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Pardon us while we laugh: Forbes thinks iPhone can kill the DS photo

Even the one-time king of the console makers, Sony, wasn't able to do it, so why does Forbes think that the iPhone can do the impossible and dethrone Nintendo on the handheld front? Well, we don't know either, but here's what those "in the know" have to say about it in this excerpt from an article called 'Why Apple Could Kill The Nintendo DS':

Apple is the first to master a pair of tricks that have made Nintendo's latest products so compelling--a touch-screen interface and the ability to pick up on motion. The key difference: Unlike Nintendo, which has created a gaming console with a motion-sensitive controller and a touch-sensitive handheld gaming system, Apple has crammed both capabilities into its iPhone and iPod Touch… The ability to pour fresh software into the iPhone, wirelessly, at the touch of a button already has game developers interested...

Word on the street has it that Apple is set to announce the "App Store" on Monday, with games (Sega, Ubisoft, and EA appear to be on board) expected to fetch around $25 a pop. However, it's not just the price of the games that should be at the forefront of Steve Jobs' mind -- it's the plausibility of the whole thing.

We're still trying to figure out how they intend to overcome the DS's massive install base of 73 million in the first place -- especially considering that they intend to go against a (highly successful) dedicated gaming machine that doesn't have a bunch of monthly fees tacked on.

[Forbes via MCV -- Thanks, Adam and Justin!] 


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46 comments | showing # 1 to 46

eternalplayer2345's Avatar
eternalplayer2345 at 06/05/2008 11:20
H
Y0j1mb0's Avatar
Y0j1mb0 at 06/05/2008 11:21
These guys have been eating way too many apples if they think they can dethrone the DS.
Yuphrum's Avatar
Yuphrum at 06/05/2008 11:22
Arrogance breeds carelessness
eternalplayer2345's Avatar
eternalplayer2345 at 06/05/2008 11:22
sorry about that, handhelds have always lended themsevles to for kids. While we all can enjoy a handheld title historically handheld systems tend to make or break on the kids support. And kids won't be able to afford an Iphone parents arn't interestes in buying their kids a portable with monthly fees attached.
Arugala9's Avatar
Arugala9 at 06/05/2008 11:25
What are these guys smoking?
Rucksack's Avatar
Rucksack at 06/05/2008 11:26
See, this is why non-gamers should never be allowed to predict gaming trends!
F Whipple's Avatar
F Whipple at 06/05/2008 11:31
and how much more expensive is the iphone compared to the DS?

Besides they don't have the pokemanz
Alexradl's Avatar
Alexradl at 06/05/2008 11:32
Oh Forbes, you never cease to entertain me.
Demtor's Avatar
Demtor at 06/05/2008 11:39
Hand helds = Japanese Cash Cow with other sales being a bonus
908peruvian's Avatar
908peruvian at 06/05/2008 11:40
when did vince vaughn lose all the weight??
Unicorn's Avatar
Unicorn at 06/05/2008 11:41
to me it just sounds like they cream themselves every morning because they wake up with their iphone lying next to them. they're just pro-iphone and that whole "article" just proves it.

my sega nomad is goign to dethrone the DS... because it was made back when sega was still good. i say that because i can disregard any intelligent common sense... much like these forbes goones.
Shin Oni's Avatar
Shin Oni at 06/05/2008 11:44
iLAWL at this. Seriously. you can't dethrone Nintendo when just about every Japanese person backs up whatever they sell. Let alone everyone else in the world can afford a $130 handheld. $300 can get someone a DS, a bunch of games and accesories and leftovers. Then as Gamboi mentioned, monthly fees...

this is just DS Vs. PSP 1.5. Except the PSP is actually kicking some type of handheld ass lately in Japan.
Jim Sterling's Avatar
Jim Sterling at 06/05/2008 11:46
I scoffed at first, and in Japan this is laughable, but in the West? Thinking about it, Apple probably has a better shot than Microsoft. People snap up anything with a lower case "i" in front of it.

