Nintendo Announces the DSi, DSi Shop

Yep, it's time for Nintendo's Fall Conference 2008, their answer to the Tokyo Gaming Show, which they've always eschewed. And with rumors running rampant about a new Nintendo DS, what is it they revealed?

Well, they did indeed unveil a new DS unit, the Nintendo DSi. Though it looks pretty much the same as the DS Lite, the new version will be about 12% thinner than the DS Lite, partially because it will ditch the GBA cartridge slot. As predicted, the DSi will feature a built-in camera (3 megapixel external, 0.3 megapixel internal) and music playback, but not an MP3 player, per se.

The screens are slightly larger, at 3.25", and the DSi also has an SD card slot. Photos can be synced with the Wii Photo channel.

Nintendo is also launching an online DSi Shop, which will sell content directly over wi-fi --- shades of the Wii Shop. Same as at that shop, the DSi Shop will take points, now named "Nintendo Points." Point tiers will be at 0, 200, 500 and 800-points. And if you're going to have an online shop , you might as well have a browser built-in (and it does, unlike the Zune --- Microsoft, are you listening?).

Nintendo is calling the DSi a "third platform." This implies that it's not competing with the DS --- and in fact the DS Lite will continue to be sold. Availability? In Japan on Nov. 1st at 18,900 yen ($180) --- in black or white. The rest of the world has to wait for a 2009 release.