Why doesn't Nintendo increase the DS game card memory

Currently the biggest game card for Nintendo DS is 256MB, and a good amount of games are coming out with 128MB of data on cards, like Pokemon.

They originally started the DS using 64MB game cards in 2004, i'm wondering, the DS seems to have a little life left in it (ok a lot of life)

So why not add more memory? Yea i know games are doing fine without it, but why not? making game cards up to 1GB or 2GB shouldn't cost that much. yes, i know one of the great things about the DS is its cheap to develop for, but not everyone would have to use bigger cards, they can still make games on smaller game cards if they want.

But give people like Square Enix when making DQ9 (which is nearing comlpeteion, releases in JP next mnth) and with a big IP name like Zelda, Metroid, Mario, Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, it could be used and show for it with more content in games, etc.

so, why don't they make the games not 256MB at most but 1GB at least? It could help drag a few more years out of the DS platform, not that it needs anymore help but you can never help something like the DS too much. Don't make devs use 1GB cards, let them make a 40MB game and ship a 64MB card. but for the ambitious ones, give me more room

thoughts? i'd like it to happen ( i however don't see it though)

It should be up to the developers what size they use. Sega's Sands of Destruction probably doesn't have more content that pokemon but it still uses a larger cartridge size than the pokemon games. Personally, I've been more than happy with the current DS games but giving the developers the option of more room only means that they're going to put so much more out of the DS. forgot_it

well yea Sands of Destruction has much better graphics than pokemon, 3d wise

you need a lot more memory very graphically demanding games

You know how some phones media players, etc. only support up to a certain memory card size? It's the same deal with the DS. Only the DSi would be able support larger cards. Because of power constraints, I can't see more of a use for larger cards than uncompressed/slightly compressed audio(Guitar Hero DSi)? and more voice acting. Come to think of it, that's actually a very good reason to increase card size. Let's hope it happens.

Yeah, even if you increase the card capacity, its all up for the devs. They will only put so much stuff they feel necessary. I believe Devs like the DS more because it has a wide popularity, the games possibly are cheaper and easier to make (specially if you compare with those systems that are more advanced in graphics, advanced graphics and more content takes longer to make and not necessary will sell as good as a game that you could make for the DS with a much lower cost value).

i have no idea but i just hope that they upgrade the dsi through firm ware more and more

It's expensive to do so. A bigger cartridge on the DS means that the developer will see less profit from the game.

so it won't lag when u play wi fi against ppl from across the world .__. (just a theory though)

Nintendo doesn't create all the games out there. It is the game developers that do create the games.

so it won't lag when u play wi fi against ppl from across the world .__. (just a theory though)

kiraismyhero

Uhhh look, there was already a thread on this a couple pages down:

http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=26908802&tag=topics;title

Yes & no, there are some games that do not need all that extra space, but then there are some that could. Like Stardust Accelerator, excellent game, but it's story mode could been more longer & fuller. Though it made of been done for backtracking & replaying characters, but still it would of been more of a better "gothic" version of Pokemon.

You know how some phones media players, etc. only support up to a certain memory card size? It's the same deal with the DS. Only the DSi would be able support larger cards. Because of power constraints, I can't see more of a use for larger cards than uncompressed/slightly compressed audio(Guitar Hero DSi)? and more voice acting. Come to think of it, that's actually a very good reason to increase card size. Let's hope it happens.

Redonkulous_D

Exactly. There is little to no need for extra memory, and the DSi doesn't have too much more power than the Lite, anyways.

If a DS card can handle Scribblenauts, then I don't see a reason too.OreoMilkshake

You seem to be a tad bit excited for this game.

[QUOTE="Redonkulous_D"]

You know how some phones media players, etc. only support up to a certain memory card size? It's the same deal with the DS. Only the DSi would be able support larger cards. Because of power constraints, I can't see more of a use for larger cards than uncompressed/slightly compressed audio(Guitar Hero DSi)? and more voice acting. Come to think of it, that's actually a very good reason to increase card size. Let's hope it happens.

wiidskirby

Exactly. There is little to no need for extra memory, and the DSi doesn't have too much more power than the Lite, anyways.

well, while we don't know how much VRAM the DSi has, as its never been confirmed, it still has 656kb much more than the N64 and the DS normally can't do graphics like Perfect Dark using the 8MB with expansion pak of RAM and DS's CPU speed is also lower than N64 (94Mhz to 67Mhz)

So N64 runs a much better looking PD on 94Mhz CPU, 8MB RAM, 64kb VRAM or somewhere aroudn that

and DS can't run PD in its state on N64 coz it has 67Mhz CPU, 4MB RAM, but 656kb VRAM

even if DSi has the same VRAM as DS, it should be able to produce PD visuals uncompromised, with the exception of a lower resolution

N64 runs PD on 94Mhz CPU, 8MB RAM, 64kb VRAM, DSi could theoritically run it using 133Mhz CPU, 16MB RAM , and if it has 656kb VRAM that'd still be more than enuff

truth is, using the faster CPU and RAM could possibly (and i say possibly) make graphics better, smoothen things, bump framerates up, increase load times, etc. i dunno but it can only really help

it'd make sense to have DSi only cards using the CPU, RAM, VRAM and being bigger to use the extra storage on game card to use the new power, i'd want at least 512MB game cards.

[QUOTE="wiidskirby"]

[QUOTE="Redonkulous_D"]

You know how some phones media players, etc. only support up to a certain memory card size? It's the same deal with the DS. Only the DSi would be able support larger cards. Because of power constraints, I can't see more of a use for larger cards than uncompressed/slightly compressed audio(Guitar Hero DSi)? and more voice acting. Come to think of it, that's actually a very good reason to increase card size. Let's hope it happens.

darth-pyschosis

Exactly. There is little to no need for extra memory, and the DSi doesn't have too much more power than the Lite, anyways.

well, while we don't know how much VRAM the DSi has, as its never been confirmed, it still has 656kb much more than the N64 and the DS normally can't do graphics like Perfect Dark using the 8MB with expansion pak of RAM and DS's CPU speed is also lower than N64 (94Mhz to 67Mhz)

So N64 runs a much better looking PD on 94Mhz CPU, 8MB RAM, 64kb VRAM or somewhere aroudn that

and DS can't run PD in its state on N64 coz it has 67Mhz CPU, 4MB RAM, but 656kb VRAM

even if DSi has the same VRAM as DS, it should be able to produce PD visuals uncompromised, with the exception of a lower resolution

N64 runs PD on 94Mhz CPU, 8MB RAM, 64kb VRAM, DSi could theoritically run it using 133Mhz CPU, 16MB RAM , and if it has 656kb VRAM that'd still be more than enuff

truth is, using the faster CPU and RAM could possibly (and i say possibly) make graphics better, smoothen things, bump framerates up, increase load times, etc. i dunno but it can only really help

it'd make sense to have DSi only cards using the CPU, RAM, VRAM and being bigger to use the extra storage on game card to use the new power, i'd want at least 512MB game cards.

N64 used VRAM to support it's RDRAM, which it used as both system RAM and VRAM. That's why it has so little. When there's insufficient RDRAM for what needs to be rendered on-screen, it overflows into VRAM. There's some latency problems with this method so that's why it wasn't usedwith the DS.