Working in the games industry, I get asked game-related questions all the time, like "What have you heard about [insert title of latest game here]" or "I have a five year old nephew, what do you think he might like?" So, not only am I tech support, but I'm also game reviewer. On the debut weekend of the Nintendo DS, I had a chance to look at the game platform. It is currently the "must-have" toy of the holiday season. The really big feature of the Nintendo DS is it's capability to have handheld wireless gaming, but my general assessment is that I would rather play with my Gameboy Advance SP. Why? The Gameboy Advance SP doesn't have wireless.
You see, for me, not having wireless on a Gameboy is a benefit. I find that 9 out of 10 times I'm using a Gameboy, it's because I have no wireless access. Otherwise, I'd be pulling out the old PowerBook. And maybe that's the other thing. Maybe the Nintendo DS isn't made for people like me. Maybe it's made for the kids so they can play their games wirelessly at recess, or in soccer mom's minivan. Those situations would make wireless a boon. But for the business traveller, the one who has to drive himself, I think I'd rather wait until I got home to play on a bigger TV.
However, with wireless capabilities on the DS, I'm curious as to whether it will be allowed on airplanes. For years the FAA has been prohibiting electronic usage on planes, most notably cellphones. They've brainwashed the public into thinking that cellphones will crash planes. I'm still waiting for Hollywood to do a movie where a terrorist on an airplane pulls out his cellphone and threatens to turn it on. Prohibiting cellphone usage on planes poses little threat to the passengers within the airplane, in fact, most of the danger of cellphone usage on planes lies with the cellphone towers in the flightpath of the plane rather than the danger to navigational instruments causing interference. This is why it ought to be interesting if flight attendents suddenly changes the disclaimer at the beginning to say: "Cellphones and Nintendo DS' must stay off the entire flight". With wireless becoming more commonplace, it should be interesting to see how the flight industry adapts and changes. In fact, next week, the FCC will begin discussions on use within airplanes.
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