E-books for the DS

Nintendo continues its push to attract a broader audience. With the announcement of the 100 Classic Book Collection for the DS, Nintendo adds yet another ¢â‚¬Å“interactive software¢â‚¬Â to the repertoire.

HarperCollins has worked with Nintendo to reproduce the Collins Pocket Classic series in e-book form on the Nintendo DS. You can get a good look at the entire list of books available on this $30 ¢â‚¬Å“game¢â‚¬Â at Amazon.com. The books range from Sherlock Holmes to Pride and Prejudice to Uncle Tom’s Cabin and more.

As an extra incentive to purchase the digital collection, HarperCollins has also commissioned new introductions for each book and author. There will be numerous ways to scroll through the book collection, you can even tell the DS what you like and it will offer up suggestions for you. Though the collection is only initially available in Britain, if the software gains enough popularity Nintendo intends to release the game in other areas and expand the number of books in the collection.

James Honeywell, a Nintendo executive, said: ¢â‚¬Å“When you go on holiday, or if you’re a commuter, lugging around a big paper book can be a bit of an inconvenience. Now you’ve got this whole library that you’re taking with you. We hope to encourage people to try books that they wouldn’t go out and purchase themselves.¢â‚¬Â

The collection will be ready to purchase on December 26. I personally think this is a great item and hope that someone somewhere creates a reader for the program so you can listen to your favorite books on the go.