GBA2 in development!

[thop]

Speaking at the recent ELSPA Games Summit, Gosen admitted that "new Game Boy iterations are under review right now, before the first DS is sold", which follow similar comments made by Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata around the time of the DS' initial reports in January this year, who was keen to stress that the DS was more of an experiment in testing the market reaction to a Dual Screen device than any concerted attempt to bring out a successor to the GBA.

He pointed out back then that he couldn't predict how well the DS would go down in the market and that maybe only 10 per cent of its audience would buy it. He added that a new Game Boy was being devised in addition to the DS, but Nintendo's release strategy may rest on how well the DS performs in the market when it releases later this year in Japan, and early next year in the US and Europe.

If the device underperforms and finds that Sony is eating away market share with the PSP, the company may well bring the release of its new Game Boy forward to as early as 2006, but should the DS exceed expectations, Nintendo may consider making the most of its good fortune and delay a true sucessor to te GBA to the following year.

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=55812

 

[hey69]

like everybody knows already, IF DS fails, nintendo will release their backupplan console the socalled gba2

 

[London Geezer]

They've only got VirtualBoy 2 left now...

 

[Evil_Cloud]

like everybody knows already, IF DS fails, nintendo will release their backupplan console the socalled gba2

Nintendo DS will not fail, but it would have gotten more succes if Nintendo made it slightly more powerfull than Nintendo 64, and of course extremely easy to program on.

 

[zurich]

Hahah ok so lets back up here!

Nintendo is releasing an experimental handheld onto the market, relying on their traditional core base of fans to shell out their cash (I'm sure it will be sold with a large margin) on something Nintendo themselves doesn't necessarily believe in. Despite this, the fans are echoing the party line arrogance about "two screens = teh future!!", etc., while Nintendo is ready to release a more 'traditional' handheld should the DS concept fail.

I can see the business sense in all this, but the way Nintendo abuses their hold over their fans just drives me crazy.

 

[Megadrive1988]

it's been known since 2001-2002 that GBA's sucessor (not DS) was under development.

 

[wazoo]

Considering the Ds is according to nintendo a third pillar, irt is normal they confess that GBA2 is in development

 

[GHost]

Someone's missing the point. And misreading poor Nintedo. Again... (*sigh*)

..should the DS exceed expectations, Nintendo may consider making the most of its good fortune and delay a true successor to te GBA to the following year...

In other words : GBA2 will be released no matter how successful DS is.

 

[jvd]

Someone's missing the point. And misreading poor Nintedo. Again... (*sigh*)

..should the DS exceed expectations, Nintendo may consider making the most of its good fortune and delay a true successor to te GBA to the following year...

In other words : GBA2 will be released no matter how successful DS is.

yup just when is the question .

The longer they wait the more powerfull it becomes .

 

[hey69]

Someone's missing the point. And misreading poor Nintedo. Again... (*sigh*)

..should the DS exceed expectations, Nintendo may consider making the most of its good fortune and delay a true successor to te GBA to the following year...

In other words : GBA2 will be released no matter how successful DS is.

they have to bring out a successor someday aren't they ?... or we get stuck by a dualscreen gameboy till 2015!

 

[GHost]

DS - end 2004, GBA2 - 2006/7, which is a bit early if you look at it as a DS replacement. IF DS exceeds their expectations

 

[zurich]

..yet if DS is a huge success, then GBA2 will be no where to be seen for some time, thus nullifying the third pillar argument (which I think is bull anyhow, and just meant to detract attention from the fact that the DS is an 'experiment' pushed out the door by Yamauchi).

 

[GHost]

RTFA is all I can say

Edit: I'm not really seeing DS as a third pillar either, just arguing that Nintendo does act like it.

 

[cthellis42]

it's been known since 2001-2002 that GBA's sucessor (not DS) was under development.

Well I assume ideas have always been bandied about, but with a comment like "new Game Boy iterations are under review right now" it doesn't seem much like serious development has been underway yet. Especially if they're not aiming for any firm release date but waiting to see how popular DS gets. Seems more like "keeping things in mind" and periodically updating some expectations as the tech changes through the years.

I expect that since the relative success of the PSP will affect design and the relative success of the DS will affect release date, so everything is very mutable right now.

 

[Evil_Cloud]

It's not more than logical Nintendo is doing R&D, to remain competitive you need to keep investing money.

 

[Megadrive1988]

Well I assume ideas have always been bandied about, but with a comment like "new Game Boy iterations are under review right now" it doesn't seem much like serious development has been underway yet. Especially if they're not aiming for any firm release date but waiting to see how popular DS gets. Seems more like "keeping things in mind" and periodically updating some expectations as the tech changes through the years.

I expect that since the relative success of the PSP will affect design and the relative success of the DS will affect release date, so everything is very mutable right now.

no, I was specifically talking about actual R&D. not merely ideas.

AGB2/GBA2 and GCN2 (now known as GCNext/Revolution) were said to be in development in 2001. certainly by 2002, things were fully underway in development.

 

[Teasy]

Zurich

GB2 is going to come out anyway. The only thing that can change is when it comes out. If DS does exeptionally well then it may be delayed, if not it won't be. If you have something selling like hot cakes you don't want to bring out something similar too soon. Nothing out of the ordinary or bad in that. With DS Nintendo are simply releasing something new and different and they hope the market will accept it. The way your twisting this to make it sound like its some sort of evil deed is pathetic. Also your quite wrong when you say that DS will be sold for a large profit. DS hardware will at best break even on release, Nintendo have already made this clear. Sorry if that destroys your "Evil Nintendo are ripping off there fans" theory.

In the end if bringing out something new and different is abusing your fanbase then lets hope other companies get off there arses and start abusing there fanbases as soon as possible Maybe then gameplay would move forward instead of only graphics.

 

[cthellis42]

no, I was specifically talking about actual R&D. not merely ideas.

AGB2/GBA2 and GCN2 (now known as GCNext/Revolution) were said to be in development in 2001. certainly by 2002, things were fully underway in development.

I know you were, but I'm curious just how serious and in-depth it can get tech-wise if it has an undecided release date and mutable features. <shrugs> In a way I HOPE it's not too in-depth, as that tends to lock you in certain directions, and if they were initially aiming at, say, 2005 and choose to delay it until 2006/2007...

I'm sure it's a running project and has been so for a while, but I don't think it's of the same sort as any device that's seriously aiming at a specific date and specific silicon features and begins moving on it years in advance.

 

[Megadrive1988]

^ absolutely agree

 

[zurich]

Zurich

GB2 is going to come out anyway. The only thing that can change is when it comes out. If DS does exeptionally well then it may be delayed, if not it won't be. If you have something selling like hot cakes you don't want to bring out something similar too soon. Nothing out of the ordinary or bad in that. With DS Nintendo are simply releasing something new and different and they hope the market will accept it. The way your twisting this to make it sound like its some sort of evil deed is pathetic. Also your quite wrong when you say that DS will be sold for a large profit. DS hardware will at best break even on release, Nintendo have already made this clear. Sorry if that destroys your "Evil Nintendo are ripping off there fans" theory.

In the end if bringing out something new and different is abusing your fanbase then lets hope other companies get off there arses and start abusing there fanbases as soon as possible Maybe then gameplay would move forward instead of only graphics.

Only problem with this is the...

if DS = success
then DS = GBA2

...theory.