Author Topic: Game Boy Micro in September at $99 (Read 9853 times)

Bloodworth · « **on:** August 17, 2005, 12:35:30 AM »

The latest GBA is almost here.

STYLISH NEW GAME BOY MICRO SHIPS SEPT. 19

Players Can Choose from Two Colors, Each with Three Custom Faceplates

REDMOND, Wash., Aug. 17, 2005 – Fall's hippest new tech-cessory won't be found on a fashion runway, but it will turn every head just the same. Game Boy® Micro starts shipping to stores nationally Sept. 19 at an MSRP of $99.99, and promises to be one of the most sought-after gotta-haves heading into fall and the holiday season. The edgy hardware will come in both silver and black versions, each with three removable, fun faceplates so users can personalize their Micro depending on their mood.

"Game Boy goes anywhere, and now it fits anywhere," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "The incredibly small size of Game Boy Micro belies the powerful technology shrunk into a hip new casing with an intensely bright screen; and at under $100, it's a must-have."

Game Boy Micro measures just 4 inches wide, 2 inches long and 0.7 inches thin. It weighs 2.8 ounces, about the weight of 80 paper clips. Yet it boasts the same power as previous Game Boy Advance models, complete with the ability to play all Game Boy Advance games, a library of more than 700 titles. Game Boy Micro features a 2-inch, crystal-clear screen, and Start/Select buttons that glow with the cool, neon-like blue found on many cell phones.

The black Game Boy Micro will include one faceplate with a "Flame" design of fiery yellow double helixes on an orange background. It also will come with a green "Camouflage" faceplate and a chic silver faceplate. The silver Game Boy Micro will include an "Ammonite" faceplate with a dark blue swirling pattern. It also will come with a "Ladybug" faceplate that features a ladybug on a large pink gerbera daisy, and a slick black faceplate. Images are available at www.gameboy.com.

The faceplates serve a secondary function beyond simple style. They form a durable, protective façade over the luminous screen of the Game Boy Micro.

Nephilim · « **Reply #1 on:** August 17, 2005, 01:35:03 AM »

so much for it come with a play-yen, might as well buy a ds for that price

olanmills · « **Reply #2 on:** August 17, 2005, 03:11:08 AM »

Are they crazy? $100? What's the point? And they're going to be confusing consumers. Now there's three versions of the GBA and the DS. And, seriously, come on Nintendo, $100? That's just a joke right? I don't even think you can play multiplayer with it. You're supposed to spur additional sales of games with this cool redesign at a reduced price, not try to act like you have a new console being released. It has a smaller screen and can't play multi, but it costs more than an SP. What do you get? It looks cool. It's slick, but $100 is just stupid.

Aussie Ben PGC · « **Reply #3 on:** August 17, 2005, 03:12:02 AM »

*sob* Why, Nintendo? WHY did you have to release another variation of your hardware?? This is going to take my Game Boy count to twenty-one, and I just can't STAND odd numbers.

And you most certainly can play multiplayer with Micro. I'm sure of it.

joshnickerson · « **Reply #4 on:** August 17, 2005, 03:13:19 AM »

This is mainly just for gadget freaks anyway, you know, the kind who get new cell phones every three months. I know I'm gonna get one eventually, but certainly not for 100 smackers.

nickmitch · « **Reply #5 on:** August 17, 2005, 05:45:04 AM »

This is almost as outrageous as Zelda being pushed back to April.

Nile Boogie · « **Reply #6 on:** August 17, 2005, 05:59:48 AM »

$100 = Un-Satin

Pale · « **Reply #7 on:** August 17, 2005, 06:12:57 AM »

Goddammit, can we add the word "satin" to PGC newspeak please? =P

mmortal03 · « **Reply #8 on:** August 17, 2005, 06:49:29 AM »

Pros: It's cool looking, it has the headphone out on the player, it's smaller, apparently has a better, albeit smaller screen compared to the SP. The word is that it is easier to hold for bigger hands than the SP, can anyone confirm this?
Cons: It isn't backwards compatible with Original or Color, it's $99 for no new features besides better aesthetics, no clamshell design to protect the screen.