I don't think the DS will ever be killed, it's way, WAY too entrenched for that, but I think the idea of some "i" brand handheld coming into a strong position, if it ever happened, couldn't be dismissed.
galagabug 's Avatar
galagabug at 06/05/2008 11:48
i agree. i don't think it'll happen over night, but i think next generation of handhelds will either be something along the line of nokia's new n-gage platform, or gaming companies (handheld mfgs) will need to cram in mobile phone capabilities.
Jim Sterling's Avatar
Jim Sterling at 06/05/2008 11:48
Sorry, for Microsoft, I meant Sony.
evil costanza's Avatar
evil costanza at 06/05/2008 11:55
If Iphone sell for $100 and Nintendo makes games for the IPhone..... maybe.... not
Rucksack's Avatar
Rucksack at 06/05/2008 12:02
Do Apple's marketing campaigns and i-branding annoy the shit out of anyone else?
Remo's Avatar
Remo at 06/05/2008 12:04
Retards
Unicorn's Avatar
Unicorn at 06/05/2008 12:14
@Rucksack
they annoy the 3% of poeople that don't have anything "i" related, myself included. i psersonally boil over when i hear joe schmoes call mp3 players ipods regardless of what they are. i specifically hate my zune being called an ipod. ipod disputes aside, i hate everything apple/mac. i have a mac and i want to do that scene from Office Space and teh fax machine everytime i look at it.
Corak's Avatar
Corak at 06/05/2008 12:24
I personally don't think the DS can be de-throned anytime soon, and certainally not by a device that costs twice as much as a DS does. Also, keep in mind its not just the iPhone its also the iPod Touch as well, which has no subscription fees attached to it, just the what $299 price tag. There is no reason Apple can't try to get some market share, but I just don't see it being anywhere near DS numbers. To lofty a goal Forbes.
king3vbo's Avatar
king3vbo at 06/05/2008 12:26
wat
gamesronlygames's Avatar
gamesronlygames at 06/05/2008 12:30
Three strikes and they are out!
1-500 for the hardware
2-100 bucks a month just to use the hardware(and were not talkin games yet
3-already about 75 million behind
Tubatic's Avatar
Tubatic at 06/05/2008 12:44
not even from a financial stand point this just doesn't work. The iPhone has the same problem that's keeping regular mobile phone gaming down: not d-pad/button hardware. No matter how pretty you make your game, if you're going to have developers make loads of compelling software (which really makes the platform successful) you've got to have that visceral connection to the controls.

Unless every game is Ninja Gaiden, point and click adventures, brain training, RTS's and SimCity.
Deftone's Avatar
Deftone at 06/05/2008 12:45
So 50 million people are going to suddenly by an iPhone?
TrailerParkJesus's Avatar
TrailerParkJesus at 06/05/2008 12:47
yea right
zombiekiller13's Avatar
zombiekiller13 at 06/05/2008 13:00
Sounds like someone has sex with their iPhone on a nightly basis.
foxhound421's Avatar
foxhound421 at 06/05/2008 13:01
as an Apple user and an iPhone owner (it does NOT cost $100 a month btw, gamesronlygames. my wife and i get full service on our iPhones for less than $70/mo), this is absolutely ridiculous. i'm excited about the possibility of games on my iPhone, but to think that Apple could EVER compete with Nintendo or even Sony in the handheld gaming market is lunacy. good job Forbes.
John B's Avatar
John B at 06/05/2008 13:08
Wow.

Nintendo DS, with an innovative dual-screen display, tons of great games, great for just about anyone, replaceable batteries for as low as $10 - all for $120.

Apple iPhone, with an unethical overlord for a phone company, a domineering ego-maniacal (albeit brilliant) CEO, targeted at those who prefer to make their geek fashion statements to bolster their own miniscule egos, non-replaceable batteries that require the device to be sent in (with cost) for replacement -- starting at $500.

Uh, yeah. iPhone is going to crush DS.

