Satoru Iwata on GBA and GC Successors, Online Gaming, etc

[Almasy]

Why are you contradicting yourself? If Nintendo released GBA SP equivalent 2 years ago it would've cost at least $200! Now that they've released it for $100 you say it's still expensive???? Make up your mind man

You think Nintendo wanted to sell YOU a $200 GBA SP equivalent 2 years ago when you wouldn't even buy it??? Great logic boy...

Where did I ever contradict myself? My gaming preferences have no bearing on what the hardware cost and features of GBA should be.

I´d also like to see proof that the components Nintendo used in GBA were very expensive two years ago, and having a lit screen was an impossibility. Otherwise, AFAIK GBA hardware made a profit even at launch (it´s a shame I don´t have a link).

GBA was $69, and that price was ideal for the kind of outdated hardware it is, IMO. I doubt the redesign and lit screen make a $30 increase a neccesity. Again, I could be wrong, but that´s my stance on the issue.

 

[Qroach]

PC engine, you need to relax. What he said wasn't contradictory...

 

[PC-Engine]

Where did I ever contradict myself? My gaming preferences have no bearing on what the hardware cost and features of GBA should be.

Maybe when you said you think GBA SP is still too expensive at $100? So you would not buy one today for $100, yet you would've bought one 2 years ago for $200?

I´d also like to see proof that the components Nintendo used in GBA were very expensive two years ago, and having a lit screen was an impossibility. Otherwise, AFAIK GBA hardware made a profit even at launch (it´s a shame I don´t have a link).

Two years ago rechargeable Li-Ion batteries were more expensive than they are today and today they're STILL expensive. You ever purchased a Li-Ion pack for a laptop??? Didn't think so. Also nobody said a backlit LCD screen wasn't possibe 2 years ago, but let's just say it wasn't cheap 2 years ago. BTW GBA launched at $100 in the US in it's then non lit screen, no Li-Ion battery form. Whether they made a profit or not is irrelevent. Did GCN make a profit at launch? Does it matter to the consumer?

GBA was $69, and that price was ideal for the kind of outdated hardware it is, IMO. I doubt the redesign and lit screen make a $30 increase a neccesity. Again, I could be wrong, but that´s my stance on the issue.

Rechargeable Li-Ion batteries are not cheap and add in that back lit screen and it comes pretty close to $30. Again GBA launced at $100 in the US

 

[megadrive0088]

if you don't see the change between GCN and N64 i advise you to see your doctor...

how true.

I've never been a Nintendo fan at all. never owned an 8-bit NES. been a Sega gamer since '89 (thus my name) Nintendo has never impressed me with the exception of Pilotwings. I've never liked Nintendo hardware until the GameCube. the GC is the first and only Ninty console that really impressed. huge diff between N64 and GC, in all areas. hardware, software, etc.

 

[archie4oz]

Teasy, I think you're giving a little too much credit to iwata in the time he was president. I'm sure nintendo was looking into making a back lit version of the GBA and redesigning it long before iwata was in charge.

This I do know... Also, Japanese companies don't change on a whim with the change of executives unless it's a hostile takeover. As long as Yamauchi's alive his influence is still pretty prevalent. Iwata's a bit young for a president, and was hand-picked for how well he turned HAL Labs around when they were in the dumpster. Being a young firebrand wouldn't get you very far (being young and "fresh") unless you had the tacit backing of Yamauchi...

 

[Johnny Awesome]

Well I'm cautiously optimistic, but it won't be until holiday 2004 at the earliest that Nintendo gets their act together. I like my Gamecube for the three great experiences it has given me (Eternal Darkness, Starfox Adventures, and Zelda) and the half-decent Metroid Prime and Super Mario Sunshine.

Nevertheless, from an older gamer's perspective Nintendo has an EXTREMELY light exclusive lineup this fall. RS3 is just another Star Wars shooter, Twin Snakes is another remake, but F-Zero definitely looks good. I'm willing to give Viewtiful Joe and Billy Hatcher a chance, but they are both firmly placed in the 8-12 year old demographic.

After everything that happened in the days of the Genesis, it's highly ironic that Sega is the only real reason to be excited about the Cube this holiday.

Iwata-san might be able to turn things around in 18-24 months, but he's going to have to move fast. In the meantime I expect him to lower the GCN to $129, emphasize GBA connectivity to get the kids to want one, and push Pokemon, Mario Kart, and Mario Tennis pretty hard to parents for the same reason. If they can move another 10 million Cubes between now and holiday 2004 to kids/parents, they will have weathered the storm until games that target the older demographic arrive.

That's my take on it anyway.

 

[Paul]

As for the topic, I'll believe it when I see it. I love Nintendo, I just do not like their attitude, times have changed Nintendo let's get with the times.

 

[Ooh-videogames]

...and btw, Nintendo has referred to themselves as a toy company many times in the past. They also referred to the gamecube as a toy early in it's life. there's alot of pepple out ther emaking a big deal over that comment. They should really remember these things. You wouldn't see a non toy company create and market something as big as pokemon (games, toys, cards, cartoons, movies) and not be labled a "toy company"

So if Sony had the Pokemon franchise they would have not have milked it for what its worth. When you have a franchise, that is as big as Pokemon was or still is, there's no doubt in my mind Sony would have reacted the same way.(games, toys, cards, cartoons, movies) This would give them the label toy company, but not really because their just doing what any other major company does.

Yamauchi statement is his view of Nintendo. Your basically saying that no one in Nintendo has a mind of their own. You also have to remember back in the 80's videogames were considered as kid toys, so actually they were a toy company as well as Sega in the minds of adults. But because consoles have stayed around longer than most people thought they would, things have change since then and consoles and videogames are now viewed as entertainment or as someones hobby.

