Thanks to the blisteringly efficient airports of our fair nation, holiday travel this season looks to offer plenty of opportunities for portable gaming. Airports aren’t the only place you’ll be seeing popped open Nintendo DSes and flashing Sony PSPs. As people move around to meet spend the day with their families in mute and hostile compliance to our national social rituals, they’ll be dragging along their game players in the car, on the bus, and through the trains. Likewise, travel and adventure services like cruises and tours are making use of video games in new ways. Wii consoles, especially, are appearing in hotel rec centers and aboard luxury liners. The Wii’s energetic and active controls combine with the broad appeal of Wii Sports, Wii Fitness, and various party games to make the little white monolith popular with patrons of all ages.
To help take advantage of the holidays and all this rushing around, Nintendo plans to introduce two new DS models just after Thanksgiving. A red model with the icon Mario “M” slapped across its cover, and an ice blue design with a custom carrying case. Both will come with packaged games, the eternal cash cow of a New Super Mario Bros. for the red version, and the breakout hit Brain Age with the ice blue.
Meanwhile, Sony is preparing a new version of its PSP system, dubbed the PSP 3000. This new unit adds a high-resolution screen and microphone.
Just to put it all into perspective here, the PSP has sold over 40 million units since launch, and the DS has captured the hearts of the world with well over 84 million of the touch-sensitive microelectronic mutants in circulation. There are more of these things roaming the world than most countries have people. Isn’t frivolous technology grand?
Oh, and happy Thanksgiving, by the way.
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