Yesterday's official announcement regarding Nintendo's mystery device, the DS, left many analysts in a state of shock since they could not figure out exactly what the device was competing with. The latest information coming from Nintendo however, seems to clear things up a bit.
The first estimates for a price for the unit, based on the announced specifications, suggest it will not sell for more than USD 150. This price tag places Nintendo's DS in the low end of the price scale and clearly indicates that it will not be competing with Sony's >200 USD PSP. Nintendo had already stated that their mystery device was not meant to challenge their Japanese rivals PSP but to fill a gap in the market.
What all these assumptions suggest that the new device will most probably fall under the toy category rather than that of an ambitious new gaming system. Given Nintendo's support structure however, no one can write the device off since its low price may well attract a lot of interest.
Some new details have also emerged regarding the new device's hardware. Apparently the screens will not be placed next to each other, left to right but will be one on top of the other. ARM, a british manufacturer, will produce the CPU while working versions of the DS are expected to appear at this years E3 show.