I want to know what the idiots at Forbes are smoking. That's some REALLY good shit.
Misanthrope's Avatar
Misanthrope at 06/05/2008 13:11
What is worrying its this: people still think nintendo got ahead cause of the gimmicks. The games that truly benefit from either control scheme on either console are not that many ( particularly on the Wii ) and if Nintendo is ahead is because they priced it right, they have proven record of game library AND the ADDED these new elements on top.

The Wii is a fad now and every yuppie knows about it but only because legions of Nintendo Nerds put the word out to begin with.

Sony has just as many legions and even better recent track record of previous generations but they made the same mistake apple usually does: they think they don't need to offer competitive pricetags.
John B's Avatar
John B at 06/05/2008 13:19
"Wii is a fad now". **yawn** Thank you, Robert Summa.
Cyberxion's Avatar
Cyberxion at 06/05/2008 13:30
@ John B

Amen brother, amen.
gamesronlygames's Avatar
gamesronlygames at 06/05/2008 13:34
@foxhound421
06/05/2008 13:01
as an Apple user and an iPhone owner (it does NOT cost $100 a month btw, gamesronlygames. my wife and i get full service on our iPhones for less than $70/mo), this is absolutely ridiculous

Sorry for the slipup-I have friends who have told me they pay right near 100 for service so.
Still a moot point
How many people will fork out the mullah for the hardware,the 70 a month, and the games-only the hip trendsters which already schill out money for overpriced simplistic devices. If they call them "igames" they will make all the appleheads orgasmic.
DGX Goggles's Avatar
DGX Goggles at 06/05/2008 13:34
Forbes, trolling IRL. At least theres one group of people who make everyone else feel smarter.
brainderailment's Avatar
brainderailment at 06/05/2008 13:45
The price of the iPhone/iPod touch alone is enough to say that's bullshit.
Misanthrope's Avatar
Misanthrope at 06/05/2008 13:49
Oh and unless is an iBoy it won't fly: phone capabilities on a portable console with add an unecessary element of complexity and annoyance with phone companies, and phones that can "game" are either stupid ( N-Gage ) or have just awful, awful controlling schemes.
Taurshaz's Avatar
Taurshaz at 06/05/2008 13:52
My epic failure sense is tingling.
DaedHead8's Avatar
DaedHead8 at 06/05/2008 13:57
Rockefellow's Avatar
Rockefellow at 06/05/2008 14:22
@Rucksack
They bother the hell out of me, as well. I won't ever buy an apple product because of things like that. I went out of my way, in fact, to buy a seperate pmp outside the itouch.
Cowboy TTop's Avatar
Cowboy TTop at 06/05/2008 15:17
Its not gonna happen anytime soon. Here are the reasons why.

1. Nintendo are damn shit hot and making games and consoles. Apple has no clue about either.

2. iPhone is a phone and thus a piece of upgradable very disposeable tech.

3. Gamers do not discard their consoles like many do their phones, ie, just about yearly.

I did worry when I heard iPhone had a touch screen (wonder where they got that idea?), but while iPhone will get a few games, its no threat to the DS.
Kaspar's Avatar
Kaspar at 06/05/2008 15:18
Buttons, yo.
mistic's Avatar
mistic at 06/05/2008 15:28
LOL

that's all i can say :-)
Mista Smegheneghan's Avatar
Mista Smegheneghan at 06/05/2008 16:10
taking on nintendo? madness
Syn's Avatar
Syn at 06/05/2008 16:42
How much are iPhones now? Last I recall it was like buying a PS3. Fuck that.
The-Excel's Avatar
The-Excel at 06/05/2008 17:44
It will never happen because homebrew is all but impossible on the iPhone.
Too Much Coffee Man's Avatar
Too Much Coffee Man at 06/05/2008 17:54
Unless the iPhone drops to 100 bucks & grows a good library of games it's not even remotely possible.

& it will never happen in asia. in the U.S. it's possible but not probable.
EternalDeathSlayer's Avatar
EternalDeathSlayer at 06/06/2008 09:00
ITS A PHONE!!! NOT A GAMING SYSTEM!!!

This will never happen. Apple may get the "trendy" people on board, but gamers know better.

Also, Macs suck.
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