"Ninty headlining with new GBA, DS online" (@ E³)

[Wunderchu]

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=58969

[PC-Engine]

Haha I wanted this to happen, but I didn't expect Nintendo to actually deliver. I'm hoping the new GBA uses DS's higher quality screen and built-in WiFi, and the 33MHz ARM7, built-in SD card reader for MP3s and videos/movies. 8)

[Kolgar]

What does this mean for DS? Does this muddy the product line, or make perfect sense?

[PC-Engine]

What does this mean for DS? Does this muddy the product line, or make perfect sense?

It makes pefect sense as I've always said that the GBA SP does have it's own market separate from DS assuming this new GBA is an upgraded SP vs the old style GBA. Phasing out the SP would be stupid, since it's perfect for the lowend market. If I'm right and it's an upgraded SP, it will sell like hotcakes.

[Ty]

Oh, the higher quality screen would be nice.

[hey69]

GBAsp2 ? hmm ... you can't blame them
if it sells well why not :)


but then again, why yes? why 3 iterations of the same (gba) hardware

if it is just a cosmic change, its sure is a good way of milking it hard

[jvd]

I heard this is just a better screen , better battery and wifi built in and perhaps a modest clock speed bump . Though i'm not sure . Its also supposed to cost less than the gba to produce .

[hey69]

hm but whats the point?
so its basicly a gbaSP (+)
but with a bit higher clockspeed?
so new games are coming out for this one wich arent compatible with a regular gba(sp)?

[PC-Engine]

hm but whats the point?
so its basicly a gbaSP (+)
but with a bit higher clockspeed?
so new games are coming out for this one wich arent compatible with a regular gba(sp)?


Oh btw the reason why I'm guessing they'll use the 33MHz ARM7 is due to two reasons:

1. Consolidation ie instead of making two versions of the ARM7, 16MHz and 33MHz respectively, they'll only need to make the latter saving costs.

2. More processing power for decompressing 30fps videos.

For backwards compatibility they could just lower the clock to save battery. This will be an awesome little portable pocket video player. I wonder if this has anything to do with the V-Pocket.

[jvd]

hm but whats the point?
so its basicly a gbaSP (+)
but with a bit higher clockspeed?
so new games are coming out for this one wich arent compatible with a regular gba(sp)? price of course .

If they can price it lower and still make moeny then that is a good thing .

Its my understanding that even with a better screen and higher clock speed it will cost less to produce (mabye a micron process change helps with costs )

So if they can lower the price to say 50$ and make a bigger profit off each system it is not a bad thing .

they would have 50$ gba sp , 150$ nintendo ds and in the future a 250$ gb 2 . IT would set the price range about right for a new portable sometime in 2007

[see colon]

and in the future a 250$ gb 2
i don't think nintendo will ever release a $250 handheld. in fact, a $200 handheld would be a stretch for them i think.

[jvd]

and in the future a 250$ gb 2
i don't think nintendo will ever release a $250 handheld. in fact, a $200 handheld would be a stretch for them i think. If it warrents the cost they will . It also fits into thier 3 tier approach . The gba sp will be the low end , entry lvl (can't get cheaper than 50$ really ) the ds would be the mid lvl at 150$ and the gb2 will be at 250$ . If you price it at 200$ it will each ds sales . If you move the ds to 100$ it will eat gba sales .

[Teasy]

IGN don't seem to agree with Eurogamer and their "source close to Nintendo" as far as Revolution at E3 is concerned. In they're E3 article they say that Nintendo might still show everything but the Revolution controller itself (design, specs ect).

[hey69]

hm but whats the point?
so its basicly a gbaSP (+)
but with a bit higher clockspeed?
so new games are coming out for this one wich arent compatible with a regular gba(sp)? price of course .

If they can price it lower and still make moeny then that is a good thing .

Its my understanding that even with a better screen and higher clock speed it will cost less to produce (mabye a micron process change helps with costs )

So if they can lower the price to say 50$ and make a bigger profit off each system it is not a bad thing .

they would have 50$ gba sp , 150$ nintendo ds and in the future a 250$ gb 2 . IT would set the price range about right for a new portable sometime in 2007

doesnt make sence...

[jvd]

doesnt make sence...

erh ?

Screen price can drop for many reasons . 1 ) the gba screen size and quality is no longer produced for anything else or no longer in the volumes that it once was 2) the increase of volume on the ds normal screen by having it in the gba and the ds will lower the cost of both units .


Chip price 1) depending on the micron process the chip can be reduced greatly in not only price but heat disaptation and power consumption . 2 ) Using the same chips as in the ds will lower the price of the chip and they can stop producing the legacy chips


Wifi ... well its just wifi most likely intergreated into the one of the console chips . Perhaps the arm chip is custom and has it built in .


So at reduced cost or the same cost they can put out a portable with longer battery life , better screen quality and more features .

This can lower the price of the ds , give the ds more wifi enabled games in the form of gba games .

[see colon]

This can lower the price of the ds , give the ds more wifi enabled games in the form of gba games .
the GBA already has a wireless adapter, and it's not compatable with the DS at all. since the adapter is reletivly new i doubt nintend will drop support for it, and if the gbasp+ has built in wireless i think it's a safe bet it will be compatable with the wireless adapter as opposed to wifi.

