GBA 2 Debut at E3

[Crash]

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) – While Nintendo's next generation console gaming system likely won't hit living rooms until 2006, that doesn't mean the company won't introduce new hardware this year. A new analyst report suggests the company is planning to ship the next version of the Game Boy portable gaming system by the end of 2005.

If so, that would be the third new handheld gaming system in as many years for Nintendo, whose Nintendo DS was one of the hottest items of the 2004 holiday season and Game Boy Advance SP was one of the must-have gifts of 2003. The new Game Boy would face stiff competition, though, from Sony's PSP – which will hit U.S. stores in March.

"We believe it is likely that the next version of the Game Boy Advance SP will ship as early as this holiday, ahead of most expectations of calendar year 2006," wrote P.J. McNealy of American Technology Research.

The new system, he predicts, will launch at a $99 price point, with prices on the Game Boy Advance falling to $49. Nintendo DS prices, he wrote, will likely remain unchanged.

Nintendo representatives were unavailable for comment.

Official confirmation of the new Game Boy could come as early as March 10, when Nintendo president Satoru Iwata is scheduled to give a keynote speech entitled "The Heart of a Gamer" at the upcoming Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco.

It's unclear at this point what sort of advances might be found in a new Game Boy. While this may be a graphical leap forward like many next generation consoles, it could just as easily be an incremental step, slightly enhancing the company's current offering.

Releasing a new Game Boy on the heels of the Nintendo DS, which features two screens and a touch pad, might seem a bit odd, but Nintendo has been quite vocal in saying the two systems are built for different audiences. The Game Boy has traditionally been aimed at children, while Nintendo hopes to reach an older audience with the DS.

McNealy said the numbers seem to be backing Nintendo up.

"The Nintendo DS has, by and large, been additive to Nintendo software revenue and units sales and not cannibalistic," he wrote. "Even with the DS launch in November, GBA software revenue and unit sales were up double-digits in December and January."

That's not to say it has all been smooth sailing for the DS. While the system enjoyed tremendous success during the holiday period, software sales have been rather disappointing. So far in 2005, new title releases have been minimal, which has stymied the system's momentum.

And the imminent launch of the PSP will only make the fight harder. Sony's system has been getting rave reviews from overseas users – and demand will almost certainly exceed supply when the PSP launches in the U.S.

But a new hardware launch would help keep Nintendo top of mind with consumers during the holiday season. Sony will be heavily promoting the PSP as December draws near – and Microsoft is expected to launch the next version of its Xbox gaming system this fall. Without a new device, Nintendo could easily be overshadowed.

There's also the real threat of piracy with the current generation of Game Boys. Although piracy of GBA games has not been a major problem in North America, the company has seen a dramatic rise of digital theft in the Asia-Pacific region. The cartridges used for GBA cards are fairly easy for hackers to crack and the games are often posted online. The DS, which uses flash memory cards, has not had the same problems, writes McNealy.

A new Game Boy could give a boost to some game publishers. While industry leader Electronic Arts (Research) and Take Two Interactive Software (Research) do not have big presences on Nintendo's handhelds, THQ (Research) makes a large number of games for the system. And Activision (Research) has shown an increased interest in them recently.

"We believe that a new GBA SP could mean between $10 million to $20 million of additional revenue for both Activision and THQ in FY06, and an additional $0.02 to $0.04 in earnings," wrote McNealy.

The question is, though: Will Nintendo's audience be willing to shell out another hundred bucks (or more) for the third year in a row? Or will they invest their gaming dollars elsewhere?

Game Boy Advance 2 set to stun E3 – DS to evolve into PDA

New model to launch this year – Climb-down looms for NCL

28th Feb 2005

The new model of the Game Boy Advance will be shown at Nintendo’s E3 press conference this year in what will be one of the most remarkable moments in recent videogame history.

The unit will be a true gaming machine and will come equipped with a large high-quality back-lit screen and analogue controls, very much, one might argue, like Sony’s PSP.

Nintendo staffers have confirmed to SPOnG.com that preliminary hardware will be shown both at the firm’s conference and encased alongside the Nintendo Revolution on the showfloor.

Indeed, SPOnG has been privvy to the emergence of the next-generation of Game Boy Advance for some time, though little more than it’s E3 debut was known.

As this news breaks, perhaps the most pertinent point to be mulled is exactly how Nintendo is going to explain the situation to fans and, of course, early adopters of the Nintendo DS. The answer to this conundrum is quite possibly the most incredible climb-down the games industry has ever witnessed.

Specifically, Nintendo will unveil a suite of PDA-focussed software for the DS powered by recently licensed Palm OS technology. The machine will evolve from a pure gaming machine into a PDA equipped to play Nintendo 64 quality games. Essentially, Nintendo believes that with the right software, it has a high-powered, wireless-enabled PDA capable of playing games of a higher standard than any competing device.

