Nintendo DS Games & News - DS Lite

Berit Hanson of Opera was recently interviewed by James Crawford and answered some questions about the forthcoming Opera browser for the Nintendo DS.

An employee of Nintendo has said “Opera is an important partner for Nintendo…” How much input have Nintendo had in the development of this web browser?
Berit: We have worked closely with Nintendo to develop a customized browser for the NDS. I cannot comment specifically on how exactly we worked together, but it was a cooperative relationship in which Opera fulfilled Nintendo’s requirements for the browser.

It sounds like many other companies contacted Nintendo about creating a web browser. Why did they choose Opera?
Berit: You will have to contact Nintendo to find out the reason behind their decision. However, I can say that Opera delivers the full Internet to devices, and its Small Screen Rendering (SSR), renowned for use on the
mobile phone, was a perfect fit for the NDS screen. Opera is known for its strong commitment to Web standards, excellence in security and ability to adapt to the needs of devices, especially devices that may have low memory.

Are there any future projects with Nintendo in the pipeline?
Berit: No announcements at this time.

What sort of functions will the browser include?
Berit: The features we have announced so far in the NDS browser are the fit-to-width function, bookmarks, zoom and a special feature that allows you to handwrite the URL into the address field. This accepts both Japanese and English characters.

How will the DS’ unique interface be used?
Berit: Opera will make use of the lower touch screen to navigate the Web. The upper screen will use Opera’s spatial navigation technology. There are two surfing modes: Fit-to-width mode and DS mode. The fit-to-width mode will use Opera’s SSR technology to display the entire page in the two screens. In DS mode, the lower touch screen will provide an overview of the entire Web page and includes a small thumbnail that can be moved around the screen. The upper screen will display the contents of the thumbnail - so that you have an enlarged version of the specific area you’ve highlighted.

What will make the browser particularly suited to portable hardware?
Berit: Opera is already deployed on 30 million mobile phones around the world. We’ve ported our browser to a wide range of devices including STBs, portable media players, the Nokia 770 Internet tablet, in-flight entertainment systems and much more. Opera’s minimal use of system resources as well as its industry-leading compliance with W3C recognized Web standards make it the ideal browser for any device.

Will it just be a simple browser or will extra features be included such as being able to download files onto the card’s memory?
Berit: This information will be released by Nintendo at a later date.

There are concerns that, due to the need to be at a DS hotspot, the browser will simply not be used (presuming the browser is slower than a PC browser). Why is that not so?
Berit: NDS users already use hotspots for real-time gaming - one of the highlights of using a NDS. Users of Internet tablets such as the Nokia 770 make use of hotspots as well, and the device has been met with success. We do not see this as a problem at all. The browsing experience on the NDS will be the same experience that Opera users have come to know and love: fast, feature-rich and smartly adapted for the device you are surfing from.

How far into development is the browser?
Berit: Cannot comment on this.

Would a browser release be final, would it be updated via the internet or would users be able to buy an updated version in a few years time?
Berit: Cannot comment on this at this time.

Why should people buy your product?
Berit: Just to clarify, Opera will not be selling a browser for Nintendo DS. Nintendo will license Opera and offer the browser on a DS game card. Opera on the NDS gives users a full Web experience, similar to surfing from their PCs. We have customized the browser for the NDS, making full use of the dual screens. This added convenience and functionality contribute to the evolution of this device, and add value to Nintendo’s product.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us about this project?
Berit: We will announce NDS availability in Japan this June. We have an active discussion going in the My Opera community right now, where users are asking questions, speculating a bit and sharing their excitement for this product. Visit http://my.opera.com/community/forums/forum.dml?id=1406