As a fan we love it when new games and systems are announced. On the other hand, as a paying customer, it can really put a hole in our wallets. In the early days of gaming, it was not unheard of to go years with an existing gaming system. Look at the window between Atarii gaming systems, the NES, the SNES, and N64, Sega Genesis, Sega CD, Sega Dreamweaver. The  years between the systems would seem like an eternity now, but then it was adequate time to get used to the games, explore the capabilities, and appreciate the purchase of what was surely hard earned.

Nowadays, between next gen consoles, it’s not unhead of to go only two years or so before a new system in being developed and then released. It almost seems like a never ending race to stay caught up with the hobby we love so much. So you can imagine my surprise when I purchased my Nintendo DS, then saw the Nintendo DS Lite, and then the Nintendo DSi, and now another iteration? Where does it end?

It makes me wonder if the development is simply not being rushed to simply get product to market, and then when something is just a little better, they release another version and slap on a unique name that is sure to drive sales. In the case of Nintendo’s handheld market, it’s not surprising that their dominance in the mobile gaming market is what it is. Aside from their hardware, their licensed properties are recognizable the world over. But now that the DS2 has started to surface, giving the DSi a short lifespan, is this getting out of hand?

What’s your take on this? Do you think the span between systems is out of control, or do you like the way they’ve been released, practically stacked on one another? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.