Picking up the pieces, however, will be something of a PR nightmare, something that Nintendo is fully aware of. The DS, announced so soon after the PSP was unveiled by Sony, was effectively a spoiler machine, aimed at snatching away market share from SCEI. Although this has been categorically denied by the Kyoto giant, the revelation that a new Game Boy, which in essence appears to be a PSP with a Nintendo badge, confirms this belief beyond any doubt.

The new Game Boy will be based around existing Nintendo GameCube hardware and will be, when it launches in the US and Japan towards the end of this year, the most powerful handheld console on the planet. SPOnG also believes it likely that the machine will make use of GameCube software. Revolution connectivity was confirmed.

No way nintendo would do this would they... flood the market and kill everyone?


:-(

[Dark Samurai]

Well as a Nintendo fan I can say this...

Go Nintendo Family GO!!!!

[GameMaster]

This is so exciting. The Gameboy Advance 2 will have graphics slightly better than the Gameube.

[Jonbo298]

Although it seems like Nintendo is turning the DS into a PDA type thing now, hopefully the GBA 2 will have everything we desire in a handheld with 3D games. Analog controls, awesome graphics, but without the games, they wont get anywhere.

Hopefully the DS doesnt turn into another Red Headed Step Child

All I gotta say is, when I'm on that floor in E3 this year (not 100% confirmed but like 95% confirmed), its gonna be something to remember

[Dark Samurai]

Im pretty sure that everyone will say "I thought that Nintendo was all about gameplay!"

Not this time... HAHAHAH!!! Now its both...

[Jonbo298]

Its nice to see them branching out but they should've just made the DS from the start a PDA'ish thing right out of the box instead of waiting til now to announce PDA'ish things.

Oh well, hearing this news isn't gonna make me want a DS anytime soon now. I just want a Game Boy Advanced

[Canyarion]

Hm... I don't think the market is ready for another handheld... They better wait a few years. If they launch something like a PSP with GameCube technology, the handheld will be exactly the same as the console one, IMO.
People prefer the PS2 over the GCN. They will prefer the PSP over the GB4.

Oh am I the only one who doesn't really believe this?

[Crash]

what if the new GBA plays gamecube games!?? the GC games are about the same size of UMD's .... then it'll be cool!

[Blackmane]

That is my feeling as well. Screw the DS vs. PSP choice, it should be GBA 2 vs. PSP. Too bad it is coming out so much later than the PSP.

[Canyarion]

I really don't get you... nothing personal though.

Why do you want the fourth GB to play actual GC games? That means almost no software sales for the GB4. It will share the game sales with the GCN.
That's why I think Sony never launched that mini Playstation thing.

And PSP vs GB4.... with the GB4 having GCN graphics/techs... not good... PSP already has a huge headstart. And we all know that the GCN couldn't win that battle. Why try again???

[MuGen]

I'm with Canyarion.... Nintendo kind of threw a curve ball at fans with that announcement. People who waited for an awesome handheld from Nintendo got it in the DS and now they announce that a new handheld stronger than the DS is being launched.

Now what do the fans who have the DS but have no more money... do? Especially the fans who don't really NEED a PDA'ish DS.

I think they could wait a year... but its all up to them. OH... and btw.. Who said Nintendo wasn't in it for money?

[KillerGremlin]

And no one is angered that the DS was just a ploy to help keep the PSP out of the market? No one?

None of you think that it was deranged making thousands of people drop 150 for something that will be made obsolete within the next year?

If Nintendo goes through with the GBA2, I do think I may find myself boycotting the company and sticking with Sony.

[Jonbo298]

Originally Posted by KillerGremlin

If Nintendo goes through with the GBA2, I do think I may find myself boycotting the company and sticking with Sony.

Cya

Nintendo wanted the DS to be the third pillar for them but unfortunately alot of people aren't taking it that way

But I do hope the DS has the staying power for years to come alongside the DS. It is weird to do so but hopefully the 2 seperate "handhelds" idea turns out well.

[gekko]

Well we all knew it was coming, but certainly not so soon.

Perhaps Nintendo is just doing what Sony did for PS2, create the hype that the current system, which is leaps and bounds above everything on the market, won't even compare to what they are about the release. It's one way to try to stop the PSP.

However, I think Nintendo would make more profit developing batteries for the PSP. That was harsh, I'm sorry...

[Dyne]

Nintendo staffers have confirmed to SPOnG.com

*buzzer goes off*

EENNNHHHH

Game over. Have a nice day!




But really, I don't see Nintendo wasting any time here at all. End of 2005 is a good date.