Revealed: DS is Stepping-stone as Nintendo Confirms Game Boy PSP Challenger.

Nintendo Japan has made efforts to shed light on exactly where the NDS (Nintendo Dual Screen) handheld - revealed yesterday - fits into its broader portable gaming strategy.

Nintendo has been accused of complacency in the handheld market, remaining as it has without a serious challenger, and able to offload what is essentially outdated technology effortlessly onto an accepting consumer base. Sony, in announcing the PSP, turned this situation on its head and, for the first time, gamers realised that perhaps they should be expecting more from portable gaming hardware.

Anyway, at close of business in Japan today, Nintendo tried to explain exactly where the NDS fits into the plan, running - as it will - alongside future Game Boy development.

Nintendo of Japan spokesman and Miyamoto's translator sidekick Yasuhiro Minagawa said, “We're not trying to take on PSP, because this machine will be completely different than anything that exists right now,” which is true, in terms of it having two screens. However, he continues, “The next generation of Game Boy is well into its development. It will be this machine that competes directly with Sony’s PSP.”

So exactly what the DS is and what its purpose will be remains fairly unclear. It seems that Nintendo is planning what is essentially a spoiler launch to distract consumers from the lure of the PSP, buying itself some Game Boy development time in the process.

Stay tuned for updates in the coming days.