So, if you already have an SP, which in my opinion is good looking itself, why would you buy a Micro?

Mario · « **Reply #9 on:** August 17, 2005, 07:11:51 AM »

Quote
So, if you already have a DS, which in my opinion is good looking itself, why would you buy a Micro?

I don't know about you, but my DS doesn't fit in my pocket. Well, I can cram it in there but it's very uncomfortable. GB Micro would fit nicely, so I can actually take it anywhere, and play some Wario Ware when I need to kill time. Also, SP is too big to be comfortable in my pocket too, and the screen makes the colour look washed out. I really want to see a Gameboy Micro in person.

Spak-Spang · « **Reply #10 on:** August 17, 2005, 07:44:04 AM »

I was really excited about the Gameboy Micro. I wanted one to carry around with me. I loved the pocket size and the idea I could easily buy one game and play it wherever I go until I beat it, and then switch games.

However, price was a big factor in buying the system. Nintendo stated that their pricing would make the system fly off the shelves...I was hoping and expecting $75.00 US at the very most. And I had my fingers crossed Nintendo would do something crazy like $59.99.

At this price I would buy a new DS so that my wife can play multiplayer games with me, or I could share multiplayer DS with my friends. At this price I won't be buying one.

Perhaps Nintendo will read the negative opinions and change the price. Perhaps this announcement was a public relations test...but I highly doubt it. The fact is Nintendo is probably paying a pretty penny to shrink the Gameboy hardware and a pretty penny for that durable and bright screen.

Oh well, Nintendo you lost a purchase from me. I guess you can afford it because my money is still going to Mario Kart, Mario & Luigi 2, and hopefully Mario Brothers DS this year.

mmortal03 · « **Reply #11 on:** August 17, 2005, 07:48:50 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Mario
Quote
So, if you already have a DS, which in my opinion is good looking itself, why would you buy a Micro?

I don't know about you, but my DS doesn't fit in my pocket. Well, I can cram it in there but it's very uncomfortable. GB Micro would fit nicely, so I can actually take it anywhere, and play some Wario Ware when I need to kill time. Also, SP is too big to be comfortable in my pocket too, and the screen makes the colour look washed out. I really want to see a Gameboy Micro in person.

Sorry, I meant SP!

Ian Sane · « **Reply #12 on:** August 17, 2005, 07:59:40 AM »

So not only are the releasing another GBA variation that no one asked for but they're charging a ridiculous amount for it. At $100 the only people who are going to buy this are total saps. The only thing the Micro really has going for it is the size. The SP is cheaper and the DS plays, you know, DS games.

I would not be surprised if they thing bombs. The market really isn't asking for a more expensive variation of a system that is going to be pretty much obsolete by the end of the year.

With this brainfart and Zelda being delayed I'm anticipating a pretty lousy year for Nintendo financially.

jasonditz · « **Reply #13 on:** August 17, 2005, 08:13:37 AM »

I've learned never to underestimate what the general public will buy. This thing might not be the average gamer's cup of tea (since from a utilitarian perspective it doesn't make a lot of sense), but it's got to have an amazing per-unit margin and if you can sell the tragically hip on the idea that it's "in", you could make a mint. Like all those people that bought PSPs at launch and never seem to buy any software for it... its more a status thing.

KDR_11k · « **Reply #14 on:** August 17, 2005, 08:45:32 AM »

I can get two Gamecubes or one Gamecube with a Gameboy player and one bargain bin game for that price!

Another variation noone wanted? N-Gage QD?

BlackNMild2k1 · « **Reply #15 on:** August 17, 2005, 08:54:26 AM »

Didn't this gameboy Micro cost Nintendo next to nothing to make ($25-35)? I was really hoping for a price inbetween $49.99 - $64.99, that would have been the magic price pioint.

