is becoming an important platform for on the move gaming because of the high accessibility and low price of the titles offered.
Even with Nintendo saying that Iwata was misquoted, there will be speculations about the Nintendo DS future for months to come until the Japanese gaming company actually offers some official information related to its plans. The E3 trade show could be the venue to show off this motion interpreting Nintendo DS device.