Topic: New Gameboy

[MaryJane]

A thought occured to me recently. It has been talked about before, that the new gameboy, could and probably should use gamecube discs as it's media. and I agree with that to the point that it would expand it's library, and be very inexpensive, as since the revolution is so small they can obviously make something with the power of gamecube miniscule. however with the size of the discs and decent sized screen we're talking about a sizeable system which would be one drawback. drawback two would be that one of the biggest selling factors of all gameboys i've always felt was it's unrestrained backwards compatibility, sure they could add the hardware to play the old games, but now we're talking even bigger and heavier to accomodate it, especially since the ds only plays gba games. Using gamecube discs has major advantages though, I already mentioned the low cost since GC's are mass produced already shrinking the down the same hardware probably wouldn't cost too much, and the discs also, no new media required, bigger library, great grapics, and the rev would be able to play all new games for it also. Realistically i don't see a new gameboy any time in the near future, the gba sp, gbmicro, and ds, are all selling really well, with no real competition. I don't think the psp counts for 2 reasons. 1. it's a multimedia player, where as the gb's and ds are pure gaming systems. 2. the level of sales aren't even close. And nintendo is probably still rolling around in their gameboy bed of success having pillows fights with pillows full of yen.

I was just wondering what others thought about these issues.  

[Ian Sane]

The problem with a portable Gamecube is that the Gamecube requires twin analog sticks.  How do you include that functionality with something that fits in your pocket?  Plus Cube games are designed to be played with multiple controllers while portable games assume everyone has their own screen.  I guess they could just make it so you link four systems up and everone sees the same thing on their screen but it would really suck to be forced to play split screen when you each have your own screen.  Plus there's the issue of text size as console games aren't designed to be readable on itty bitty screens.

I wonder if one of the reasons Nintendo is going back to a d-pad and two buttons for the Rev remote is so that someday they can combine consoles and portables into one system?  Obviously they would have to get rid of a lot of the extra doodads console controllers have to accomodate that.

[animecyberrat]

yeah also remeber the nomad, it was a portable Genesis but it really wasnt that portable because of how big the carts were. I agree totaly with Ians poinst, if they were to make the next portable use GC sized disks they woudl haev to do so without making it GC compatible or else they have to figure out a way to adress the issues already mention in Ians post.  

[vudu]

Also, the GameCube plays discs, which will eat away at the battery like there's no tomorrow.  And any game that was programemd specifically for GameCube won't optimize the spinning, which means it'll go through them faster than the PSP.

Plus, GameCube discs aren't protected (like UMDs) so they'll be very prone to scratching.

Moreover, lots of games will be fairly unplayable on such a small screen.  Almost all text would be impossible to read unless the screen was huge.

[MaryJane]

I'm just playing devil's advocate but here goes:

The could come up with a way to address the split screen issue, they already have ways to use a single console on multiple t.v so there is no split screen, they two portable gc's would have to communicate well with each other, in single disc play, one would be transfering its controller inputs, (button presses joystick movements) while the other is transmitting the display and result of those actions to the other portable. complex but not undoable.
Battery life could be addressed simply, the original ds's battery life is 6hrs (?) and the lite is 10hrs (?) in 1-3 yrs i'm sure they'd be able to make an affordable long lasting battery to run GC discs. as for scratching normal cd's scratch, but people still insist on using them in their portable cd players, u'd just have to use care.

The biggest issue would definitely be it's size, the screen would need to be fairly large, larger than a ds screen, but as for the text being too small, that can be fixed with a simple zoom feature, which i've always thought portable video games should employ anyway. Even with features like that though the we're still talking a fairly big system, the other thing is the gc games (the ones already made) aren't too portable themselves in their original cases, and what's the point of a portable system with games that arent portable?

