Gameboy Advance: The Next Generation

[RichieRich]

Hi All

As everyone is eagerly awaiting the Revolution and excited about WiFi for the DS, I am still intrigued by "Nintendo's 2nd Pillar" that is the GameBoy.

The impressive uptake of the DS (and its backward compatibility with GBA) might make some say that the GBA is now redundant. However, the release of the Micro convinces me that Nintendo still see the Gameboy as a cash cow worthy or future investment.

As Nintendo state that the DS is not a competitor to the PSP, then plans must be afoot for the Next Generation GameBoy (NGGB)

Nintendo have been sly at not overimproving the GameBoy. For example the GBA is close in spec to the SNES
DS is close in spec to the N64
So will the NGGB follow the formula and be of similar spec to the GameCube?

That was probably the plan, but for one thing... the PSP.
Sony have risen the bar too far and so bringing out a NGGB which is of lower spec that the PSP sounds foolish. So I can only speculate that Nintendo are having to do a rethink, but what to do...

There is also another problem, each iteration of the gameboy has had some kind of "New" selling point. i.e Color Screen, Smaller size, backlit screen etc etc.

As it stands the GBMicro is almost the perfect evolution of the Gameboy, but what can be next for the Gameboy, seeing that the DS has taken any potential changes in interface design..

I think that the NGGB will have to do the following to ensure that the NGGB: -

Provide backward compatibility to all gamboy games of yore..
Provide a spec that is better or equal to the PSP.
Provide "a new special feature" so that people will buy one.

As the Cube has been relatively unpopular, it is unlikely that Nintendo may make it similar to it.

What do you think Nintendo can do to make the NGGB better than the PSP, but not get confused with the DS???









"Gameboy: Next Geration" (GBNG) may u

[demonmike04]

I doubt we'l see this new gameboy for quite some time, but im not too sure what to expect. Fears it could over take nintendo's own console the DS, and if it does, the 2D game fans will be left in drought.

[Helmsly]

I don’t know how good an idea this is but I’d love Nintendo to do something alone the lines of an Ipod but for games. Being able to download games and have them all stored on the thing so you can access them whenever without having to carry cartridges or discs with you. I’m not saying that that should be the only way to play games on it, they could make it so you can still buy games for it, but I like the idea of having a little box with all your favourite titles stored for easy access (kinda like the revolution I guess).

So I'd like the next gameboy to be along those lines.

[Eddage]

So will the NGGB follow the formula and be of similar spec to the GameCube?

That was probably the plan, but for one thing... the PSP.
Sony have risen the bar too far and so bringing out a NGGB which is of lower spec that the PSP sounds foolish.

But if the NGGB (as you call it) was going to follow this pattern and be similar to the Gamecube then how has the PSP got in the way - because similar to Gamecube graphics are better then similar to PS2 graphics!?

[Mimternet]

I doubt you'll see a new Gameboy at all. DS Evolution does everything GBA Evolution could do and more. No more Gameboy.

[Kurtle Squad]

I reckon to make the next Gameboy different they will add multimedia things and make it SUPER POWERFULL!!

[Konfucius]

I think the DS and Gameboy will be combined.
I think the new Gameboy will feature one bigger touch-screen, backwards compatibility and compatibility for DS games but intead of seeing the image on 2 screen you will see them besides each other on one screen. Maybe it also uses dics but then loads all the data into a flash memory so that there are short loading times.
Furthermore I think it can be nearly as powerful as the Revo if they release it two or three years after the Revo because the Revo is already pretty small, at least GC graphics will be possible in roughly two years I think and to make it a bit more revolution like it will recognise tilting.

[Stocka]

I can't see the NGGB using a Touch Screen, neither can I see it being shown soon, and also I have NO IDEA WHATSOEVER it is going to be. No-one(okay maybe a couple of people) predicted that the DS would have two screens and a touch screen, and with all the Revolution mock ups no-one guessed right, so who knows what Nintendo have up their sleeve. They are masters at suprising us.

[RichieRich]

I reckon to make the next Gameboy different they will add multimedia things and make it SUPER POWERFULL!!

Wow Guys, thanks for all the posts!

That sounds more like the PSP! Nintendo are a pure gaming company and it is unlikely that they will do that, indeed what do Nintendo know about making music players etc. Also I find multi function devices a bit lame and soon become QVC technology hour fodder.

I like the gameboy as it does one thing well and thats games.

Connectivity will have a big part to play im sure. What im not so sure about is the size? 3D gaming really does require large high definition screens, and a analogue stick, and this may make the NGGB big and clunky like the PSP. Its also interesting to note that there are not that many true 3D games for the DS, does 3D really port that well to a protable medium??


I think that the NGGB will have a touch screen, but won't be dual screened and will include all of the features that Nintendo have been experimenting with on the GBA, i.e Motion detection (aka Wario Ware Twisted/Yoshi's U'G'), a rumble feature AND access to the entire GameBoy back catalogue via WiFi.

