14 DAY TRIAL // The topic of Nintendo's DS2 is about as hot as it is mysterious. The most fiery part of it was carried out between Satoru Iwata, Nintendo's president and CEO, and one of Japan's biggest newspapers, The Asahi Shimbun. Initial reports from the newspaper stated that Nintendo's top man leaked some information about the new console, about how it would feature detailed graphics and the fact that it would also support some type of motion controls. Later, Iwata dismissed those comments, Asahi held to its guns, and, right now, things are at a stalemate concerning the future of Nintendo's handheld console. Or at least it was, until yesterday.
Even if the DS and all its brethren are performing greatly for Nintendo's handheld division, the next generation of consoles from the "Divine Company" could be just around the corner. GoNintendo launched a rumor according to which the DS2 was already in the hands of Japanese developers. Further pursuing this rumor, CVG reported that DS2 development kits were indeed in the possession of "select developers in Japan."
The system also allegedly incorporates a motion-sensing device that acts as "a 'tilt' function that's not dissimilar to iPhone," according to a developer that preferred remaining anonymous, who also added that the sensor "does a lot more." One of the companies that are supposed to have access to the new hardware is The Pokemon Company, because, of course, it just has to 'catch 'em all.' Also, according to the source, the developers over at The Pokemon Company "are getting special attention with it."
And, as far as a future public appearance from the DS' "ototo" is concerned, the source doesn't believe that there's any chance that the device will make it to this year's edition of the Game Developers Conference, which is just three weeks away. "Any kind of March announcement wouldn't fit with the timeline I understand the second DS to be on," the source stated. Another huge gaming event would be the E3, which will take place in June, so, maybe, the new handheld will get its unveiling then. Anyway, this would pretty much confirm the DS2 rumors, but also offer even more credibility to Asahi Shimbun in its little argument with Iwata.