A Nintendo error code spotted on the official Nintendo customer support site has seemingly confirmed that a DSi Speak Channel is in the works. More after the jump.

Although not officially confirmed yet, the grapevine has named the casualties of Electronic Arts' "cost-cutting measures." Studios that experienced significant layoffs are Mythic Entertainment, the guys behind Warhammer Online, and EA Tiburon, the studio responsible for Madden and other titles under the EA Sports banner.

You read that title correct. Nintendo has gone through hardware shortages with the DS. They've gone through the same hell with the DS Lite. They've gone through software shortages as well with this little system that could. Now, they're facing plastic shortages.

Instead of selling their DS games in their plastic covers, they're going back to the old cardboard covers they used to use with the Game Boy Advance. The new cases will be the same size as the plastic DS cases. They'll also have a small explanation saying that only the case is different and that everything else is the same. Those who desperately want a plastic one can call customer service and get it in late December.

The letter which spoke of these events was by the Nintendo of Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg) but there's a chance that it may reach other parts Europe as well. It might not stop there either, it may be a problem in North America and Japan.

The following games will be in cardboard boxes:

Super Mario 64 DS
Nintendogs Chihuahua & Friends
Nintendogs Dachshund & Friends
Nintendogs Labrador & Friends
Mario Kart DS
Animal Crossing: Wild World
Tetris DS
Nintendogs: Dalmatian & Friends
New Super Mario Bros.

A few days ago, I felt a stabbing pain in my chest when I saw a picture of a dog-mangled DS Lite. I can only imagine how the owner felt. Nintendo eased the owner's suffering a bit by charging him only $50 for a replacement. That's the same price DS owners have to pay to have their DS Lite hinge cracks fixed.

Well, that was Nintendo's policy on hinge cracks then. While the company maintains that hinge crack is not a major problem, Nintendo, apparently, is now offering to fix DS Lites for free. This was after Nintendo issued a press release saying that they are not aware of the hinge problems (though they are encouraging DS Lite owners to  contact customer service for any problems). As such, one Kotaku reader called Nintendo's customer service and was told that the repair would be free of charge. There was no confirmation from Nintendo, but the company has prepared a new canned response:

"In the U.S., the reported number of small cosmetic cracks in the plastic hinge of DS Lite systems represents less than 0.02 percent of the total units sold. This cosmetic issue in no way impacts the gameplay or integrity of the DS Lite. Nintendo stands behind the quality of our products and encourages DS Lite owners to contact our Customer Service Department if they are not happy with the functionality of their systems."

This tells us that Nintendo is very much aware of the issue and is willing to extend assistance to distraught DS Lite owners. If you happen to be a member of the DS Lite hinge crack club, Nintendo is willing to look at your units and check if the damage wasn't caused by misuse. We're just not sure how they'd figure that out, but customer service would make sure that "something wasn't tightened too tight". If that's the case then they'll repair the unit free of charge and send in a new one year warranty.