Nintendo to mix art, commerce

[wraggster]

The Nihon Keizai Shimbun reports that a system for guiding visitors through art galleries using the Nintendo DS Lite is about to undergo its first field tests. The software, which is being developed at Nintendo HQ in Kyoto, will use the DS to provide spoken explanations of the artwork, and show detailed pictures of the art on the DS screen. While viewing the art on the DS screen may seem to defeat the purpose of going to an art gallery, visitors will be able to use the touch-pen to zoom in on any area of the piece for a closer look--a useful feature if the art happens to be behind glass or otherwise inaccessible to close inspection. The first real test of the system will be conducted at an unspecified art exhibition in Tokyo next month.

[kcajblue]

thats a weird idea. letting people look at art using the DS.

[Video_freak]

TWhile viewing the art on the DS screen may seem to defeat the purpose of going to an art gallery...

I think it does defeat the prupose of going to the gallery. I know I wouldn't go. :P

[the_eternal_dark]

That's Nintendo for you though, they do stuff no one thinks will go anywhere and bam! They rule the world with it!

I can't wait to play with my Wii.

[miggs]

It's kind of a limited amount of interactivity, but I think if they're going to try something like this they should really make sure that the experience becomes as interactive as possible, otherwise there isn't too much of a point of giving the people a DS to hold while looking at art.

They had some thing back before the lite was ever even mentioned, I belive it had some traditional Japanese art in a display on a floor in some traditionally Japanese styled building near a river, the names of these places I forget at the moment. Anyways the floor had screens, but the catch was that, with a modified DS (the thing was buttonless, sparing maybe triggers) supplied by this art house, a person could change what was being displayed on these screens, perhaps even play some sort of card game on them. It was a long time ago so I do not remember the specifics of the whole thing, and the English on site itself was vague at best to begin with. But the point is this isn't the first time they've tried something like this, however by the looks of it their premise the first time was a generally better one.

I do not think I ever hear about the thing again though, especially nothing in regards to how it was received or if they ever actually went through with opening it to the public.