I think they are gonna use this new pricing as a way to minimize the financial losses suffered by not releasing Zelda: TP this christmas (this fiscal year even). Saddly I think it will still sell alot of units even though at that price they should have built the play-yan into the micro.

thepoga · « **Reply #16 on:** August 17, 2005, 09:49:02 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: jasonditz
I've learned never to underestimate what the general public will buy. This thing might not be the average gamer's cup of tea (since from a utilitarian perspective it doesn't make a lot of sense), but it's got to have an amazing per-unit margin and if you can sell the tragically hip on the idea that it's "in", you could make a mint. Like all those people that bought PSPs at launch and never seem to buy any software for it... its more a status thing.

But the DS is only 30 dollars more... and it plays the same games... and new ones...

I really thought that they were going to come out with a 60 dollar price tag or something. I think people would rather buy the SP for a cheaper price than this. I hope there are a lot of suckers out there willing to buy this. For Nintendo's sake.

stevey · « **Reply #17 on:** August 17, 2005, 11:08:55 AM »

I'm worry because if this is ceap in nintendo mind than the rev might not be so cheep and I hate saving money. This is not going to sell to hardcore gamer or fanboy like us this will sell to a lot of non-gamer/ women but then they already have gotting a ds for nintendogs so then the ds and micro will be fighting each other than the psp and xbox360.

NWR_Lindy · « **Reply #18 on:** August 18, 2005, 04:31:57 AM »

Wow, can't say that I saw this one coming. GBA Micro is hot - at E3 I was drooling all over it. If anybody wants an indication of its size, find somebody that has a Nokia cellphone like this one:

Nokia 2116i

Turn this phone on its side, hold it like you would a GameBoy, and voila. It's exactly that size. It's tiny and the screen is super-sharp, startlingly so actually.

Still, $100? Damn. I'm a gadget freak so I'll buy one (I'm one of those guys that has a PSP but hasn't bought games for it for months), but I'll readily admit that it's overpriced for what you're getting. It has definitely slipped down my list of purchases though, that's for sure.

GoldenPhoenix · « **Reply #19 on:** August 18, 2005, 03:51:35 PM »

I have to agree with an above poster, if this is Nintendo's idea of low priced that makes Revolution even more scary price wise

. I remember at E3 how Iwata said we would be shocked by how low the price was, um I'm shocked but not because of how low the price is! That is pathetic when a 16 bit handheld sells for the same price as a gamecube!

KDR_11k · « **Reply #20 on:** August 19, 2005, 11:33:01 AM »

That is pathetic when a 16 bit handheld sells for the same price as a gamecube!

Heh, EB was selling the XBox at 100€ in Leipzig (would have been a good deal if the XBox was useful for something) and the GC goes for 49€ at Karstadt.

hudsonhawk · « **Reply #21 on:** August 19, 2005, 11:45:06 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: KDR_11k

...if the XBox was useful for something

Something like this you mean? Or this?

Come on, no matter how much you hate a system, they all have good games. Even the PS2, which I hate dearly (my thumbs bleed if I even look at one of those controllers) has some good games...

KDR_11k · « **Reply #22 on:** August 19, 2005, 12:07:22 PM »

Psychonauts is not an XBox exclusive and I don't need Forza, I already have Burnout 2.

hudsonhawk · « **Reply #23 on:** August 19, 2005, 12:57:14 PM »

Yes, who needs apples when you have oranges!

hudsonhawk · « **Reply #24 on:** August 19, 2005, 01:15:42 PM »

To actually answer your question, then, since you don't like my previous examples:
Panzer Dragoon, JSRF, Jade Empire, Stranger's Wrath, Ninja Gaiden, DOA series, Shenmue 2 (exclusive in America), Conker, Halo 2, and the MechAssaults are all great games... and those are just the exclusives that I've played. That doesn't count the fact that, generally speaking, it has the best versions of all the multi-console games.

Look, hate on the console all you want - like I said, I can't stand to even look at the PS2 in all its jaggy glory. But to suggest that any of console (except maybe the PSP) doesn't offer anything worthwhile is beyond asinine. Even the Virtual Boy had some gems.

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Author Topic: Game Boy Micro in September at $99 (Read 9853 times)