Nintendo May Not Launch GBA Sucessor?

[Wizard]

Nintendo may not launch Game Boy Advance sequel

Thu May 11, 2006 9:26am ET12

 

By Kiyoshi Takenaka

 

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Nintendo Co. Ltd. (7974.OS: Quote, Profile, Research) may not launch a new version of its wildly popular Game Boy Advance portable game player so it can focus on the latest hit hand-held machine, the DS.

 

"I would have a second thought about using our resources on what would be the next generation of Game Boy Advance, considering the strong support DS is now enjoying," President Satoru Iwata told Reuters on the first day of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3).

 

"The Japanese game market is now evolving around DS. We don't need to do something that will pour cold water on the situation." E3 is an annual trade show for the nearly $30 billion global video game industry.

 

Nintendo, known for games featuring characters such as Donkey Kong, Mario and Pokemon, said a third-party research shows about 16 million of its dual-screened Nintendo DS machines have been sold worldwide, millions more than Sony Corp.'s (6758.T: Quote, Profile, Research) rival PlayStation Portable (PSP) hand-held.

 

Strong demand for DS, and its innovative casual games such as "Nintendogs", in 2005 helped the entire Japanese game market post growth for the first time in five years.

 

Nintendo has sold more than 74 million units of the Game Boy Advance series as of December 2005, cementing the Japanese video game maker's dominance in the portable game machine market.

 

Iwata also said more than 10 software titles will be available in time for the launch of its upcoming game console, Wii, which is set for release in the fourth quarter of 2006 to compete with Microsoft Corp.'s (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) Xbox 360 and Sony's upcoming PlayStation 3.

 

Although Nintendo dominates the market for hand-held game machines, it trails Sony and Microsoft in the console market.

 

 

 

Continue to Reuters.com for the full 2 page article.

[Samor]

they would shoot themselves in the foot if they did.

[someboddy]

What? No GBA nano?

 

Frankly, I couldn't care less. The backlight was a good enough reason to release the SP, but now who will want to buy a new all-the -same version of the GBA when you can just buy DS?

[Mooney]

NON! C'est ne PAS vrai!!

 

This makes me so mad and sad that I used French...

[Lucandrake]

I could wait for a gba succeser, I would DEFINITLY wait if a shadowrunner remake was to be released for it.

 

Edit: Mentioning shadowrunner was random but I can't stop thinking about the game '....

Edited May 13, 2006 by Drake

[Mooney]

But what will they make if not a GameBoy? A DS 2 with 4 screens?

[Lucandrake]

A GBNG!! Gameboy Next Generation!!! O the wonders going in my head!!

[Mooney]

A GBNG!! Gameboy Next Generation!!! O the wonders going in my head!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That... would be... sounding like something from Star Trek...

[Lucandrake]

Hmm, how about, GameBoy 2k10? Since it'll be released in 2k10?

[Mooney]

How about Gameboy Power? No... GP is already used... (GP 32, GP 2x)... Maybe... Gameboy BLACKDEATH?

[Lucandrake]

GBBD would so not workout....., GameBoyNeXt?