DSiWare has been out for well over two years now. You'd think Nintendo would try enticing people to buy games by giving us a few free ones first. Well, I'm glad to report that, as of this writing, there are still only two free DSiWare apps. One, being a browser, the other being an animation service. Notice that none of these are games.

It's cool of Nintendo to give us a free browser and Youtube-like app for free, but really, the DSiWare hasn't exactly been revolutionary. It doesn't even offer demos. The only "game" that was ever free was Photo Dojo, and that was only for a week, then it cost 200 points.

I'm just glad the eShop is trying to whet our gaming appetites by giving us some free Excitebike, I'd hate to see it end up like the DSiWare.

Well, that's Nintendo for you. They're getting better at online stuff like this......slowly. They take their time. It's been five years and we've just now gotten a Nintendo Selects line on Wii. :/
But yeah the eShop will hopefully not be very disappointing, especially since Nintendo took two extra months to work on it.

Well, it's not like XBL, Steam or PSN are exactly full of free games, but you're right, a free game is always a good idea. Steam has Alien Swarm and XBL has Hexic HD and Aegis Wing, which are very fun, free games. Nintendo has been really cheap this generation. As samjuggles said, they're now just making a player's choice line, which speaks volumes of how greedy they have been.

But they've had to realize by now that online is where it's at, and with the announcement of a free Excite Bike, I'd say they know what they are doing...now.

Yeah, I agree with you.

Photo Dojo WAS free people.
Now its 200 points, but there was a moment where it was free.

Read the OP next time.

It costs money to get a Nintendo DEV kit, where as Apple DEV kits are free or super cheep. You also need to have an actuall office to get a DEV kit +plus show you have experence. have you even noticed that the 2 "free things" your talking about are made by nintendo? It's because they have deep pockets unlike most other gaming/application companys. Also JAPAN has 4 Free items and other contrys only get 2, but NOA for like a month or two had Photo Dojo avaible for free. (I Bought a copy on my DSi and on a DSiXL of mine for the price of free)

Excitebike won't be free forever dude, It's just a PROMO like the 1000 free DSi Points nintendo gave out for like EVER in japan, and not even a full year else where. JAPAN still had the 1000 free points offer going when the DSiXL came out, while other contrys allready had that offer expired. NOA Expired it because they had to releace DSi's with over 2000 points worth in free stuff. Mitalic blue DSi is nolonger produced in the usa

JAPAN has exlusive Lime Green DSi and White XL, every where else gets green yellow and blue DSiXL's, but usa only got Blue XL.

They will change with the eShop, but no major changes.

__________________
Marching Towards A New Era Of Hope After The Seven-Year Tribulation

@Uberchu the iPhone dev kit is not free. It's $99 a year