• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Nintendo Cuts Price on Game Boy Advance SP (AP story)

Alcibiades

Alcibiades

Member
Nintendo Cuts Price on Game Boy Advance

MATT SLAGLE

Associated Press

DALLAS - Nintendo Co. has permanently slashed prices on its Game Boy Advance SP portable video game system as the company tries to entrench its No. 1 position in the handheld game market.

Beginning Wednesday, the flip-up, color screen Game Boy Advance SP will retail for $79, down $20 from what they have cost since debuting in the United States in March 2003.

Similar price cuts were being announced in Japan and Canada, said Perrin Kaplan, vice president of marketing for Nintendo of America.

Kaplan said the cut should bring the SP further into the mainstream and was unrelated to the company's impending Game Boy DS, or dual screen, which is expected in time for the holidays. No price has been set.

"This is just logical for us," Kaplan said. "Everything we have done and will always continue to do will be to maintain a stronghold on this."

Kaplan said the DS isn't a replacement for the aging SP. She said Nintendo is targeting the DS, with its wireless and touch screen capabilities, at older, more sophisticated "early-adopter" style gamers.

Kaplan said a newer SP was in the works, though she offered no details on price, specifications or a release date.

The SP was the top game player last year, with more than 20 million sold in the United States. Since 1989, some 172 million Game Boys have sold worldwide.

"It's one area that we have really owned. We see it as an area that can continue to grow," Nintendo spokeswoman Beth Llewelyn said. "Gaming has expanded to all ages, and handhelds are ready to take that on and expand too."

Along with games, third-party manufacturers have stepped in with an array of add-ons that turn the Game Boy into a digital camera, a cell phone or a video player.

Hardware makers, however, have seen declining sales so far this year. According to the NPD Group, sales of portable hardware in the first half of 2004 fell 18 percent compared to the same period a year earlier.

It's not stopping rivals, including Sony Corp., from entering the market. Next year, Sony is set to unveil its PlayStation Portable, or PSP. The thin black machine, about the size of a paperback book, plays movies and music, plus games.
Click to expand...

Wow, this September is going to be one for the ages for Nintendo. They are unstoppable now.
 
Alcibiades

Alcibiades

Member
there is also this:

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/09/01/news_6106234.html

Nintendo stated that the new pricing strategy will coincide with the launch of the company's new "Start Mayhem" marketing campaign, in which various available colors of the Game Boy Advance SP will be associated with various different types of personalities
Click to expand...

I really hope they release new colors, I have a SP that's the NES-edition and a Flame one, but I'd love more selection for sure. At $80, this SP is a steal now...
 
A

AniHawk

Member
Kaplan said the DS isn't a replacement for the aging SP. She said Nintendo is targeting the DS, with its wireless and touch screen capabilities, at older, more sophisticated "early-adopter" style gamers.
Click to expand...

Reggie said this too.

I thought the whole point was to open it up to non-gamers?

Well there goes the whole "not competing against the PSP" argument.
 
G

GDJustin

stuck my tongue deep inside Atlus' cookies
Early on in it's lifespan the DS will need to appeal to those that typically purchase new hardware... early on. Once it's out there and established in 2005 I'd expect Nintendo's marketing focus to shift towards the demographics that they were talking about earlier (fringe or nongamers).

The DS being targeted to this or that group is just a reflection of how the device is marketed. Not what it's actual capabilities are.
 
S

snapty00

Banned
Maybe Nintendo finally realized that new customers, whether they like it or not, aren't going to be the main customers for DS. Heck, I'm sure a gaming newbie is much more likely to pick up an SP or PlayStation 2.
 
J

JackFrost2012

Banned
Now that the GBA SP is so affordable, I'll pick one up to play while I wait for a delicious Spicy Chicken Sandwich(tm) at my local Wendy's(R)!!
 
S

Sho Nuff

Banned
They say "Quality is our Recipe(R)" at Wendy's. And they're right. As I browsed their menu, I learned that their hamburgers are 100% pure ground beef—fresh, not frozen—and their chicken sandwiches are whole breast fillets. Their menu is also full of fresh quality options to meet me needs. Their salad line-up includes more than 20 types of produce, fruits, and nuts. I explored their menu and discovered how their food can fit with the way I want to eat.
 
D

dog$

Hates quality gaming
dave_thomas.gif

I approve this price cut.
 
J

JackFrost2012

Banned
efralope said:
I really hope they release new colors, I have a SP that's the NES-edition and a Flame one, but I'd love more selection for sure. At $80, this SP is a steal now...
Click to expand...

With two Nintendo(R) Game Boy Advance SPs, do you really need another? Why not take that $80 to Wendy's, where you and a friend can enjoy a linked game of Mario Party Advance as Wendy's cooks your meal up fresh, just the way you like it? That extra $80 could get you a hot 'n' juicy Classic Double(R) with cheese or plump, juicy Homestyle Chicken Strips. Watching your calories? Try a Garden Sensations(tm) salad, made fresh throughout the day so it's always delicious. And why not finish your meal with a cool, creamy Frosty(tm) Dairy Dessert?

