Japan gets the Nintendo DSi this coming weekend, when we expect to see the usual hordes of J-Popster Nintendo fans crowding Akihabara's gaming stores to get their hands on one.
UK gamers, meanwhile, have to wait until next spring to get the new iteration of the DS, featuring a couple of digital cameras, music playback features and a bunch of other minor improvements which turn the DS into a machine far more capable of making use of downloadable games and content.
DS EyeToy anybody?
"Nintendo has a history of success for ventures such as this," said Zoo Games' Andy Gray in a recent T3 interview.
"Just look at the DS Lite or the Gameboy Advance for example."
Gray tantalisingly adds that: "The camera will be interesting as it does raise the prospect of creating EyeToy like games for the DS. There could well be some exciting developments here."
Turncooking into play
Keen Games' Pete Walentin recently headed up the team that put together the casual title What's cooking? with Jamie Oliver, for Atari.
Walentin is just as keen to get hold of a DSi as we are, noting that "it is always nice to get some extras, something additional which offers new possibilities for the developer and therefore for the user as well."
"I think for some games the camera is pretty awesome. Just think about What's cooking? with Jamie Oliver. You are able to be creative and cook your own meal, store it and send it to your friends.
"Now think about being able to create a real meal, record the steps on your DSi and then taking a picture of your served dish. It would be even cooler to show your skills and your creativity."
