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Nintendo's Answer to PSP's multimedia ability...

Wouldn't a heavy marketing push be at odds with the Nintendo party-line of "We're all about the games" though? In addition to giving Sony something to use against them?

Thats a reason I can see for them keeping this as an online-only, niche product.
 
It seems like no news source still has a clear answer on whether it can display up to DS resolutions if played in a DS. I'm betting on "no," but some of the news sources have made it sound like a DS device first and a GBA device second.
 
DavidDayton said:
I think you're missing the point... if you already own a GBA, which a huge number of people do, this provides movie and MP3 capabilities for a fraction of the price of the PSP or most other portable devices. It's a simple add on, aimed at the folks who already own a DS or SP.
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Fair enough.

Also, as gofreak mentioned, I did not consider the games of both devices -- if you prefer DS software but miss the PSP's functionality, this could be a nice solution for you (albeit an inferior one).
 
DavidDayton said:
Reminds me of what people said about the GBA Video carts and the Famicom Mini series.
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Did this happen in some Back to the Future sequel where you travel to the past and edit everybody's posts? Because I definitely don't recall that being said by much of anyone....

Now "shameless milking," however...
 
mashoutposse said:
Did this happen in some Back to the Future sequel where you travel to the past and edit everybody's posts? Because I definitely don't recall that being said by much of anyone....

Now "shameless milking," however...
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Naw, plenty of people predicted GBA Video and Famicom Mini would crash and burn... remember Fenegi's famous prediction that the entire FCmini line wouldn't break 100k? Hell, even I thought GBA Video would sink. :/
 
i for one am very interested in using my gbasp as an mp3 player, rather than forking out heaps of cash for an ipod or psp.
 
jarrod said:
Naw, plenty of people predicted GBA Video and Famicom Mini would crash and burn... remember Fenegi's famous prediction that the entire FCmini line wouldn't break 100k? Hell, even I thought GBA Video would sink. :/
Click to expand...

Yeah, the popularity of GBA Video is a bit of a surprise to me, too. But then again, I actually found myself strongly considering the 4 episode Spongebob pack (didn't get it once I found out about the playback quality).
 
Does anyone actually think this is bad? I really think it's great; I hope it works out. I may actually invest in one seeing as how iPods are ridiculously expensive.
 
missAran said:
Does anyone actually think this is bad? I really think it's great; I hope it works out. I may actually invest in one seeing as how iPods are ridiculously expensive.
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How can you people say this?

Do you think SD cards are free?

EDIT: just priced them; look like a 1GB SD card is about $75. I assume that the device itself will cost about $50, so let's say $125 for 1 GB of music. iPod Mini is 4 GB for $250; twice the value, in other words. And don't get me started on the price/value ratios for iRivers and Zens. There are plenty of smaller, better, dedicated music solutions that aren't the GBA SP or the PSP. If you want a portable MP3 solution (cool) and don't want the PSP (also cool), then that's great. But don't pretend Nintendo is the sudden apparent savior of the low-end MP3 market.
 
JackFrost2012 said:
Well, I think using a PSP as an MP3 player is only marginally less stupid than this "solution." I edited my post to clarify my point.
Click to expand...

Actually, it could be argued that using a PSP as an MP3 player is much more stupid than using this GBA adaptor, as it is quite likely that you'd be buying a brand new PSP for $XXX versus paying just $XX for the adaptor.

Again, this is just an add-on for the world's most popular gaming system.
 
DavidDayton said:
Actually, it could be argued that using a PSP as an MP3 player is much more stupid than using this GBA adaptor, as it is quite likely that you'd be buying a brand new PSP for $XXX versus paying just $XX for the adaptor.
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You make it sound as if people are choosing between the PSP and the GBA for MP3 playback, which is a fool's argument. The correct answer is "neither." The problem with your supposed pricing scheme is that in addition to MP3 playback, the PSP also plays great games and is an excellent portable movie watching device, while the GBA adaptor only plays poorly compressed video on a tiny screen with mono sound.

Paying extra money for nothing but useless functionality is dumber than buying an expensive, but useful, device which has that useless functionality tacked on. Getting a good deal on a piece of junk isn't much of a deal.
 
