DS2 to get force feedback?

Platform holder Nintendo has filed a patent for portable force feedback, further adding to rumours that Nintendo is already at work on a successor to the DS.

The Japanese games manufacturer made an amendment last month to a patent made in August 2005.

It reads: A game apparatus includes an LCD and a touch panel placed on a top surface of the LCD. The player instructs an enemy character displayed on the LCD with the use of a stick to attack the enemy character.

For example, in a case that the enemy character exists at a depth of a game screen, little damage is applied to the enemy character, and a weak vibration is applied to the game apparatus.

Conversely, in a case that the enemy character exists at a front of the game screen, much damage is applied to the character, and a strong vibration is applied to the game apparatus.

In either case, the vibrations are transmitted to the fingers or hands of the player via the stick.”

Nintendo previously added a Rumble Pak” expansion to the original DS in 2005, which supported around 40 games but is incompatible with the DSi.

The Nintendo DS was originally launched in the UK in March 2005, and went on to become the world’s best-selling portable console. The smaller DS Lite was released in June 2006, with the DSi following in April 2009.

The DS Lite XL goes on sale on March 5th 2010. With Nintendo’s history of frequently updating DS consoles, a force feedback DS2 shouldn’t be ruled out.