[jvd]

This can lower the price of the ds , give the ds more wifi enabled games in the form of gba games .
the GBA already has a wireless adapter, and it's not compatable with the DS at all. since the adapter is reletivly new i doubt nintend will drop support for it, and if the gbasp+ has built in wireless i think it's a safe bet it will be compatable with the wireless adapter as opposed to wifi.

They can easly and cheaply make it compatable with both and push develoeprs to the new standard. The wireless adapter for the gba is used only in one game so far

[see colon]

nintendo's GBA wireless adapter compatable games list (http://www.nintendo.com/gamelist?start=1&oord=asc&osort=title&sort=&cmd=&t oggle=true&query=&tf=&cf=&sf=&ef=&rf=&pf=&af=New%2 1+Game+Boy+Advance+Wireless+Adapter&vf=&nf=)
Classic NES Series: Donkey Kong Arcade Game Boy Advance E Jun 07, 2004 Nintendo
Classic NES Series: Dr. Mario Puzzles Game Boy Advance E Oct 25, 2004 Nintendo
Classic NES Series: Ice Climber Action Game Boy Advance E Jun 07, 2004 Nintendo
Classic NES Series: Pac-Man Action, Arcade Game Boy Advance E Jun 07, 2004 Nintendo
Classic NES Series: Super Mario Bros. Action Game Boy Advance E Jun 07, 2004 Nintendo
Classic NES Series: Xevious Action Game Boy Advance E Jun 07, 2004 Nintendo
Digimon Racing Racing, E3 2004 Games Game Boy Advance E Aug 2004 Bandai
Dragon Ball Z: Buu's Fury Action, RPG, E3 2004 Games Game Boy Advance E Sep 21, 2004 Atari
Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games Action, Sports Game Boy Advance E Jul 26, 2004 Nintendo
Lord of the Rings, The, The Third Age (GBA) Strategy, RPG Game Boy Advance T Nov 02, 2004 Electronic Arts
Mario Golf: Advance Tour Golf, E3 2004 Games, 2004 E3 Spotlight Game Boy Advance E Jun 21, 2004 Nintendo
Pokémon FireRed RPG Game Boy Advance E Sep 09, 2004 Nintendo
Pokémon LeafGreen RPG, E3 2004 Games, 2004 E3 Spotlight Game Boy Advance E Sep 09, 2004 Nintendo
these games are compatable with the GBA wireless adapter


as for the GBA getting a clock speed increase i don't think that will happen. even if nintendo purchased arm7's in bulk that were capable at running at a faster speed to get a bulk discount, i'm pretty sure they would clock them at stock gba speeds. the last thing nintendo needs right now is to devide it's GBA user base any more than they already have with the DS.

[Natoma]

see colon, please fix the link so it doesn't stretch the forum window. thanks. :)

Fixed link (http://www.nintendo.com/gamelist?start=1&oord=asc&osort=title&sort=&cmd=&t oggle=true&query=&tf=&cf=&sf=&ef=&rf=&pf=&af=New%2 1+Game+Boy+Advance+Wireless+Adapter&vf=&nf=)

[Natoma]

I really wish nintendo had stuck with the original GBA design. That was so much easier on the hands. :(

[PC-Engine]

as for the GBA getting a clock speed increase i don't think that will happen. even if nintendo purchased arm7's in bulk that were capable at running at a faster speed to get a bulk discount, i'm pretty sure they would clock them at stock gba speeds. the last thing nintendo needs right now is to devide it's GBA user base any more than they already have with the DS.

As I said the clock boost is only for multimedia ie decoding MPEG at 30fps. At 16MHz, the ARM7 is not capable of decoding video at 30fps. The clock boost can be programmable and not locked at 33MHz no different from the 33MHz ARM7 in DS.

This new GBA SP will serve the same purpose as the PSTwo ie increase sales.

[see colon]

see colon, please fix the link so it doesn't stretch the forum window. thanks.
i appologize to all of the non-opera users out there.

I really wish nintendo had stuck with the original GBA design. That was so much easier on the hands.
this is one of the reasons i bought a DS at launch. it's got that GBA classic shape, but it has the advantages of the sp (clamshell to protect the screens, built in light, rechargable).

As I said the clock boost is only for multimedia ie decoding MPEG at 30fps. At 16MHz, the ARM7 is not capable of decoding video at 30fps. The clock boost can be programmable and not locked at 33MHz no different from the 33MHz ARM7 in DS.
i don't see why they would do this. unless they integrate the play-yan into the new design (and i don't think they will) the installed base of play-yan owners, assuming they release it outside of JPN, will be miniscule compared to the installed base of the GBA.

i would rather see them integrate the e-reader into the GBA than the play-yan, personaly. i think watching video on a handheld is pointless in the long run. i've own several PDA's, an n-gage, and the psp, and as much as i wanted video to be an "everyday" feature, the novelty wears off rather quickly. the e-reader was great because nes games only cost $5. most of them have been re-released at $20 in the nes classics series.