There's already a GBA Movie Player one can find at places like Lik-Sang, but it doesn't exactly play MPEG-4 video and MP3 music; it converts things to a larger and more GBA processor-friendly format. Even with this news I'm still planning on getting one; the simple ability to read text files was my main plan anyway.

nubbe said:
I wish it had XviD... But i guess you can re-encode
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Unless one already had their video in a sub-240x160 resolution, re-encoding would be pretty necessary anyway.

human5892 said:
I agree. If you're interested in video and music on the go, why not invest a few extra bucks and get the PSP, which offers much higher quality?
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For someone with a relatively minor interest and already having a GBA or DS, the price being less than 30% of a PSP would help.

IGN Story said:
The standard Game Boy Advance is not compatible with the product.
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Buh? Did they design this product with an incredibly stupid shape?
 
This seems like it'll only be a selling point for people who already own a GBA. I doubt anyone will drop like $50 less than a PSP to buy a GBA and this adapter.
 
kpop100 said:
This seems like it'll only be a selling point for people who already own a GBA. I doubt anyone will drop like $50 less than a PSP to buy a GBA and this adapter.
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This is true; you'll note, however, that I did not disingenously factor the "cost" of a GBA/DS into my pricing.

My point is that, even if you already own a GBA/DS, the adapter and a reasonably sized SD card are going to set you back $125 plus ... at which point, you're already over halfway to a PSP, or even further towards a real MP3 device.

This device has no market except for insane Nintendo fans.
 
JackFrost2012 said:
This is true; you'll note, however, that I did not disingenously factor the "cost" of a GBA/DS into my pricing.

My point is that, even if you already own a GBA/DS, the adapter and a reasonably sized SD card are going to set you back $125 plus ... at which point, you're already over halfway to a PSP, or even further towards a real MP3 device.

This device has no market except for insane Nintendo fans.
Click to expand...



Yeah I agree. There will be like 5 freaks who will buy it just to say.."look my GBA can play MPEG4 as well..hahahahha"
 
JackFrost2012 said:
You make it sound as if people are choosing between the PSP and the GBA for MP3 playback, which is a fool's argument.

The correct answer is "neither." The problem with your supposed pricing scheme is that in addition to MP3 playback, the PSP also plays great games and is an excellent portable movie watching device, while the GBA adaptor only plays poorly compressed video on a tiny screen with mono sound.

Paying extra money for nothing but useless functionality is dumber than buying an expensive, but useful, device which has that useless functionality tacked on. Getting a good deal on a piece of junk isn't much of a deal.
Click to expand...

I'm not entirely convinced that there is a terrific demand FOR portable movie playing off of memory sticks OR SD cards -- that's what I'd consider the nearly useless functionality. MP3 playback seems much more likely to be used by the average consumer, and this device provides for that in a much more cost effective manner than the PSP does... especially in terms of media.

As a side note, is it more likely that a consumer would own SD cards or Memory Sticks at the moment? What's the market saturation of the two?
 
DavidDayton said:
I'm not entirely convinced that there is a terrific demand FOR portable movie playing off of memory sticks OR SD cards -- that's what I'd consider the nearly useless functionality. MP3 playback seems much more likely to be used by the average consumer, and this device provides for that in a much more cost effective manner than the PSP does... especially in terms of media.
Click to expand...

Okay, so you've decided to write off video playback entirely. That's fair; the PSP screen smokes the GBA/DS like an overcooked breakfast kipper and you've got to learn to pick your battles. MP3 it is.

Explain to me, then, why your hypothetical "average consumer" would spend $125 on a device with an awkward interface and low fidelity playback instead of investing that $125 towards a "real" portable MP3 device?
 
JackFrost2012 said:
Okay, so you've decided to write off video playback entirely. That's fair; the PSP screen smokes the GBA/DS like an overcooked breakfast kipper and you've got to learn to pick your battles. MP3 it is.
Click to expand...
Tsk tsk. You missed the chance to leap on the fact that video playback drops the SP battery life to a mere 4 hours!

JackFrost2012 said:
Explain to me, then, why your hypothetical "average consumer" would spend $125 on a device with an awkward interface and low fidelity playback instead of investing that $125 towards a "real" portable MP3 device?
Click to expand...
320VBR is low fidelity?

