New Nintendo DS with Camera and Digital Audio Playback

Japan’s business online newspaper Nikkei Net reports that the next generation of Nintendo DS game consoles will be equipt with cameras, including features which allow users to take pictures with the camera for use in various games.

The new Nintendo will also have digital audio playback capabilities, and ways to import music from CDs and other sources.

My personal opinion is that this will become an unlikely competitor for Apple’s various iPods on the market in Japan. The Nintendo DS is already fitted with Wifi capabilities, there is browser software available based on Opera 8.5 (which I recommend Nintendo build into the next generation). A lot of young people already carry their Nintendo DS with them anywhere they go… if you add music playback to the other various features available, add the camera. Other than the fact that it’s not a cell phone, sounds like another big hit for Nintendo.

Top that with a projected pricetag under 20,000 yen ($190), and you will have a lot of people putting perfectly working Nintendo DS Lites on the shelf to buy the new Nintendo DS chock full of new features.

Nintendo is reportedly doing market research and considering releasing the new generation outside of Japan as well.

Truth be told, I’m going to buy one.