Do you remember those hand held games where you have to move a ball bearing around a maze by tilting etc, or line them all up in holes, how good would that be on NGGB, but converted into a MonkeyBall game?? Again Instant pick up and play and eay to understand waht to do, aka Revolution!

[Pit-Jr]

I don’t know how good an idea this is but I’d love Nintendo to do something alone the lines of an Ipod but for games. Being able to download games and have them all stored on the thing so you can access them whenever without having to carry cartridges or discs with you. I’m not saying that that should be the only way to play games on it, they could make it so you can still buy games for it, but I like the idea of having a little box with all your favourite titles stored for easy access

This is a no-brainer, and id go so far as to say they will release some kind of storage expansion for the DS so that classic GBA games can be downloaded to the DS through the Wi-Fi service. They can, in-effect, resell theyre entire GBA library again

[MidnightSun]

a portable gamecube with a flash card slot would be keen.

[Calibur]

Yeah there will defenetly be another Game Boy it will most likey use UMD discs like the PSP. Game Boy Evolution anybody?

[pedrocasilva]

Old news (2004/04/21)... but...
Next Generation Game Boy

We don’t have any specific numbers for the next Game Boy, but we’ve got plenty of information nonetheless. Do note, this isn’t information about the DS. The next Game Boy will supposedly launch some time in 2006.

* The working title is "Game Boy Evolution".
* The system will have a flip-top design, similar to the GBA SP.
* Games will come on mini-discs, as opposed to cartridges.
* The graphics will be slightly better than those found on the Sega Dreamcast.
* Bluetooth wireless networking will be built in.
* The system will feature backwards compatibility, but not in the same way the GBA plays old Game Boy games. Supposedly there will be a device that will allow you to download games from their carts into a harddrive-like element of the new Game Boy. Confusing, yes, but that's all we've managed to gleam. Speculate as you like.
* The system's screen will be lit, similar to the GBA SP. Source: http://www.n-sider.com/articleview.php?articleid=296

now it's obvious that the hard drive project to play retro games was in a way passed onto nintendo Revolution, but probably it was not completly canned, and continues in development as we speak...

Also I remember when someone asked about the gamecube... "why the mini dvd's?" and some nintendo head said "portability" or something along those lines...

It's easy to make a portable gamecube with the size of a PSP right now, the only problem is, obviously... the battery, GBA has 10 to 20 Hours right now, and it can't go under those numbers, just to display better graphics.

the other possible problems about a portable gamecube would be shrinking the GPU(Flipper) core to reduce consumption, but, as most of it's core size is due to the embedded cache being 1T-SRAM, 3 MB of them, that would have to be alocated outside of the core, like the Slot pentiums with external cache, that or 3 MB of real cache On-Die, and that would cost a lot.

Other than that they would have to redesign 1T-SRAM for a smaller process, low consumption, that would actually make it cheaper as would shrinking the process used in the cpu and gpu.

all in all it's been possible to do for years now, and getting better, just think, how much space and heat dissipation you could avoid passing gecko from .13 microns to .065 (more than half the size) or .15 in flipper for 0.65 baring in mind that it would already be alot smaller without the embedded cache, it would be like... 6 to 8 times smaller.

Oh god what a post :X

[RichieRich]

There is one problem with the source you quote from, its starts with

"Let's just say we know a guy who knows another... guy... in a large Japanese… company. "
Translation: We met a guy down the pub who knows nothing!

Interestingly this article also quotes the spec of the Revolution, with its "N64 body shape" and no mention of a different control system. This is just rubbish.

Also why would anyone want to buy a console that has slightly better graphics than the sega dreamcast when you can buy a PSP.

The article also also states that Nintendo will use the blueRay, hello isn't this a Sony technology. I can't see Nintendo paying Sony a licence to use this disk format?

Instead of a GameBoy Evolution, it's going to have to be a GameBoy revolution...

[pedrocasilva]

There is one problem with the source you quote from, its starts with

"Let's just say we know a guy who knows another... guy... in a large Japanese… company. "
Translation: We met a guy down the pub who knows nothing!

Interestingly this article also quotes the spec of the Revolution, with its "N64 body shape" and no mention of a different control system. This is just rubbish.

Also why would anyone want to buy a console that has slightly better graphics than the sega dreamcast when you can buy a PSP.

The article also also states that Nintendo will use the blueRay, hello isn't this a Sony technology. I can't see Nintendo paying Sony a licence to use this disk format?

Instead of a GameBoy Evolution, it's going to have to be a GameBoy revolution...from n-sider? I don't think so... infact those are the specs for revolution two years ago, that were, since then pumped up, but it's known by all rumors and leaks afterwards that there are two systems in development, a more cost effective one and a more powerful one, so I believe that rumor was true, somewhere in the past.

also mind you... PSP is not slightly more powerfull than Dreamcast... infact it's inferior... PSP is not a portable PS2...