Scourge of inhumane babysitters and witless bullies everywhere, Facebook photo-sharing for Nintendo's DSi video gaming handheld is just a few hours away. Nintendo's Facebook photo-integration feature will be available after 5pm PT today, allowing DSi owners to snap pictures with either of the system's two cameras, then upload them directly to a Facebook profile.
The DSi already lets you take pictures, so all that's changed is the addition of a Facebook icon. Tap it, and you'll beam the corresponding photo(s) to your Facebook profile. I'm not sure precisely where they land (I haven't test-driven it yet myself). They'd have to be either channeled through some a Facebook Connect bridge, or maybe they're dropped in a photo album established or named when you enter your Facebook account info on the DSi itself.
You'll be able to send un-fiddled pictures straightaway, as well as fiddled ones, i.e. those manipulated using the DSi's built-in interactive lenses. And for anyone planning to sue Nintendo when they try (and fail) to do any of the above absent online access, the company appends the Most Obvious Disclaimer In The World: You'll need a wireless broadband Internet connection to transmit the photos. So there, offline scandal chasers.
Per NPD Group, Nintendo reports its DSi has sold more than 1.7 million units in the US alone. They're also quick to point out that the DSi features parental controls that let adults supervise the content their kids can access.
Good luck putting restrictions on what they can or can't photograph? Not that there's special cause for concern, given all the ways they can transmit similar information through alternative mediums. In fact, come to think of it, I wonder how long it'll be before we see a story about a child in untoward circumstances using her/his DSi to send photos that help get them out of said circumstances. Not because gizmos like mobile phones don't already have that capacity, but because in a tight spot, someone else may not expect the DSi to.
Check out twitter.com/game_onfor even more game-related news and opinion.
