Just announced:

Nintendo’s hit DS portable machine will come with a digital camera that will allow players to mix images, scribble on photos and create new faces, the Japanese game maker said Thursday.

The Nintendo DSi will go on sale in Japan on Nov. 1 for 18,900 yen ($180), and will be available overseas next year. Dates and other details for overseas plans will be announced later, President Satoru Iwata said.

Iwata said the revamped DS is meant to be the first camera for children, a means of network-building for older people or a party toy, part of the company’s ongoing quest to broaden gaming’s popularity.

One in six Japanese already owns a DS, according to Kyoto-based Nintendo, which also makes Pokemon and Super Mario games. But the goal is to make the DS a must-have for every Japanese, Iwata said.

Very cool. I will say this: Nintendo, like Apple, has a knack for producing very cool, fun, and very culture-savvy products…and the DSi is certainly an excellent example thereof.

(Personally, I’m holding out for the version of the DS that comes with the camera, mp3 playback^[1], a 60+ GB internal solid-state drive, and a cellular phone. And 3G, just for good measure.

You know it’s coming, good Reader. ;))

1) Apparently, the DSi will not ship with a GBA game slot, so the Play-Yan mp3 player won’t work with it.