Gameboy DS?

[Cofey]

I was just sitting down to breakfast reading my local newspaper, when I came across an insert about E3. The caption next to a picture of the DS says: "Displayed is Nintdendo Gameboy DS..." Obviously just because this was printed in the newspaper doesn't make it official, especially since Nintendo themselves have said several times this is NOT the new Gameboy. But should it be?
I'm starting to think it might be better for them. Won't the next Gameboy and the DS conflict with each other in terms of sales? Plus, since the DS can play older GB games, I'm assuming the use of the second screen isn't mandatory...so developers can still continue making new 3D "Gameboy" games and new DS games at the same time.
I don't know, just some food for thought. What do you guys think?

[Rabunis]

I'm thinking they will scrap the next gameboy because it wouldn't be a good buisness decision to over saturate the handheld market. They would be competing with themselves. I think they announced the other gameboy as kind of a fall back plan in case the DS isn't well recieved by the masses.

[Tony2Kool]

My personal belief is that they are still making the next Gameboy that will come out during the same time as Nintendo Revoulotion. But when they do come out with it, it will blow our minds!!!!!!!! The Nintendo DS was something Nintendo wanted to try, not the next Gameboy.

[Relient J]

^ That's sort of what I was thinking too. We have no idea what the next GameBoy could be, so comparing it to the DS doesn't make much sense. I'm glad they made it backwards compatible witht the GBA (and I assume the GB as well), but I hope that doesn't wind up hurting sales of the GBA too much. I assume it won't (at least not initially), because the DS price will be higher.

[Glenn2K4]

I think they announced the other gameboy as kind of a fall back plan in case the DS isn't well recieved by the masses.
^ that is exactly what i was thinking.

but now that E3 attendees really liked the DS, i wouldnt be surprised to see the "Nintendo Gameboy DS" on the shelves.

[Relient J]

^ Not only that, but can you really even imagine a Nintendo handheld console without the name Gameboy in it somewhere? I sure can't. I personally hope that it's called Gameboy DS. That really does make the most sense. Or how about the Nintendo Gameboy Revolution?

[neo999955]

Gameboy will not be in the name, it's not a gameboy, it'sa differenent thing all together. Nintendo is still making the next Gameboy, but this isn't it, the next one will come out sometime in 2006 or so, prolly around N5 launch.

Nintendo gave us the DS because they a. wanted to try something really new so they could make new games and change the same formula we're all used to. But the bigger reason was simply to test the waters, the DS is kinda a Gameboy 2.5 and Nintendo 4.5 all together. If the DS and it's features are used and enjoyed, than we can expect more intuitive style in the next incarnations of Nintendo's home console and the next Gameboy.

The DS is a sample, or a beta of what's to come with next generation consoles and handhelds from nintendo, and I can't wait, this is the best beta ever, but the real product is going to be even more so, 2006, Nintendo strikes back.

[Glenn2K4]

that first paragraph was a "duh"

but i completely agree with the rest of your post. It is fair to state that the DS is/was a testing device, to see how the public would react to such a gaming device.

[r33hash]

They wont scrap the next GB. If anything, they will stick more to 2d gaming with it, just like always. You cant go wrong with beautiful 2d gaming on a handheld.

[BriSter1337]

Yeah, I don't think the DS is the next Gameboy. I also don't think Nintendo will release the next Gameboy for a while, either. It doesn't make sense. Like Rabunis said earlier, Nintendo doesn't want to over-saturate the handheld market. And would people actually buy two handhelds from the same company at the same time? Probably not. I wouldn't, either.

The Nintendo DS is just one of those "test-dummies". If it suceeds, then Nintendo will keep manufacturing them. If it fails, Nintendo will pull the plug and possibly release the next GameBoy at that time.

[fenderbass021]

I haven't heard from Relient J in a long time, good to hear from you.

I think that the DS will be competing against the PSP, if Nintendo didnt have a new gameboy to show at E3 then PSP would be overrunning the handheld market, and we dont want that, so i think Nintendo wanted something it could stay alive with, and it is working out qiute nicely...

[Glenn2K4]

agreed.

[Deno22]

it seems to me if this was the next gameboy they would have come out way too close to each other because the gameboy advance sp didn't come out too long ago and its not done selling as well as it could not even close. don't u have to buy a separate thing to play GBA games on the DS?? if this was the case then i'll just stick with a gameboy advance until the DS price went down a bit.

[Glenn2K4]

don't u have to buy a separate thing to play GBA games on the DS?? if this was the case then i'll just stick with a gameboy advance until the DS price went down a bit.
this is not the case.

the DS can play GBA games and DS games
without any separate attachment to buy.

the only drawback of the DS is that it most likely wont be able to
take advantage of the connectivity with your GC, such as with games
like Wind Waker, Four Swards, FF:CC, Animal Crossing and other connectivity games

[Rabunis]

Glenn I'm pretty sure I saw somewhere that the DS still has the port for connectivity. Might have been N-philes video comparison between ds and gameboy.

