When I first heard about the Nintendo Dual-Screen (from now on to be referred to as the 'DS') I was nonchalant, imagining something that would look vaguely like that Nintendo 64 Rutilcaper is so fond of, but with two screens. I yawned and went back to sleep. However, while I was asleep the world kept moving and within a week's span of time, more articles popped up theorizing on the nature, background, plasticity and so on of the DS. I believe now if you printed out each online editorial and article on the DS you could probably climb that stack up and out of the atmosphere and play 'dodge the satellite'. At first this angered me because, well all there is all this printed waste on something that we know absolutely nada about and secondly, because well I hate to hear people repeat themselves yammering about the same thing over and over and over again. Then I realized that for once, Nintendo actually took a page from Sony - they're finally getting into the grand ol' hype machine. And despite all the disrespectful "mock-ups" for the system created, they actually did the right thing - they stayed completely ambiguous and let the public weave their dream machine, bringing Nintendo bubbling up back into the media's eye.

The best example of Nintendo's new-found 'mindshare' is this article in Wired giving odds as to which potential DS outcome is more likely, including three different theories: a motion sensor interface, a built-in camera (remember that Animal Crossing-ish game with Nintendo creators scanned into it whose name I just cannot hunt down?) or 3D projection. For once, Nintendo isn't getting crapped on in the mainstream media about a lack of third party support or other such bits and all it took was releasing a smidgen of official details that could be used to describe anything from over-grown calculator wrist watch to some kind of magic holographic device. Geeks run rampant trying to make heads or tails out of patent sheets, quote current and past machine specs, retell what their friend-of-a-friend-of-an-uncle from "EA" (really Electronics Associated) said and before you know it, the device is being covered in a wild, speculative and over-eager voice in Wired Online. Now really, was it all that hard Nintendo?

Addendum: About an hour after I completed this loose array of sarcastic sentences, rumors started flying that Nintendo will be holding a DS Explanatory meeting. Now there's speculation not just on the hardware, but on press meetings concerning the hardware! My cap off to you Nintendo for making the world care again.