There's no better place to play your GBA than at Wendy's(R)!
 
P

pilonv1

Member
JackFrost2012 said:
With two Nintendo(R) Game Boy Advance SPs, do you really need another? Why not take that $80 to Wendy's, where you and a friend can enjoy a linked game of Mario Party Advance as Wendy's cooks your meal up fresh, just the way you like it? That extra $80 could get you a hot 'n' juicy Classic Double(R) with cheese or plump, juicy Homestyle Chicken Strips. Watching your calories? Try a Garden Sensations(tm) salad, made fresh throughout the day so it's always delicious. And why not finish your meal with a cool, creamy Frosty(tm) Dairy Dessert?

There's no better place to play your GBA than at Wendy's(R)!
Click to expand...

This will never get old :lol
 
Brofist

Brofist

Member
Why is it that the same people who probably bitch in every PSP topic about the price feel fine about collecting every single f'ing GBA SP color.
 
D

Deg

Banned
kpop100 said:
Why is it that the same people who probably bitch in every PSP topic about the price feel fine about collecting every single f'ing GBA SP color.
Click to expand...

i'm betting GBA sales are going to rise now!
 
DCX

DCX

DCX
It's still kinda expensive...IMP 69-59 would guarantee every woman, man, child and animal on the planet would own one...

DCX
 
A

AirBrian

Member
Nintendo Drops Price of Best-Selling Game Boy Advance SP to $79.99!

Wednesday September 1, 8:01 am ET

Companion Marketing Campaign Urges Players to ``Start Mayhem''

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 1, 2004--The hottest video game system in history is getting the best price in the universe. Starting Sept. 2, Nintendo's record-breaking Game Boy® Advance SP will sell at an all-time low manufacturer's suggested retail price of just $79.99, a full $20 less than its current price. The reduction significantly expands the potential audience of an already dominant consumer electronics device to a wider range of consumers.

At the same time, Nintendo also paves the way for more "Mayhem" - the watchword of the new "Start Mayhem" Game Boy Advance SP marketing campaign that debuts with the new price point, showcasing different personalities for each of the GBA SP colors.

"This new price point makes Game Boy Advance SP affordable for the vast majority of the mass market, and gives people a `gotta-have' gift to automatically put at the top of their holiday gift lists," said George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "Nintendo has always owned the portable video game market, and this further strengthens our leadership position."

Game Boy Advance SP, which is front-lit and sports a clam-shell design, has sold more than 20 million units worldwide, and will continue its dominance this fall with an impressive lineup of games. Before the end of the year, Nintendo will launch titles like "Pokemon® FireRed," "Pokemon® LeafGreen," "F-Zero® GP Legend," "Mario Pinball Land(TM)," "Kirby(TM) & The Amazing Mirror," "Donkey Kong® Country 2," "Final Fantasy® I & II: Dawn of Souls" and "Classic NES® Series 2," which features old-school games like "Metroid®," "Castlevania®," "Dr. Mario®" and "Zelda II(TM): The Adventure of Link®." Added to this will be more than 50 titles hitting the market from Nintendo licensees.

In addition, Game Boy Advance SP continues to expand its range, with the Game Boy® Wireless Adapter that comes packaged with "Pokemon FireRed" and "Pokemon LeafGreen," as well as Game Boy® Advance Video, novel video paks that let users watch cartoons right on their Game Boy Advance units.

The "Start Mayhem" campaign features CGI-animated Game Boy Advance SP units brought to life in a variety of fun situations. Each color unit demonstrates a different personality. The campaign kicks off with videos featuring the Flame and Onyx systems. To view the videos, log onto www.startmayhem.com starting Sept. 2.
Click to expand...
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040901/15233_1.html
 
Brofist

Brofist

Member
Deg said:
i'm betting GBA sales are going to rise now!
Click to expand...

well yeah I'm sure of that, $80 is a damn good price for a GBA.

but if I owned multiple GBAs I wouldn't say this is the time to take advantage of buying those 4 other colors I don't have yet..
 
D

DJ Demon J

Banned
kpop100 said:
Why is it that the same people who probably bitch in every PSP topic about the price feel fine about collecting every single f'ing GBA SP color.
Click to expand...

That's how Nintendo reaches their numbers, not through penetrating the larger market, just by selling multiple-color consoles and handhelds over and over again to the same fanboys. I'm willing to bet that every Nintendo fanboy on GAF has at least 2 Gamecubes (either import, US, or both) and 2 GBA/GBASPs (again, import, US, or both).
 