[Deno22]

does anyone know when the DS is even coming out? also those tech demos like pac pix and carving are they gonna be a game all in their own, i think they should be put together as a collection because i doubt one would deliver too much playing time.

[Relient J]

^ 11/29 according to Planet GameCube.

[Glenn2K4]

does anyone know when the DS is even coming out? also those tech demos like pac pix and carving are they gonna be a game all in their own, i think they should be put together as a collection because i doubt one would deliver too much playing time.
those games shown for the DS are just demos.

these ideas will be incorporated into nintendo's upcoming games and software for the Nintendo DS.

[Robobald]

The DS will be awesome, But is there gonna be a such game called Mario Kart for it?

[Rabunis]

The answer.. is yes

[downtime19]

don't know anything about E3 this year since my subscription to G4 and GI magazine were cancelled. So I don't know what the Nintendo DS is.

[fishbonetaher]

There is a probability that there is no DS, but like what rabunis said, there might be a next GB in the works, but won't be released until the DS fails. I don't think that the DS will fail, but that is just an opinion of one person buying it, it might not be your opinion, so will you BUY THE DS?

[Dark_Cloud]

*crosses fingers and waits for DS to fail*

[Gopherchux]

i definitley want the DS, but i'll wait a while after it is released for the price to hopefully drop, and to make sure there are good games for it. A kickass system is worthless unless it has great games.

[koten]

Totally true. But i think that the DS is going to have some great games. Look at all the titles announced. Metroid, Zelda and then there are over 100 developers signed up. We should have about 7 good games at launch!

[Shoxx]

The way I see it, the Nintendo DS is like the next generation Gameboy, but, at the same time, it's not. It is a handheld, and in the Nintendo tradition, people would automatically assume that it is the next Gameboy. But, Nintendo doesn't want us to think that it is. Now, we're going to see the next generation Gameboy probably around the same time we first see the Nintendo Revolution. The way that the new Gameboy works will probably be something that none of us will ever expect, and it'll release probably around the same time as the Revolution.

[forfungamer]

I believe that nintendo wasn't exactly ready to compete with Sony and other companies. They threw the gameboy DS which was cheap and creative (a brillaint plan) so that they could bide some time to finish the new gameboy to finish em off. So the Ds will get them loads of cash so they can have their other systems. And i plan to see a lot of those systems before nintendo is auctually taken down. (Can't see that happening any time soon.)

[Viper]

The DS was the brainchild of Yamauchi and it was in creation before the PSP was so despite the announcement of the PSp, the DS was coming anyway.

It is not a GameBoy. GameBoy is a brand with certain characteristics and the DS is different enough to warrant it a new brand. Nintendo already has a succesor to the GBA in development and will determin its release by the success of the DS.
http://www.nintendonow.com/news.php?news=2163

Think of a car manufactuer, they make various different models of the same thing, cars and they come out with new brands of cars all the time. Just because its a handheld, doesn't mean it's a GameBoy. That's like saying all home consoles from Nintendo are NES's just upgraded.

[Michael]

^that is true, but I think they should have spent more time with the actual power of the cartages alittle bit longer, just so they could complete alittle more with the psp, though I know that the DS was never meant to do that, they could have benifited from the extra power...I still think it'd be good though, even know they didn't do that...

[Viper]

I see it like this, it will take twice the resources to make a PSP game than a DS game. That means a developer can make two great, innovative DS games while that same developer could only make one same ol' same ol' PSP game.

Also remember that Nintendo is known for comng out with cartridges that are as much as 8 times as large as the launch cartridge.

N64
Mario 64 - 8 MB
Resident Evil 2 - 512MB

[Michael]

^It's true, I made this that point before (aka Eternal Darkness)but you have to admit that initial power is something that gamers look at first before anything... You know if RE4 would have come out at the beginning of GC life then it would have faired much better then it is now, graphics, and maturity...in fact, it might have made GC great begin last even longer then it did...but, that's not always true...Power never concerns me if I have the good games to back it up, but to everyone else it does...

[Viper]

Sadly it does seem to be a selling point to many gamers. PSP will get some sales simply because of it, however, as the story I wrote about the new GB shows, expect on ein 2006-7 range with graphics that will put the PSP to shame ans you know Sony won't release a new handheld that soon so Nintendo is poised to to keep majority ownership in the handheld market for quite some time.

[off topic]This reminds me, Xbox graphics were a huge selling point. Being first out of the gate with Next X means they won't have that title this time around. Wonder how that will pan out[/off topic]

[Michael]

There has been one thing that shocked me about the GC...It set so many world records of sales when if first came out, 17 units a minute and it still ended up being in 3rd....why didn't 3rd parties pick up on this, it seems everyone was getting if for a while, even all ages, for a minute it looked like gamecube was going to rule the market, it did better then ps2 when it first came out...I hope the same thing happens to Ds, but they make it last, even just for the wireless aspects of it...

