No DS redesign, says Nintendo

By Ellie Gibson Published 16 January, 2006

At least, not just yet, anyway...

Nintendo of Europe has told our sister site, GamesIndustry.biz, that there are no plans to unveil a redesigned version of the Nintendo DS this week - despite rumours to the contrary.

Reports of a redesign began to emerge after online retailer Lik-Sang said Nintendo was planning to unveil the new unit at a press conference in Japan today. Lik-Sang's claims were backed up by Japanese retail sources.

But a Nintendo spokesperson has dismissed the reports, describing them as "pure rumour and speculation." However, although a redesign will not be revealed as soon as has been rumoured, it seems highly likely that Nintendo will unveil a new, more compact DS at some point in the near future.

Reggie Fils-Aime confirmed late last year that a redesign was in the pipeline, for starters. Plus, Nintendo has used the redesign strategy before, and made a big fat bundle of money in the process - both the GBA SP and Game Boy Micro have sold very well indeed.

All things considered, it's more a question of when rather than if as far as a DS redesign is concerned - and although Nintendo has ruled out this week, it's unlikely that the wait will be too long.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (47) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • zathras #1 6 years ago

    So it's next week then?

    (sorry)

  • symmetry #2 6 years ago

    Thank God, can't wait for the DS to look less like a Game & Watch, when it looks sexier then I will definitely have to buy one.

  • Blerk #3 6 years ago

    When will they be unveiling a new, more compact Reggie Fils-Aime?

  • Bitkari #4 6 years ago

    bitkari slowly moves away from the ebay listing button...

  • neon #5 6 years ago

    The DS reminds of a soap dish. Only once Nintendo improve the DS screen size and give it a new look will i consider buying one.

  • MadMirko #6 6 years ago

    While I like like the idea of a sexy DS, I hope they retain all the robustness the current design offers. It's great not to have to worry about scratched screens.

  • Danj #7 6 years ago

    I wish they'd stop jerking us around like this. I'd quite like to get a DS, but not if they're just about to announce a redesigned version.

  • abigsmurf #8 6 years ago

    they wait till the day of the press conference to deny the rumours....

    viral marketing at work?

    Nintendo had better make up for it by revealing the revolution controller has gyroscopic feedback today!

  • tiddles #9 6 years ago

    hmmm... it's not the sort of thing you want to cause uncertainty about, is it? (People waiting to see what happens = lost sales...) I would have thought N would have moved more quickly to quash speculation if there genuinely wasn't anything happening today...

  • Tim283 #10 6 years ago

    I hope they put on a web browser so I can read eurogamer on it and give it a memory slot so it can play mp3s. Perfect.

  • Dirtie #11 6 years ago

    That's what your PSP is for.

  • lucky_jim #12 6 years ago

    Danj- I know exactly what you mean. I'm raring to get a DS, I've got the money set aside for the console and a few games- but I'm not going to spend it until I've seen the unit (who knows, I might prefer the old one, but I at least want the choice now I know the new version's coming). If Nintendo don't hurry up, that money will be all gone by the time Psychonauts, SoTC and Dragon Quest come out.

    I tried to buy a DS at launch, but gave up after getting three consecutive units with dead pixels. I'm starting to feel like the gods of gaming don't want me to own a DS...

    EDIT- Tiddles, good point- you don't think it might be linked to stock shortages of the "old" DS, do you? They pretty much sold out over Xmas, so maybe Nintendo WANT to put people off for a few weeks!
    Edited by 1 at 16/01/06 @ 10:13

  • smelly #13 6 years ago

    I wish they'd stop jerking us around like this


    So it's NINTENDOS fault that a WRONG internet RUMOUR started?

  • dbeamish #14 6 years ago

    aye but when have Nintendo Europe ever been on top of anything? Jsut because they don't know about it doesn;t mean it won't happen ;)

  • djchump #15 6 years ago

    BTW - the day the rumour started that Ninty would be making an announcement on the 16th, Ninty went on the record to state that it wasn't true and that it was an unsubstantiated rumour.

    They can't really do much more than that to quash a rumour, can they.

  • asphaltcowboy #16 6 years ago

    Oh well... along with my new graphics card that should come tomorrow... this was the other thing I was looking forward to this week... *sigh*

  • job314 #17 6 years ago

    hmm: 'Clearly, Nintendo DS continues to be one of the most popular and talked-about video game systems available.

    Through 2005, some 13 million units have sold worldwide. Nintendo is always looking for ways to improve its games and systems, but we have nothing to announce at this time.'

    i think this article is slightly misleading, as you can see above from their statement to ign, ninty neither confirm nor deny the rumours. make of that what you will, i wouldn't be surprised if they announce it this week.

  • penhalion #18 6 years ago

    Hang on a moment then...what exactly are they announcing if it isn't a DS re-design?

  • Tonka #19 6 years ago

    So it's NINTENDOS fault that a WRONG internet RUMOUR started?

