14 DAY TRIAL // It looks like the Wii is not the only Nintendo console which will have motion sensing capabilities. Thanks to a Nintendo fanboy/craftsman, the DS will turn into an etch-sketch.
This feature will be enabled by a motion DS card, which has to be inserted into the card slot to allow you to control the 3-axis accelerometer and the single-axis gyroscope functionality. According to dsfanboy.com this motion card opens up immense possibilities, such tilt sensing, gesture recognition and twist functions.
There are already a few applications that will work with this card, the DsaSketch and two simple games, Sport and Water Drops Tilt. This motion card was not yet released, but you can place your pre-order for just US$ 25 and you will get it on the first days of the next year.
The Nintendo DS was first released in 2004 and it has a clamshell design with two lCD screens inside, one of which is a touch sensitive screen. The top selling Nintendo DS game is Nintendodogs, but I can't see it benefiting from this motion card. The DS was the first console from Nintendo to sell out in Japan. In just 12 months of its launch, the DS managed to sell well over 5 million units.
Japan is not the only country that appreciates Nintendo handheld consoles, as it managed to sell over 2 million units in the UK as of November 12, 2006, outselling the PSP in the region by a rate of 2.5 to 1.