[Viper]

Lack of marketing plans and attacks on the age group by Sony and MS killed it.

The DS already has the major developer support that was missing with the launch of the GC and we know have Reggie in marketing. He will scare people into buying them.

[Michael]

^Oh that crazy guy at E3....I'm already scared...But I see nintendo is trying to make amends and they seem to be getting back there former power, and adapting to the new market...I know Revolution has potential of being the best, but with all the potential that they gain they lose...It seems that nintendo only wants to appeal to there current fans, but as I said there changing alittle more to catch the causal gamers eye. They need to make the right moves at the right time to truly take advantage fo the market and make the revolution revolutionary, if they can get the boost that they got when GC first came out, Nintendo will be fine...

[Viper]

The DS is just a test for Revolution. It's to see what types of new features can work with developers, what gets used and what doesn't. How do gamers react to them? As you stated, they are trying to move in new directions. Iwata being in charge now means they are not stuck to Yamauchis' iron fist rule and 3rd party ethics. We have seen this with all the collaborations in Nintendo franchises. For the Revolution, expect new types of collaborations similar to Eternal Darkness and Geist with 3rd parties to coincide with a new marketing scheme and innovative, mainstream friendly features.

[Michael]

I for one do call the Ds the Developer system, simply because that's what it is. I do hope that the touch screen and the Wireless features work out and are good for developers to create with. One thing I would like to see is if nintendo works with the game developers to help make the actual system, and still be different. I know you said the ds is made to give developers freedom, but I would like to see more imput on the revolution, just because while wireless is good for a portable, it might not be the thing for a home console, unless they fix certain things about it like the area in particular...make it 2 miles not 500 feet...and of course Wifi is the thing right now, I hope it get added to the N:R...I know I can expect alot, at the same time I don't want to expect to much...And the touch screen, since it's so different, I want that to suceed so they can take some calculated risks with the system design it self, and make develope go crazy when they see what they can do with it...

[Viper]

I think we'll see a new input type for Revolution along with the standard controllers. I wouldn't be suprised at the idea of eye dialation sensors or pulse rate sensors built into the controllers (all the more reason to play party games drunk). I honestly see something radical about to happen.

[Michael]

^I do too, but I don't think it'll end just at eye dialation and pulse rates. That has virtually hundreds among thousands of different uses, but many people would ride it off like Ps2 did on there button pressure system. I'm not the one to get into anything flashy, but flashy sells alot better now, and I think when we see the N:R that they'll pick up on this (at least in america). Nintendo is also family friendly, so I'm interested in how they will market this to get Causals, Hardcore, Not caring, Children and fans to all get into this and still please everyone. No system has ever really been able to do this, the closes one was ps2, and it is strait inferior to everything else. All I can see Nintendo doing is being loss, which they shouldn't be...and anyways, sony right now is lose with there system, but I don't think they know that losesness is a phad...

[Viper]

It will take multiple marketing plans used simultaneously. Show those kids hour commercials but drop a few during Smackdown too. Throw on a Superbowl ad (pricey but effective). More theatrical adds like OoT. More EGM ads. The family will always know the N name so advertising to them is simple. Not saying give them up in advertising just don't focus so hard oon it.

Offer two case designs. All components being the same, just one series targeted for kids, one for older buyers. Expensive proposition...yes. Effective.....probably.

Return of SpaceWorld.

[Michael]

There is one thing about case design, I believe this system should have a fully customizable case. GBA was a step in the right direction, but they need to improve upon that so everyone has a feel that there console is there one, kinda like cars, and computer cases. With this in place, they can really have a good selling point that goes beyond what microsoft and sony are up too, expecially since you will be able to play on a computer screen.

Now, I do realize that this kind of marketing is important, and effective, but must I remind you of Intellivision... They did just that, and were very unique and tried to be revolutionary but didn't have Nintendo's good name, that could be the real difference. They had the correct formula, and that was suppose to generate into sale, but they went up against Atari. They had better graphics, unique controller (I'm saying unique because it was suppose to be revolutionary, but it didn't make it), and though it was expensive they eventually brought it down to help make it more accessable...It did worse then dreamcast...

[SuperLuigiBros]

I think they announced the other gameboy as kind of a fall back plan in case the DS isn't well recieved by the masses.

The will bring out the next Gameboy when they see how well the DS has compared to the PSP. if the DS goes well the new gameboy will come out later, and if it doesnt go well then the next gameboy will be brought in to battle the PSP, which it wil undoughtedly do. Nothing made by Sony could defeat a Gameboy.