I think the average consumer wouldn't spend $125... I think they'll spend the $40-$50 on the adaptor, which will in all probability include a small SD memory card. They may very well purchase a larger card later, but they won't mentally connect the two purchases. The perceived cost of MP3 playback via the SP is just $50. The perceived cost of a "good" portable MP3 player is $200+, as is the PSP.

Why'd you shift from the PSP to talking about MP3 players in general, anyway? If you're talking about "real" players, I'll grant the clumsy interface... if you're talking about the PSP, I'd like to see you explain how it's any more capable than the SP.

EDIT: Going back to edit old posts is fun! It's much better than trying to make one's points in a new post and risk having them questioned!
 
DavidDayton said:
The perceived cost of MP3 playback via the SP is just $50.
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Well, if you're not going to count the price of a "real" card, then the perceived cost of MP3 playback via the PSP is $0.

DavidDayton said:
Why'd you shift from the PSP to talking about MP3 players in general, anyway?
Click to expand...

Because my point is not that the PSP is better at MP3 playback than the DS. My point is that neither the PSP nor the DS are a sensible MP3 playback solution. With the PSP, at least, the awkward MP3 playback comes free with the system. Paying $50 (plus) for the GBA's bootstrapped awkwardness is what doesn't make any sense.

EDIT: Just to clarify. My argument is that this GBA contraption does too little for too much, too awkwardly. With much better entry-level solutions on the market for MP3 playback, I don't see this possibly taking off.

EDIT 2: I looked over my posts and I never compared the PSP and GBA directly in terms of music; I was always comparing both against "dedicated" MP3 devices from the start. That's because this GBA add-on requires people looking for an MP3 device to make a financial and technological decision: purchase this GBA add-on OR purchase another MP3 playing solution. And I don't believe this GBA solution has what it takes to compete at all. In terms of video I compared this device with the PSP, but that's only fair -- there's no question the PSP is a viable portable video solution (if you want that) and decimates this GBA device into tiny, embarassed pieces. So the reason I shifted my argument to include dedicated MP3 devices was because it went from "general PSP functionality vs. generla functionality of this device" to MP3 only.
 
JackFrost2012 said:
Well, if you're not going to count the price of a "real" card, then the perceived cost of MP3 playback via the PSP is $0.
Click to expand...
No, the perceived cost is $200+ because most people don't own a PSP. I thought you said that you weren't going to "disingenously factor the "cost" of a GBA/DS into my pricing." ?

JackFrost2012 said:
Because my point is not that the PSP is better at MP3 playback than the DS. My point is that neither the PSP nor the DS are a sensible MP3 playback solution. With the PSP, at least, the awkward MP3 playback comes free with the system. Paying $50 (plus) for the GBA's bootstrapped awkwardness is what doesn't make any sense.
Click to expand...
Eh. I'm not saying that it's necessarily the most logical thing to do, I'm just saying that I can see many people buying it because it's an inexpensive MP3 player for the GBA. If you want an MP3 player and you don't already have one, it's a price conscious way to get one. It's also a fairly small SD MP3 player, all things considered. What I don't understand is why you refuse to acknowledge this. I mean, if you already had a small car and you wanted a car CD player, you could choose to buy a CD player for your dinky little car OR buy a new Corvette. You'd get the same CD experience from both, but it's hard to imagine everyone who owns a car dumping it for a Corvette. You seem to be saying that if people won't change their car, they'd be stupid to add a CD player to it.
 
JackFrost2012 said:
Actually, the one using this device for damage control is Nintendo.
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Really, this screams damage control. Wow..such a coincidende to try and release something like that after seeing the attention the multimedia aspects of the PSP were getting. That's why Nintendo has fallen behind the curb. In past times Nintendo would have released an item like this well ahead of the competition.
 
DavidDayton said:
No, the perceived cost is $200+ because most people don't own a PSP. I thought you said that you weren't going to "disingenously factor the "cost" of a GBA/DS into my pricing."
Click to expand...

