Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has announced that the company will likely be launching the Nintendo DSi in overseas markets by summer of 2009.

The DSi will be a direct successor to Nintendo's current popular handheld, the DS Lite.  First unveiled at the company's 2008 Media Summit in early October, the DSi sports several new features over its predecessor:

• Overall size of DSi has been reduced, making it 2.6 millimeters or 12 percent slimmer than the DS Lite.
• Both screens expanded to 3.25 inches.
• Includes two cameras: an external 0.3 Megapixel camera and VGA camera along the DSi's hinge, facing the user.  Images taken would be 640 x 480 pixel and can be edited via touchscreen.
• Full music playback functionality with adjustable pitch and playback speed
• SD memory card slot in addition to internal memory
• Built-in Nintendo DS web browser
• Ability to download games from DSWare, which uses Wii Points (or Nintendo Points); users will be given free 1,000 Nintendo Points upon first log-in.
• DSWare comes in four price categories: free, 200, 500, and 800 Nintendo Points.
• DSi will come in matte white or black -- no more smudging.
• GBA slot removed

Nintendo had previously said they would be shipping the DSi overseas some time in 2009.  Speaking to journalists and analysts at a meeting on Friday, Iwata stated, "Specific plans will be unveiled by our local subsidiaries, but an autumn or year-end launch would probably be too late."

Japan recently saw DS sales fall by 64% as Sony's PSP gained in units sold, and a recent poll showed Japanese consumers were less than enthusiastic about the DSi.  Regardless, Iwata is confident in Nintendo's mass appeal and the company's place in the global market.

"With the business environment having changed this much, we of course need to stay alert," he remarked.  "But so far I haven't seen even the slightest sign that overseas DS and Wii demand is being affected by the economy."