D

djtiesto

is beloved, despite what anyone might say
DJ Demon J said:
That's how Nintendo reaches their numbers, not through penetrating the larger market, just by selling multiple-color consoles and handhelds over and over again to the same fanboys. I'm willing to bet that every Nintendo fanboy on GAF has at least 2 Gamecubes (either import, US, or both) and 2 GBA/GBASPs (again, import, US, or both).
Click to expand...

^funny post

Didn't N64 sales go way up when they announced multi-colored consoles? I'm wondering why PS2 hasn't done this yet... I know they did in Japan, and they had some real nice ones (the clear blue one)...
 
A

AirBrian

Member
DJ Demon J said:
That's how Nintendo reaches their numbers, not through penetrating the larger market, just by selling multiple-color consoles and handhelds over and over again to the same fanboys. I'm willing to bet that every Nintendo fanboy on GAF has at least 2 Gamecubes (either import, US, or both) and 2 GBA/GBASPs (again, import, US, or both).
Click to expand...
And Sony and MS reach their numbers by making sub-par hardware. How many people have had to trade-in their PS2/Xbox or buy a new one because of faulty hardware? ;)
 
K

Kon Tiki

Banned
AniHawk said:
Reggie said this too.

I thought the whole point was to open it up to non-gamers?

Well there goes the whole "not competing against the PSP" argument.
Click to expand...

I disagree. It looks to be competition for the Cell Phone market moreso then the psp.
 
D

DJ Demon J

Banned
AirBrian said:
And Sony and MS reach their numbers by making sub-par hardware. How many people have had to trade-in their PS2/Xbox or buy a new one because of faulty hardware? ;)
Click to expand...

Not arguing that; what's good for the goose...
 
K

Kon Tiki

Banned
DJ Demon J said:
That's how Nintendo reaches their numbers, not through penetrating the larger market, just by selling multiple-color consoles and handhelds over and over again to the same fanboys. I'm willing to bet that every Nintendo fanboy on GAF has at least 2 Gamecubes (either import, US, or both) and 2 GBA/GBASPs (again, import, US, or both).
Click to expand...

No I have 2 Xbox tho. One Modded, one (ready for) XBL. I also have 2 PS2, one with a deceftive disc drive, the other one is funtional.
 
C

Cathcart

Member
The Faceless Master said:
so what about the price of the gameboy advance with the hedphone jack on it?
Click to expand...
What about it? Did you go out and buy another SP so that you could use the headphones?
 
B

Bigfoot

Member
"It's one area that we have really owned. We see it as an area that can continue to grow," Nintendo spokeswoman Beth Llewelyn said. "Gaming has expanded to all ages, and handhelds are ready to take that on and expand too."
Click to expand...

Hidden message?
 
T

TekunoRobby

Tag of Excellence
So the Flame SP is the angsty teenager that loves smashing his face against the wall and the Onyx SP is the bi-curious one that dances like shit.

Hurrah, I fear what they will portray my Platinum SP as. Possibly a crossdressing trendsetter?
 
Alcibiades

Alcibiades

Member
TekunoRobby said:
So the Flame SP is the angsty teenager that loves smashing his face against the wall and the Onyx SP is the bi-curious one that dances like shit.

Hurrah, I fear what they will portray my Platinum SP as. Possibly a crossdressing trendsetter?
Click to expand...

ha, what about the Tatooed GBA SP!

remember that European commercial.

Nintendo should air that here in the States just to get people talking...
 
K

Kiriku

SWEDISH PERFECTION
Urge to pick up GBA SP rising.

NO! I must wait until NDS is released and buy it instead! Yes, a good plan Kiriku!
 
B

bjork

Member
I'd buy a second SP if they put the pink one out here.

A second GC, too... I originally wanted pink.
 
V

Vieo

Member
LoL. I just sold my SP last week for near that price and bought a PS2. After Fire Emblem, it wasn't doing anything but sitting around and collecting dust so I think it was a good choice. Though, I'm stilling kicking myself a bit for selling GCN after hearing about the Zelda and Resident Evil 4.
 
S

Soul4ger

Member
Oh my God, why is Mr. Wendy, the Unofficial Wendy's Spokesman, on the Gaming-Age forum, and what the hell did he do with the real JackFrost?!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Modern Vintage Gamer: Game Boy games that did the impossible
Retro Trailer Hardware
38
3K
Red Crayon Aristocrat replied
35 Years of Gameboy - The greatest handheld
2
52
2K
Sleepwalker replied
A previously unpublished 2004 video interview with Satoru Iwata has been shared online (Iwata discusses the PSP, the Wii, Miyamoto and Yamauchi)
13
1K
Porticus replied
Nintendo Is Now Going After YouTube Accounts Which Show Its Games Being Emulated
Social Drama Game Dev 2 3 4
169
7K
chromhound replied
Which console had the best "peak period"?
Platform 2
50
2K
cinnamonandgravy replied
Top Bottom