We’re just a little over a week away from the DSi XL’s American release, and there are likely a number of people out there wondering if it’s worth it to buy their first DS or upgrade from an existing unit. Well Nintendo is attempting to sweeten the pot a bit by offering not one, not two, but three pre-installed pieces of software on every new DSi XL. As for whether or not these are actually things that you want, that’s another story entirely.
Nintendo has announced that every device will come pre-loaded with Brain Age Express: Math, Brain Age Express: Arts & Letters and Photo Clock, which allows you to make your clock prettier or something. So, do you feel incentivized yet?
It’s interesting to note that the same press release touting the pre-installed software also makes mention of America’s Test Kitchen and WarioWare D.I.Y. as launch titles for the XL. The latter game especially is expected to perform very well so the question then becomes did Nintendo ever consider bundling it with their new handheld? Think about it, isn’t it easier to swallow the idea of buying a $190 handheld if it comes with a game you were planning to spend $35 on anyway? Suddenly the price point makes more sense, and the device isn’t such a hard sell.
That’s not the track Nintendo has taken though, instead opting to load up some simple, easy-to-ignore software that most new DSi owners will check out once and then forget. Oh well, the thing will sell like gangbusters anyway, so there’s no reason to give the people something they want for free when they’re willing to pay for it.