I said so, and I didn't, but I see that hasn't stopped you from disingenuously factoring the cost of a PSP into YOUR calculations. :)

You seem to be saying that if people won't change their car, they'd be stupid to add a CD player to it.
Click to expand...

No, what I'm saying is you should add that CD player if you want -- but skip Nintendo's proprietary 8-track tape player.
 
DavidDayton said:
Eh. I'm not saying that it's necessarily the most logical thing to do, I'm just saying that I can see many people buying it because it's an inexpensive MP3 player for the GBA. If you want an MP3 player and you don't already have one, it's a price conscious way to get one. It's also a fairly small SD MP3 player, all things considered. What I don't understand is why you refuse to acknowledge this. I mean, if you already had a small car and you wanted a car CD player, you could choose to buy a CD player for your dinky little car OR buy a new Corvette. You'd get the same CD experience from both, but it's hard to imagine everyone who owns a car dumping it for a Corvette. You seem to be saying that if people won't change their car, they'd be stupid to add a CD player to it.
Click to expand...

Yeah because cars and MP3 players are in the same category as far as impulsive purchasing :rolleyes
 
BTW, I'm sure kpop and sonycowboy are pleased to see how much some hands-on time with the final $200, 5-hour battery, DIY movie+music PSP unit has turned me into a Sonyvangelist. ;P

Everyone I know in Japan who managed to get one is like this now ... the thing is just unreal. I speak from the heart, not from any fanboy agenda! Is there a PSP "WELCOME TO THE FAMILY" photoshop yet?
 
JackFrost2012 said:
I said so, and I didn't, but I see that hasn't stopped you from disingenuously factoring the cost of a PSP into YOUR calculations. :)
Click to expand...
Tsk tsk. You're trying to say that it's unfair to suggest that the PSP would be a $200 purchase for most people, while the GBA is already owned by much of the same crowd?

JackFrost2012 said:
No, what I'm saying is you should add that CD player if you want -- but skip Nintendo's proprietary 8-track tape player.
Click to expand...
Hmm. Lemme see...
CD Player = play industry standard media.
Mythical Proprietary 8-Track = plays some sort of proprietary thing

Silly me. I always assumed the Memory Stick was a proprietary media, and the SD was a much more widely accepted standard in the industry.
 
sonycowboy said:
IAWTP. Except, even insane Nintendo fans won't buy this. It's a cute little product that won't sell worth a damn.
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I am in no way a insane Nintendo (hardware) fan. I did have plans on purchasing the 3rd party adapter, I might cancel them and get the 1st party version.

Will I buy one instead of the PSP? No, I will get both.

Hell I bought the TV tuner for Gamegear. :P I love my handheld gadgets. :D
 
I'm surprised by the positive response on this board. It's very interesting. I wonder if developers will feel the same way, I seriously doubt it though.
 
Galian Beast said:
I'm surprised by the positive response on this board. It's very interesting. I wonder if developers will feel the same way, I seriously doubt it though.
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Developers will develop games on this? :lol
 
JackFrost2012 said:
BTW, I'm sure kpop and sonycowboy are pleased to see how much some hands-on time with the final $200, 5-hour battery, DIY movie+music PSP unit has turned me into a Sonyvangelist. ;P

Everyone I know in Japan who managed to get one is like this now ... the thing is just unreal. I speak from the heart, not from any fanboy agenda! Is there a PSP "WELCOME TO THE FAMILY" photoshop yet?
Click to expand...

:lol until all the electronics in my room including TV, DVD player etc are Sony I haven't completely sold my soul to the Sony devil :)

Honestly the PSP interests me on a hardware level, not so much that it's a Sony product. But then again, I'm not surprised that it's something Sony would make. They may not have been in the portable gaming market before, but people forget they have been making handheld gadgets for a long long time now..that makes a difference.

Anyway, I think it's a good thing if GBA owners can add this functionality to their GBA. Even if it isn't necessarily the most cost efficient thing, it means that they are trying to keep up with the competition.
 
jarrod said:
Feeling threatened?
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Go back to your gamefags thread :lol

I'm just being honest. Add-ons sell very poorly to start with. The PSP will only occasionally be used as an MP3 player by most. And the video will be a joke.

It's simply a product without a real market AFAIC.
 
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