[Tanookisuit]

Maybe the next Gameboy will be fully compatible with Rev's wi-fi connection and the virtual console system.  Maybe it will have a very large hard drive or flash drive that you can wirelessly download the virtual console games onto, as well as Gamecube content.  Maybe buying Gameboy specific games would be as simple as taking your system to the store, paying at a kiosk and downloading your game.  Kind of like an iPod.  

[MaryJane]

that'd be awesome, 100gb hard drives are getting smaller everyday, only "bad" thing that would do, is that the rev would no longer be able to claim it launched with the largest amount of available games. they should make gb games avaible on virtual console, maybe they will if they use ur idea.  

[Ian Sane]

One thing that could work is if it's not really a portable as we know it.  Compare gaming to PCs.  In the PC world we have desktops, laptops and palms.  The typical console is naturally like a desktop.  It's meant to stay at home.  The typical portable is like a palm.  It's meant to be small enough to fit in your pocket but it unable to provide the exactly same functionality of the desktop so it has it's own unique software.  A laptop is in between.  It's designed to be portable but it tries to maintain the functionality of a desktop, which compromises its size thus making it still portable enough to be easy to travel with and able to be used away from home but not small enough to fit in your pocket.  There is nothing like that for consoles.  A console is designed to stay in your living room connected to your TV.  There are no consoles that have their own screen and speakers and are designed to run on batteries.  There is no console designed to be played on a park bench or an a plane.  We have portables but they don't provide the same games with the same options.

That's probably what a portable Cube would have to be like.  It would have to be like a laptop.  I'm really wondering if that is Nintendo's plan with the Rev.  They've made a big deal about the size and power efficiency of the system.  What the hell do you need efficient energy consumption on something plugging into the wall?  The only problem with that is that the remote is designed in such a way that you really couldn't use it on the go.  Motion control the way Nintendo demonstrated in that Rev video requires space to move around which would limit things to the home.  Playing a full-on console on an airplane only works for the traditional design of a controller in your hand and a screen in your face.

[jasonditz]

I'd just as soon they stick to the cartridge format for the next gameboy... battery technology just isn't far enough along to support a robust gaming experience on a portable. Moreover... analog sticks break... I've gone through several gamecube controllers because the left sticks keep crapping out after a couple years... I don't want to have to pitch my handheld because the analog stick broke... so they either better stick to digital or find a way to easily replace the sticks.

I'd rather see the next GB as a progression on the GBA rather than an attempt to trump the PSP.

[31 Flavas]

Quote
Originally posted by: Ian Sane

They've made a big deal about the size and power efficiency of the system.  What the hell do you need efficient energy consumption on something plugging into the wall?

Uhm... I would assume over heating and such. They've got a lot of high power / high performance electronics in a very small space.

Quote
The only problem with that is that the remote is designed in such a way that you really couldn't use it on the go. [...] Motion control the way Nintendo demonstrated in that Rev video requires space to move around which would limit things to the home.

I'm quite sure Nintendo had the actors in the video purposefuly exaggerate their motions to demonstrate the controller. Short small motions will probably work just as well as broad sweeping motions.

[IceCold]

Game Boy. Game Boy. Game Boy.

We've talked about this a lot in the past, and there's a few problems with it, not the least of which its tie-in ratio. With 3 consoles able to play the discs AND so many titles already available, the tie-in ratio will be miserable. Miserable, miserable, miserable. And that is one thing that Nintendo cherishes like their own child.

[MaryJane]

I don't think i understand what you mean ice cold. I would think that having 3 systems able to play the same game (really 2 cuz not to many people will buy a gamecube after the rev launch, and especially after the launch of the new gameboy if it were to use the same discs, and nintendo stops manufacturing gc's) would be very appealing to developers. You supply 2 different users with one game, with no extra development costs. and its a great marketing strategy, it's the whole reason behind the past super gameboy, and the gameboy player. play the game on ur nice big t.v and when it's time to go out, u can still play on ur portable gameboy. except now there's no extra add-on needed bcuz the rev can play the games straight out of the box. the other benefit would be the memory cards, the sd cards the psp uses (and the rev apparently has a slot for) are expensive. so if nintendo wanted to use discs for the next gameboy the gamecube discs would be the best choice.

