Nintendo DS to double up as Portable TV/Web Browser

An internet browser from Opera and a card which will enable people to watch TV on the Nintendo's hand held video game machine is on the cards. An annoucement to this effect was made by Nintendo President Satoru Iwata in a press conference.

Opera Software is creating a Web browser for the handheld that will work with the built-in Wi-Fi functionality of the Nintendo DS. Once gamers buy the browser, which will come on a standard cartridge, they will be able to surf the Web on both the touch-sensitive and regular screens using the stylus and on-screen keypad for input.

Mr. Iwata also unveiled a new accessory that lets users watch TV broadcasts on the DS. The product is tentatively named DS Chijouha Digital Housou Jushin Card (DS digital-broadcast receiver card) and will be compliant with the new 1seg broadcast service, a digital signal designed for mobile devices, which will launch in Japan this April. 1seg broadcasts run in QVGA resolution (320x240 pixels).

"Within just five seconds of turning on the system, the Nintendo DS is already fully operational. This makes it the ideal device to enable people to swiftly obtain the latest information from the internet, wherever they are," added Masaru Shimomura, Deputy General Manager of Nintendo's R & D Department. "Opera exceeded our expectations with its user friendly interface, quick access to all your favorite sites, ease of use and, most importantly, in making the best use of the Nintendo DS system's unique double screens and touch screen features. Opera is an important partner for Nintendo in our efforts to further expand the users of the Nintendo DS."

The company has sold 14.4 million DS units worldwide including 6 million in Japan, and aims to reach sales of 10 million DS devices in Japan alone by the end of 2006, Iwata said.

"Software sales have traditionally been dominated by console games, but the situation changed dramatically towards the end of the year and games for portable devices overwhelmed console games," said Iwata, adding that bigger-than-expected demand for DS devices had resulted in a shortage.

Iwata also unveiled Nintendo's planned lineup of software for Japan, such as a foreign language guide for travellers, a reference guide in Japanese and English, training software to improve penmanship in Japanese and a cooking guide giving step-by-step voice instructions for recipes.