This Little Lite Of Mine...

At first I was filled with typical GR rage, angered at watching the company once again admit to releasing what in its own mind was clearly not the best product possible (remember the first run of the GBA?) and frustrated by what would surely turn into more inconceivable fan fervor for little more than an upgraded device. The thought of fanboys chattering excitedly over the DS Lite, effectively paying Nintendo twice for the same core hardware in under two years without blinking an eye or demanding a rebate, is almost enough to drive a man to drink.

But then I calmed down, had a shot of something brown and bitter and realized that at least Nintendo was trying to fix its mistakes, which is more than you can say for most tech companies. Who wouldn't be thrilled at the thought of a re-released PSP with a 10-hour battery and two normal analog sticks? (Other than Nintendo, I mean.) Games are patched within hours of being shipped, right? Faulty products are purchased all the time, so why get all uppity when those responsible try to correct their problems? Besides, the DS isn't a broken toy, it's just a heavy one.

Ultimately, I'd like to see Nintendo offer current DS owners some sort of reward for their loyalty by allowing them to, say, trade in their current systems to halve the price of the DS Lite. That way they don't feel gypped when they watch their kid brother score one for his birthday.

Unlikely? You bet, but a rumor's gotta start somewhere...