DS Download Station is...

[Dagless]

A DS!

http://www.teamhackaday.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=898
via. Joystiq.

How top is that? The OP sums it up though in the final bullet points, that it will easily updated with a new demo DS cart.

[ibilly]

Target just had a DS in the gamecube display that had a 'download station' sticker on it. I didn't have my DS on me, but I assume it was functional...

[turbopants]

That's pretty cool that you can bring your DS to the store and download demos and games to try out. I really like what Nintendo is doing nowdays, lots of great games for the DS, and I can't wait to get a DS Lite. :D

[mrgreen4242]

Oooo, cool. I read these were finally coming to the States, but didn't know it was already here! I'll have to remember to bring my DS with me to Target when I get a new swim suit this week... hopefully there will be a cool game or two available and not something lame. :P

[jdechko]

I wonder with all of what's going on if we will be able to use a Revolution with its downloadable features to transfer games and/or demos to the DS. Imagine being able to buy a blank DS game card download some classic NES/SNES/N64 games to the Rev, and wirelessly copy them to the DS game card. I think that would be sweet.

[Dagless]

I wonder with all of what's going on if we will be able to use a Revolution with its downloadable features to transfer games and/or demos to the DS. Imagine being able to buy a blank DS game card download some classic NES/SNES/N64 games to the Rev, and wirelessly copy them to the DS game card. I think that would be sweet.

Possible, but why would they need that when the Rev goes online? It seems to me that these download stations are a stop gap before the Rev appears with downloadable DS demos.

[mechamac]

I brought my DS into Best Buy over the weekend, folks there had no idea their demo DS was a download station. But once they saw it happeneing all agreed it was a pretty cool feature - it certainly is. Brain Age demo, baby!

But yeah, bring on the at home demo downloading. Don't see why it couldn't happen now with N-WiFi supported routers. Whatever gets DS owners in stores, I suppose....

[zelmo]

I have to remember to take my DS with me to Best Buy, so I can try out the new Tetris. Shame you lose the download when you shut off the DS, though. Be nice if there was a way to save it.:p

[DougTheImpaler]

I have to remember to take my DS with me to Best Buy, so I can try out the new Tetris. Shame you lose the download when you shut off the DS, though. Be nice if there was a way to save it.:p
What about closing the lid? Does that put it to sleep, like a laptop?

[jdechko]

It seems to me that these download stations are a stop gap before the Rev appears with downloadable DS demos.

Yeah that's what I'm saying, but I also thing that it would be cool to be able to download entire DS games on the Rev and use the WiFi to transfer them to the DS.

[Dagless]

What about closing the lid? Does that put it to sleep, like a laptop?

That should work. But there will still be slight battery drain and you probably should turn your DS off after a day. Regardless of how good a demo is :cool:

[Poff]

Possible, but why would they need that when the Rev goes online? It seems to me that these download stations are a stop gap before the Rev appears with downloadable DS demos.

But with DS and wifi, it's strange that you cannot download demos directly from the internet. The technology isn't different in the Revolution, DS could pull it off aswell if they wanted it to. Maybe they just want people to visit their stores...

[GFLPraxis]

But with DS and wifi, it's strange that you cannot download demos directly from the internet. The technology isn't different in the Revolution, DS could pull it off aswell if they wanted it to. Maybe they just want people to visit their stores...

Not really strange at all when you think about it.

The DS did not have WiFi from the starting gate. Nintendo wrote a TCP/IP driver AFTER launch. They thus had to put it in individual games (Mario Kart, Metroid Prime Hunters, etc); the DS on its own doesn't have the software necessary to connect to the internet.

Unfortunately, the DS has a physical block preventing you from modifying the first part of the firmware (you can get around this by disassembling the DS), so Nintendo is unlikely to release a firmware update allowing the DS to download demos on its own simply because there is no way to install the firmware update. And they didn't include it in the initial release of the DS because the WiFi drivers weren't ready yet.

[GFLPraxis]

What about closing the lid? Does that put it to sleep, like a laptop?

Depends on the software. For example, I have a homebrew MP3 player for the DS and when I close the lid, the screens switch off but the speakers stay on.

My experience with Advance Wars is that it goes to sleep like a laptop. I transferred Advance Wars to a friend via DS Download Play, he kept it on his DS for a full day and just closed the DS when he wasn't using it.

[2nyRiggz]

You think EB and Gamestop will have this as well.... i dont have a target or bestbuy anywhere around here.


Bless

[mechamac]

Yeah, all official DS games/software goes to sleep when you close the lid. Closing the lid on a demo puts the unit to sleep and you can save the demo indefinitely. GBA games keep running, however, unless you sleep the game via the game's controls.