the very important social utility it drives

Dan Ackerman, senior editor at Cnet. , agrees. "Communal gaming, and the very important social utility it drives, will likely come from people sharing the same experience, but on their own personal screens, like with FaceBooks games or local WiFi gaming," he said. Nintendo was ahead of the curve in adding touchscreen technology to the DS, replica Rolex 116518 MDL Men's watch Ackerman points out, and he sees the increase in screen size on the DSi Xl as an acknowledgement that the iPhone and iPod Touch are becoming a juggernauts in the world of portable entertainment.

With rumors that the DSi will be getting its own video and audio chat program, another possibility for the DSi XL is that it could be used to try and tap into the same market as the increasingly popular, tiny and inexpensive netbook computers. But Ackerman doesn't see that happening either. "While the DS has definitely found a niche among older and replica Rolex Oyster Perpetual Men's watch other non traditional gamers, I'm not sure it'll displace the growing popularity of Netbooks (or iPhones) as the default on the go entertainment/information platform," Ackerman said

"Especially as basic Netbooks fall below the $300 mark (or less with subsidized mobile broadband plans), and Netbook friendly apps, such as Facebook games, skyrocket in popularity. "Well Played is a weekly news and opinion column about the big stories of the week in the gaming industry and its bigger impact on things to come Feel free to join in the replica Rolex 116200 BKRO Men's watch discussion. If I play anything this weekend, you can be damn sure that I'll be playing a copy of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, earning double the virtual money