Ding Dong the Gameboy's Dead

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Doctor Oak

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Iwata has revealed in an interview with Reuters at E3 that the Gameboy will not have a new version, instead the DS and Wii will carry on alone.

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has revealed that the company does not intend to produce any further iterations of the Game Boy Advance, despite the success of the GBA SP and GBA Micro.

In an interview with Reuters, Iwata said: "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."

"The Japanese game market is now evolving around DS. We don't need to do something that will pour cold water on the situation."

More than 74 million Game Boy Advance units have now been sold, a figure which includes sales of the original handheld, the more compact, backlit GBA SP, and the diminutive Game Boy Micro.

At the company's pre-E3 press conference earlier this week, Nintendo said that consumers have snapped up more than 16 million DS units since the handheld launched in the US on November 21st last year.

However, the company will not be focusing all of its attention on the DS over the coming months, since the Wii is due to launch this winter. Iwata promised that there will be a strong day one software line-up, stating: "I am aware that we cannot win user support by offering only a few titles at the launch like we did for Nintendo 64 and GameCube."

"We want to make it a double digit and we are able to do that." Titles already confirmed for launch include The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, the Wii Sports compilation and Ubisoft shooter Red Steel.

Iwata said he believes Nintendo can be the market leader in the next-generation console cycle, despite the fact that poor sales of the GameCube have left the Japanese giant trailing in third place this time around.

"We are fighting not with Sony or Microsoft, but with indifference among our potential customers," Iwata said.

"We are the only one who has clearly made it a mission to lure those who don't play games and those who have quit playing games, and to break down a wall in a household between players and non-players. If that goal is achieved, there is a good chance that we can be number one."
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Like I said in 2004 and I'm saying now. Third Pillar my arse.
 
Wow...finally my prophecy has been revealed. Or...common sense took over. C'mon...Nintendo was NOT going to carry on TWO handhelds. It's just stupid to think they would. Although I AM saddened to see the Gameboy name no longer used. The only thing preventing me from being upset is the fact that Duck Hunt is coming out for the Wii. Nothing is better.
 
The Gameboy micro was a bad idea. So the DS becomes the new handheld template and can still kick PSP's ass everday day of the week (and twice on Tuesdays).
 
The Nintendo DS is the best and way better than the GBA or The Micro. Dont Get me wrong, Im a little old school too. But u just have let go of the decease. RIP GAMEBOY
 
Aww. I like the Gameboy Advance more than the DS, personally, so this saddens me. But I suppose as long as the games are still the same great stuff I love, I can get used to the DS handheld style becoming the norm.

R.I.P., Gameboy. *holds up a lighter*
 
They should have just called it the "Gameboy DS" and all would have been fine without the "third pillar" nonsense.

Honestly, what's the difference?
 
The DS is, well, the DS. Calling it "Gameboy DS" would be stupid. Besides, with the PSP, letters are apparently THE in thing for current handhelds.

Although "Gameboy DS" also sounds very close to "Gameboy SP" So you can hopefully understand where I'm coming from.
 
The DS was not labelled as a new Gameboy for the sole purpose of departing from the notion of what the Gameboy was.

I mean it's in the name, a game system primarily for little boys.

Nintendo wasn't going to reach their new audiences that way.

They NEEDED the change and for it to stand alone. But that said, it's a pity to see the Gameboy Franchise die off - even though i've been saying from E3 2004 there was never going to be another one. I'd say it's possibly even sadder now that Gunpei Yokoi is no longer with us but at least we still have the legacy of Metroid's reborn success to remember him by. And Kid Icarus' cameo in SSBB. And of course the memory of how much of a runaway success the Gameboy was.

R.I.P.
Gunpei Yokoi's Gameboy: 1989-2006.​
 
I don't expect that the Gameboy name will die totally. You'll still see GBA support for a long while (it's very cheap to develop for), and I expect that whatever handheld replaces the DS in 2-3 years time will be given the Gameboy moniker.
 
Yes, but whatever handheld follows the DS would probably use a touch screen/two screens too. Unless they're counting on another drastic change...

But seriously, who did believe that it would remain a "third pillar"? People talked about a portable Gamecube, but wouldn't that be a bit niche/hardcore, and inconsistent with their general philosophy?
 
How much more drastic can you get than adding an extra screen? Three screens?
A Virtual Boy remake?

(is reminded of Decline 2)
 
I'll always love my SP, and nothing will change that. :p It just fits in my pocket easier than all of the other handhelds, and...yeah. :p
 
Game Boy is dead since that little girl in Foo Fighters video threw it from that bridge. XD
 
nYoo said:
Huh?
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Heh. OBVIOUSLY they mean 2004. It's not as if they're the first people to get confused over such things. Especially when there a number of different important variations of what you'd call a 'year'.

Also, way to go for picking the most inane point out of a really important article!
Go you!
 
>.> I'm assuming this also means they are to cease making games for the GBA, and will focus on putting them all on DS?
 
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