Nintendo’s shareholders have had a rough few weeks. But a dip in stock prices is not quite as earth-shattering as, well, the earth shattering. Realizing this, the Japanese company sent a small token of appreciation, a special-edition DSiLL (XL in America) with TV tuner capabilities, to families struck by this spring’s natural disaster.
Nintendo sent out products to people living in the evacuation centers, but didn’t make any efforts to publicize these charitable gestures, as detailed in a statement given by CEO Satoru Iwata at the last shareholders meeting (and then not printed in the transcript!). Were it not for one of the recipients posting these images at Hachimaki, we’d never know what Nintendo’s donated systems comprised, or even what they looked like!
In addition to entertainment, these sets allow families to receive over-the-air TV broadcasts, and therefore keep up with news.
If previous Nintendo handhelds are any judge, this new DS could withstand the effects of another earthquake just fine. Let’s hope we never find out.
-Jon Irwin