    No, but they have said that there will be a new design. Some people are willing to wait for it before they buy a DS(a shame really). If they said that it won't be released untill 2007 those people might buy the current version. Then again, come the end of 2006 people wouldn't buy the clunker but wait for the reDSign...

    I can see why N won't announce it.

  • smelly #20 6 years ago

    Hang on a moment then...what exactly are they announcing if it isn't a DS re-design?

    They havent officially said they'll be announcing anything.

    It's all internet rumour.

  • djchump #21 6 years ago

    Okay - AFAIK, here's what happened

    Ages ago, Reggie Fils-Aime said there will be a DS redesign at some point in the future. This is pretty much guaranteed given their success with GBA redesigns. The only question is when.

    Last week, a rumour started on some websites that Nintendo were making a big announcement on the 16th.

    Another rumour immediately started that this announcement was to do with a Nintendo DS redesign. These rumours got concatenated into one rumour as ti spread, so suddenly everyone thinks Nintendo will be announcing the DS redesign on the 16th.

    Nintendo release a statement on the day (or the day after, I can't remember) the rumours started that there WASN'T going to be a big announcement on the 16th.

    News articles go on websites today describing how there ISN'T a big announcement today.

    Nothing to see here... move along please.

  • MORZTAN #22 6 years ago

    "Hang on a moment then...what exactly are they announcing if it isn't a DS re-design?"

    It's official. They will announce the last big secret of the Revolution-controller.
    Now spread the word.....

    /Runs

  • Blerk #23 6 years ago

    The rumour started because of a brief news article in last week's Famitsu which said there was to be a hardware announcement this week. It didn't specify who from, but it did say that it wasn't for a 'home' console. So everyone surmises handheld, then Nintendo, then 'new DS'.

  • Teeth #24 6 years ago

    It's so funny how this happens every time. When will we leeeaaaarn??

  • Tonka #25 6 years ago

    it did say that it wasn't for a 'home' console

    OMG! It's a new PSP!

  • job314 #26 6 years ago

    so, nintendo alledgedly say to gamesindusry.biz that all this is 'pure rumour and speculation' and EG immediately write off the prospect of seeing the DS redesign today?

    are you guys privvy to some knowledge you haven't published or something?

    ninty said it was pure rumour etc last week, why has that now become news?

  • Daikon #27 6 years ago

    Some people posting here haven't bought a DS because the way it looks, but will probably buy one as soon as a redesign comes out.

    To this I only can say: WTF?!

    Yes, the design of the current DS series is pretty bad, but come on, its the GAMES that count, WHO CARES WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!

    Sorry, I just had to get that out of my system. You can go back to playing Pong on your iPods now.

  • tobs #28 6 years ago

    I quite like the design of the current DS - apart from pressing the power off button sometimes by accident. I was worried about getting a silver one instead of a black one incase of scratches but it's really pretty solid, well made and reasonably unscratchable. I like the size, weight and screen size too...
    Edited by 1 at 16/01/06 @ 11:21

  • Hunam85 #29 6 years ago

    we'll see it when a zelda game comes out for the ds ill wager

  • KraftWerk #30 6 years ago

    The DS looks fine the way it is.
    Wouldn't mind a firmware update with some wi-fi enabled pictochat, though.

  • Boundy #31 6 years ago

    pfft, looks like I'll waiting a little while longer.

    I know its all about the games and all that but I also want my console to look slightly good and not horrible (IMO of course).

    I'll just sit it out till the new version comes out, after all it may have new features although I do doubt this.

  • rock27gr #32 6 years ago

    I agree, the redesign should not be for aesthetic reasons, but for ergonomic reasons. The way the thing needs to be held is so annoying for standard (non-touch screen) games, that I still prefer to use my SP for playing Gameboy games, despite looking much better on the DS screen.
    Also, the only DS game I have that uses normal control methods, Mario Kart DS, is pretty annoying to control.
    They should introduce a more rounded design that fits your hands, kind of like the original SNES pads, and increase the size of the four face buttons. THEN it would be much more comfortable to use!

  • nickyickywickywoo #33 6 years ago

    Like the DS as it is, but - call me shallow - a Jonathan Ive makeover wouldn't go amiss.

  • volb #34 6 years ago

    Reggie Fils-Aime confirmed late last year that a redesign was in the pipeline, for starters.

    He did not. Wishful thinking posing as truth -> bad journalism.

  • Teeth #35 6 years ago

    Well SOMEONE at Nintendo said something along the lines of "We started working on a redesign right away".

  • ProfessorLesser #36 6 years ago

    I can't believe some people won't buy the DS simply because of what it looks like. Forgive me for thrashing... er, an already-well-thrashed thing, but really, honestly, what the hell is wrong with you all? You should be crucified.

  • Boundy #37 6 years ago

    Why?

    I know its all about the games and whatever the thing can do and not about its looks.