[IceCold]

Yeah, but there are already hundreds of games for the GameCube. If they make this a true handheld, it would be very easy for someone to just pick up the system and not buy any new games at all for it. With all of the great games to choose from, they won't need anything else.  

[Ages]

You should've mentioned that to Nintendo when they released the GBC.  We all know the horrible tie in ratio that system has .

[IceCold]

The new games had a marked improvement... colour.

[wandering]

Yeah, and new Portable GameCube (PoGaCue) games will have a marked improvement, too...3-d.

[MaryJane]

yeah, it's unfortunate, but time proven that games never fully push a system to it's limits until the end of it's life cycle so if they were to continue making games on a portable cube, the graphics would/should/could be consistently Twilight Princess like or better. and there's nothing stoping them from making small improvements to the graphics processor. oh, and i don't think nintendo would care if people bought a gc instead of the portable one to play the new games, cuz the money comes from the games anyway, and they'd still chalk it up to being succesful because of the portable.  

[IceCold]

Quote
Originally posted by: wandering
Yeah, and new Portable GameCube (PoGaCue) games will have a marked improvement, too...3-d.

Eh? I said that if they made this system, there would be so many games to choose from that people wouldn't buy any new games. Then Ages said that Nintendo should have thought about that when they made the GBC. So I pointed out that new games for the GBC were different than those of the original Game Boy since they had colour. GameCube games before the PGC (Portable not Planet) will be nearly the same as the new ones on the PGC..

[wandering]

What I meant was, the portable gamecube could feature a 3-d screen. Like those Sharp 3d monitors. So new games would be in 3d.  

[IceCold]

Ah. Yeah, that's possible.. Virtual Boy 2! I don't suppose the old GameCube games would work, then? And how expensive would the technology be?

[MaryJane]

Here's a list of reasons i think gb with gc discs would be succesful, anyone feel free to add to it, refute the list, or just come up with a list of negatives.

1. Large pre-existing game library
2. Great graphics for a handheld
3. No add-on gameboy player for new gb games
4. Another reason for people to buy the Rev, bcuz there'd be two game formats to choose from. and much more games
5. The system would be fairly cheap as the technology isn't new
6. The cube is small, the rev smaller, it wouldn't be a big problem for Nintendo to make it.
7. I love the idea
8. Old games that didn't sell well in the past would be given a second chance.
9. Replay value increases with every game since you aren't limited to playing it at home.
(maybe replay value isn't the term i'm looking for but i can't think of a better one)
10. Don't forget 1-9

[Caliban]

No more GB's please, the DS is enough for now. Let it pass 5 years or more until another, new portable system is launched.

[IceCold]

Quote
Originally posted by: Caliban
No more GB's please, the DS is enough for now. Let it pass 5 years or more until another, new portable system is launched.

I couldn't agree more..

[Caterkiller]

Thank you Caliban. Lets be happy with what we have here which is basicly our latest Gameboy. I don't care how much Nintendo states that the DS isn't the next Gameboy, but the fact is it is.  At the start of it all Nintendo claimed it was a 3rd pillar to the GCN and GB and wouldn't be the next GB or something like that. You read the interviews and the "next Gameboy" is braught up every now and then, so I could see how one would think there is something in the works. And yes something is no doubt, Nintendo always works on their next consoles right after they are finished with the latest. But do any of you honestly think they would launch something that is basicly a more powerful PSP? It would completely go against everything that they are working toward now, with all these new ways to play and such.  Unless DS sales take a massive hit, then I am quite sure we won't be seeing the next Nintendo hand held for a while. And if we do, and it does have the Gameboy name you can bet that its going to have some crazy functions rather than just the standard old way to play. No earlier than 5 more years I say!  

[IceCold]

They'll probably be calling the Revolution the fourth pillar soon..