 

[Sonic]

Keep the thread on topic and stop talking about Laptop batteries, it isn't relevant to the thread.

 

[keegdsb]

Why don't you just take the argument to PM? No one else seems amused by it, especially since it is no longer an argument but a spewing of silly name calling, and has nothing to do with the thread whatsoever.

Oh and by the way, they sold the Lynx in '90 or so for $99, with a backlit color screen. That's what you were arguing about right? Not laptop batteries but the price of GBA SP?

 

[Almasy]

Oh and by the way, they sold the Lynx in '90 or so for $99, with a backlit color screen. That's what you were arguing about right? Not laptop batteries but the price of GBA SP?

Thank you for steering the thread on-topic!

That was pretty much what I was trying to say, GBA could´ve had launched with a backlit screen in 2000, increasing the price of GBA SP back to $99 just because of a redesign and a new backlight is not what I´d call justifiable.

 

[Joe DeFuria]

they sold the Lynx in '90 or so for $99, with a backlit color screen.

Well than I rest my case, that was my initial argument was that nintendo could add a backlit color screen to GBC and still make money.

And if Lynx did it in '90 than that settles it.

Where is Lynx today? Looks like a back-light wasn't enough to get Lynx to get enough people to buy it and win the hand-held wars

Did you and "enuough" people buy a GBC without the back-light? Then it's justified that Nintendo left it out. That is the very definition of "justified."

 

[Paul]

What in the hell are you talking about Joe? We aren't talking about if a back light would have made GBC sell more, we are talking about IF THEY COULD HAVE PUT ONE IN GBC and still make money.

 

[Magnum PI]

atari did sold the lynx 99 dollars with lighting but it was a commercial failure so it doesn't make a good example of viability of 99 $ console w/ lighting.

did atari make money w/ the lynx ?

plus the lighting would have shorten the time you can use the console w/ a full charge, so it has its drawbacks.

and the fact nintendo chosed the longer time of use over the lighting was a factor of the success of the GB* over their competitors, and they had plenty of them: gamegear, pc engine, lynx...

they all choosed to integrate lighting and nintendo had far more success..

 

[Ooh-videogames]

You have to think about the business side of this, Nintendo does alot of reseach and looking into consumer cost is one of the them. Battery life is important, the issue has allways been battery life. Although rechargeable batteries been around for a longtime, the cost to the consumer will allways be definding factor of what goes into the GB. Unless we know what reasons Nintendo had for not including a backlight, this discussion is moot. I think Nintendo goal was to make sure that the GB didn't pass a hundred dollars in retail cost. We as consumers might not be able to understand why because we're not running a business.

There's research, manufacturing, packaging, shipping, and marketing cost thats going into cost for the consumer.

 

[keegdsb]

Atari did make money with the Lynx, but it was pulled because:
A) They refocused on Jag
B) Tramiels was a jackass

Edit: I should say make money per each individual Lynx, not in a grand total.

 

[Paul]

Edit: I should say make money per each individual Lynx, not in a grand total.

That's exactly what I meant also, that they made money per Lynx sold not in the grand scheme.

 

[Almasy]

The TE and Nomad were also released a few years AFTER the LYNX and somehow they cost $300 and $200 respectly. Just because LYNX had a low quality backlit screen for $100 means SQUAT. Where's the rechargeable Li-Ion pack??? The GBA is closer to TE and Nomad than LYNX ie they had more in common with home consoles

So? GBA was released in 2000. More than enough time for higher quality components to get cheaper, that´s of course accepting your dismissal of the other components of those machines that could have made the price go up.

GBA could have had a lit screen in 2000, I still see no reason for not including it. Oh, and IIRC GBA is frontlit, not backlit.

Batteries ARE expensive that was what I've been saying. Power inverters are not batteries and they're cheaper a lot cheaper if you know where to look. If you don't understand the what the argument was about then I'm sorry, but I'm not going to explain it to every person that doesn't understand.

What can you expect when you bring up questionable arguements and looping what you were saying? The battery power a laptop requires is not even remotely the same as what a portable machine demands, therefore the price is not even remotely to those, and that is a fact. In any case, if I remember correctly, no one in the first page even brought up rechargable batteries, so it´s very strange to me that you insist on this point.

I´m also still waiting for a vaild reason to support your arguement of me supposedly contradicting myself.

 

[V3]

Where is Lynx today? Looks like a back-light wasn't enough to get Lynx to get enough people to buy it and win the hand-held wars

Did you and "enuough" people buy a GBC without the back-light? Then it's justified that Nintendo left it out. That is the very definition of "justified."

Lynx doesn't have Pokemon. GB with back lit without Pokemon, would be dead as well. Pokemon revived the hand held gaming market for Nintendo. And I am sure Pokemon is still the best selling GBA title too.

Sony waited this long not just for technology, but to wait till Pokemon fad had gone away. Its foolish to go head to head with Pokemon.

 

[thundermonkey]

Where is Lynx today? Looks like a back-light wasn't enough to get Lynx to get enough people to buy it and win the hand-held wars

Did you and "enuough" people buy a GBC without the back-light? Then it's justified that Nintendo left it out. That is the very definition of "justified."

Lynx doesn't have Pokemon. GB with back lit without Pokemon, would be dead as well. Pokemon revived the hand held gaming market for Nintendo. And I am sure Pokemon is still the best selling GBA title too.

Sony waited this long not just for technology, but to wait till Pokemon fad had gone away. Its foolish to go head to head with Pokemon.

Then shouldn't Sony just can the PSP?

Far as sales numbers go the Pokemon fad is still going strong.