Nintendo loads DS with Camera and Face Training game

Nintendo which is currently enjoying the sweet taste of success in the gaming industry and has just entered the top ten of Japan's most valuable companies after beating its arch rival Sony in market value, on Wednesday announced an add-on for its handheld gaming device, Nintendo DS.

Kyoto, western Japan-based Nintendo yesterday unveiled a camera that fits well on the DS, and a little stand that holds the device upright sideways.

The DS camera will plug into the handheld's GBA slot. With the launch of the new add-on for DS, the Japanese gaming console maker is apparently trying to take on its chief rival, Sony Corp., which recently has announced a new feature, Go!Cam for their own portable gaming system, the PlayStation Portable, or PSP.

Nintendo DS is a palm-top game console, featuring two LCD screens inside. One of the screens is a touch-sensitive screen. The portable gaming device was first released in 2004. The DS thus, stands for ‘Dual Screen’ or as Nintendo suggests-‘Developer’s System’. Nintendo believes that, “the DS gives game creators brand new tools which will lead to more innovative games for the world's players."

Besides the DS Camera, Nintendo has also announced launch of an associated game that makes use of the newly unveiled camera. The new game, called Otana No DS Kao Training or Face Training, is a new title in the wildly popular Training series of video games for Nintendo DS.

The face training software will allow gamers to use their face to play the game, with the primary aim being to make the skin more elastic and possibly to strengthen muscles to make it more attractive.

The DS camera videos the player's face and displays example image in the second screen of the handheld gaming device.

In may this year, Sony unveiled the Go!Cam, a video accessory for the PlayStation Portable that turns the device into a mini camcorder. Priced at $US70, the camera attaches to the top of a PSP to take still photos and movies, and has a built-in microphone.

Among the trio of next generation gaming consoles, Nintendo has emerged as the numero uno in May for the fifth consecutive month after selling 338,000 units of the popular Wii video game devices in the United States, repeatedly outshining both its rivals Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3 in the US video game consoles market.

It recently has entered the top ten of Japan's most valuable companies for the first time with a value of 6.54 trillion yen ($53 billion), lagging behind its chief rival Sony Corp. in market value.

Nintendo’s recent rise has been attributed to the surging demand for its DS handheld game players and the popular Wii video game devices.

The Face Training game and the DS camera are expected to ship at the start of August for 4800 yen (about $40 dollars) in Japan.