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Who needs a Kindle when you've got a DS?

by: Chad -
More On: 100 Classic Books
Apparently, Nintendo recently asked themselves that same question.  As a result, we received the announcement today of 100 Classic Books for the Nintendo DS.  It's basically a game cartridge that turns the portable game system into a miniature library.  Readers will hold the DS sideways like an open book and will swipe the touch screen with they want to turn the page.  

100 Classic Books will contain a veritable who's who of authors including Jane Austen, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Bram Stoker, and Lewis Carroll among others.  The "game" will even suggest a book by asking the user a series of questions about their preferences.  It all sounds quite handy and will be priced at $19.99 (plus more books available for download).  

Do you think this is a good idea? 

100 Classic Books Turns the Nintendo DS System into a Portable Library of Books

Readers Get 100 Novels at Once – All for Just $19.99

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Have you ever carried 100 books in your pocket? On June 13, people who own any one of the Nintendo DS™ family of systems can buy 100 Classic Books, a compilation of some of the greatest works of classic literature. But the best part is that the entire collection is available at a suggested retail price of just $19.99. And users with broadband Internet access can wirelessly download 10 additional books at no extra charge.

The postage stamp-sized game card includes a variety of books for all different ages, including seven separate works by Charles Dickens. There are novels that people can enjoy on the beach, such as Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice; adventure and mystery novels that can be devoured during summer travels, such as The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle or Bram Stoker’s Dracula; and books that kids can read at home, such as The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling or Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

“100 Classic Books transforms your Nintendo DS system into a portable library,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Readers of any age will enjoy exploring the many worlds, characters and adventures created by these icons of literature.”

Readers hold their Nintendo DS systems sideways like a book. To turn the page, they just swipe the touch screen with the stylus or a finger. The settings can even be flipped for left-handed users. A virtual bookmark lets readers return to where they left off. Up to three bookmarks can be used to mark a reader’s place in three different books. Large and small fonts are available. Each book includes a biography of the author and a synopsis of the plot and characters.

People who aren’t sure which book they want to read can answer a series of questions about their preferences, and the software will recommend some books they might like. Once a book is finished, readers can rate it in different categories and upload the results wirelessly to a central database using Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection. Then other readers can see which books have been rated “funniest” or “most exciting.” Readers can also share demos of select books with other Nintendo DS owners who want to sample some literature for themselves.

For more information about 100 Classic Books, visit www.100classicbooks.com.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™ home console and Nintendo DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.4 billion video games and more than 565 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at www.nintendo.com.