    But that does not mean to say that looks don't have a factor in it.

    If there was a guarantee of no redesigns for the DS (there will be its just a matter of when) then fair enough I would buy one straight up regardless of its looks but considering it is going to be redesigned I see no harm to myself or Nintendo in me waiting as I want a good looking product as well as one (in this case) with good games.

    Think about it, if you like the best of everything electronical would you set aside looks just to get it even if one thing was bright pink, another was bright yellow and one shit brown?

  • Tonka #38 6 years ago

    But that does not mean to say that looks don't have a factor in it.

    /Looks at PSP
    /Looks at PSP games
    /Agrees

  • flp #39 6 years ago

    The DS needs a GB Micro d-pad. Other than that I don't mind the design really, at least you're not afraid to actually use it - unlike the delicate PSP.

  • Boundy #40 6 years ago

    Fair enough what you pointed out but I don't want a PSP do I?

    I want a DS because it has more games that appeal to me as they are more original where as anything on PSP (almost) I can get something similar for my PS2.

    Where as the DS I can't which is why I want one but I also want a half decent looking one and knowing Nintendos nature it is going to happen, if they were to say it weren't though then I'd get one now.

  • Khab #41 6 years ago

    C'mon then. I want a new one.

  • #42 6 years ago

    You'd have to be a pretty shallow sucker not to go for a DS based on the way it looks.

    The way the DS looks doesn't bother me in the least.

    And, in my opinion, looks far better than that crappy humidifier looking PS2 - including that crappy redesign which looks like someone's sat on it!

  • Toonster #43 6 years ago

    I agree with a lot of people around here, I don't mind the design of the DS either. And to be honest, I wouldn't like to see a redesign announced soon because c'mon! It's been only a year since it was released! I don't want this to be like the iPod situation: you buy a new iPod and then the next day, the new one comes out, thus making the one you have obsolete.

    Anyway, people really shouldn't hold off on the DS, redesign or no redesign.

  • djchump #44 6 years ago

    TBH - I can understand the folk who are holding off because of a possible redesign.

    Just think if you'd bought a GBA SP for £70, but then found out that the GB Micro was coming out soon for a simlar price... ? You would kinda wish you'd waited.

    However, the important thing to note is that Nintendo and other console manufacturers have always announced new hardware with a pretty long lead time for the hype to build up/ magazin coverage etc.
    So, from the time of the announcement/first showing and then the thing hitting retail, we're normally talking *at least* 3 or 4 months here. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
    Sooo... that makes, from the time of the announcement, at least 3 or 4 months before it's available in Japan, and then maybe another month or 2 til (at best!) it's released over here. So that's *at best* about 4 or 5 months from announcement until UK release.

    So then it becomes like the age-old PC quandry - do you buy a new PC now, knowing that in 6 months time some new technology will be arriving and it will be out-of-date, or do you wait and buy one later?

    The important notion for me is that the people who are waiting for a redesigned DS are missing out on *at least* 4 or 5 months of DS gaming goodness :-)

    However, now that the rumours have been doing the rounds, I agree that it would be nice for Nintendo to assuage their consumers' fears by making some form of announcement - e.g. "No DS redesign until at least 2007", or whatever date they are working towards.
    But if they do that then they run the risk of alienating those that have already bought into the DS and scaring off people who are considering buying one.

  • Psi #45 6 years ago

    it looks fine as it is.

    ht tp://www.bettyford.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=2905

  • ROCKSTORM #46 6 years ago

    Darn, I was getting all excited about this new look DS, even if I wasn;t going to upgrade from my current DS just yet (The revolution is coming!)

  • yagisencho #47 6 years ago

    My requests for the redesign would include making the unit thinner overall, and narrowing the gap between the two screens. I like the idea of making it with a gba-like form factor, with retractable dpad and buttons stored under the base of the unit. They could be swung out on each side for use with non-stylus games. As it stands now, the DS is my favorite console, it just isn't as truly portable as the GBA.

  • groundbeef #48 6 years ago

    To be honest, if i hadnt been able to get the black one, i probably wouldnt have gotten a DS yet either (although the new red is half decent). Sure the great games play just the same, but part of the fun of these gadgets is that "toy" factor that makes you just want to play with it regardless of the game... fidget i guess would be the word. The PSP has this in spades, just look at their raging homebrew scene. OMG, intarweb! MP3 player! Hacked decade-old tetris!!1 Even the most mundane things are fun because it gives you a reason to play with your PSP. The DS design doesnt invoke this in people, though it is tolerable when at least in an understated colour like white or black (which is actually almost gray). That gaudy "silver plastic" colour is terrible... i dont know what they were thinking.

  • lucky_jim #49 6 years ago

    How long was the gap between announcement and release for the SP and Micro? It didn't feel as long as 4 or 5 months, but I could be wrong, I don't really trust my memory.

  • Cheapshot #50 6 years ago

    Bah, I'm gonna have to get the bulky DS.