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[soundwave05]

Now that we've seen both DS and PSP and have a relatively good feel for what direction both platforms are aiming for, what do you think about Game Boy Next? What type of unit should Nintendo be looking at?

Would releasing it next year be too soon?

Or does the regular ol' GBA have another revision left in it yet (I don't see how it could get smaller though).

 

[Hollywood]

Game Boy 5 or whatever its up to now will probably be out in 2006 I would guess. You can already see regular GBA releases falling off into next year.

Only question is .. if they port everything to DS from the N64 .. what exactly will the next GBA spounge off of?

 

[soundwave05]

Well I would guess GameCube?

I dunno. I think it's gonna be tough for Nintendo to one-up Sony.

I think a touchscreen will become standard in future Game Boy iterations as well, unless the ones in the DS have terrible fail rates.

 

[Justin Bailey]

I dunno, but it would be bad-ass if it was compatable with GC games.

 

[Papi]

It should have two screens. And be called Nintendo DS SP.

 

[Hitler Stole My Potato]

I'm guessing four screens and a kickstand.

 

[Duckhuntdog]

There isn't one, Nintendo is doomed don't you know?

 

[MrparisSM]

Nintendo is actually pretty smart... remember when they were saying that "Nintendo DS" was not going to be the official name? And then they went and registered "GBE" and other monikers? I have a hunch that the new Gameboy will be called "Gameboy Evolution"(hence the GBE that they registered) and the Console will be Nintendo Revolution.... Sounds pretty cool.

 

[Kiriku]

I think the next Game Boy will be more in the lines of previous GB's, rather than lending ideas from NDS. I see NDS as something separate, an experiment. I don't think Nintendo will try anything too risky. GBA (SP) is their biggest source of income right now (correct me if I'm wrong), messing around with quirky features a la NDS for the "future" GBA would be very risky IMO.

Clamshell design seems very likely, and maybe even four face buttons! But let's not get ahead of ourselves here. j/k
I can see the next Game Boy using something different from carts, could depend on PSP's success and how well it works using disc-based media.

 

[aoi tsuki]

DS incorporates some of the features i'd expect in a next gen portable - a touch screen, WiFi, and a microphone. Neither Nintendo nor Sony has had time to roll out their handheld services, like those for online play, downloads (games, music, movies, etc.), cell phone interactivity and whatnot, and i'd like to see what they bring to the table before even thinking about another Gameboy.

 

[Scrow]

I'm pretty sure Nintendo intends for the DS to replace the Game Boy. The fact that they included a media bay just for GBA games makes that fairly obvious to me. If they truly intended the DS to be a "third pillar" they would've let it stand based on its own games.

However, the GB name is too powerful to let it just be replaced by an untested handheld system, but then Nintendo isn't going to eat into their own sales of the DS by releasing the GBNext anytime soon. So it's really up in the air at the moment.

 

[jarrod]

Game Boy Evolution
-DC level specs (ATi GPU solution)
-3DM media (should be exceeding 2GB by then at low costs)
-GB line backwards compatible (GB, GBC, GBA)
-touch screen interface (but single widescreen design)
-WiFi/wireless networking
-D-pad cross/analog integrated, 4 face buttons (ABXY), 2 shoulder buttons, start/select
-possible HDD optional model (allowing for download of old GB line games via network)
-late 2006/2007 release
-$99.99 MSRP, $29.99-39.99 for software

 

[Project Midway]

Christmas 2006

 

[Kon Tiki]

I'm pretty sure Nintendo intends for the DS to replace the Game Boy. The fact that they included a media bay just for GBA games makes that fairly obvious to me. If they truly intended the DS to be a "third pillar" they would've let it stand based on its own games.

Console, NDS, GBE. That is 3 pillars. Making a new Gameboy does not change that. Making NDS play gba games just makes it easier to launch a GBE, seeing as they do not have to make hardware for SP and still make GBA games.

 

[kroutdogg]

Analog control pls

 

[xsarien]

I expect any new Game Boy to mirror the DS in terms of WiFi and Nintentooth (hee) wireless. A decent chunk of internal flash memory or a hard drive wouldn't be too shabby either. Basically, I'd like a DS with one screen.

 

[Kiriku]

Game Boy Evolution
-DC level specs (ATi GPU solution)
-3DM media (should be exceeding 2GB by then at low costs)
-GB line backwards compatible (GB, GBC, GBA)
-touch screen interface (but single widescreen design)
-WiFi/wireless networking
-clam shell design
-possible HDD optional model (allowing for download of old GB line games via network)
-late 2006/2007 release
-$99.99 MSRP, $29.99-39.99 for software

OK, let's imagine this scenario for a second. You're saying it will only have one screen, clamshell design and touchscreen? So if I understood it right, you fold up the screen and are supposed to use your stylus on it. I imagine it looking similar to GBA SP, and I imagine it feeling kind of awkward using a touchscreen that's on the "upper" half, if you know what I mean. Or maybe you had a different approach?

 

[jarrod]

OK, let's imagine this scenario for a second. You're saying it will only have one screen, clamshell design and touchscreen? So if I understood it right, you fold up the screen and are supposed to use your stylus on it. I imagine it looking similar to GBA SP, and I imagine it feeling kind of awkward using a touchscreen that's on the "upper" half, if you know what I mean. Or maybe you had a different approach?

Actually, I hadn't thought of that... maybe going for a GG/GBA/PSP non folding horizontal design would work better (that way your thumb could easily move from the buttons to the screen). It'd probably shave some costs too (allowing that magic $99 price point).

 

[radioheadrule83]

I want to see wifi, a small hard drive, 16:9 ratio screen (don't mind if its still small), at least 8 buttons (L, R, Start, Select, ABXY), and an analog stick. A touch screen would be nice, but that should be DS' forté I think. Otherwise it would simply succeed DS. A distribution service like iQue meets iTunes would be amazing!

I don't care about medium. Flash or optical disc - it doesn't matter. But if they go for the cube compatable thing, I'm well prepared

 

[SomeDude]

They need to go all out, and atleast make it as powerful as the GameCube if not moreso. I'm really dissapointed that they made the DS about as powerful as the Nintendo 64.

 

[Papi]

They should have these cool google things and a little screens in each eye piece.

 

[OG_Original Gamer]

I think the GBE will be the GC silmmed down, with 32 MB of main memory(1T-Sram) and 4 MB for sound. The should be around the same size as the PSP. Nintendo main focus will be cost to them and the consumer, and thats when game media comes in.

I remember someone bringing up a very small harddrive being developed by IBM and it having some connection to Nintendo. IQue may be the route their going down. I don't see a release anytime soon, 2006 is to early.

 

[Baron Aloha]

The hard drive would be a very good thing to have in the next Gameboy....especially if they let it play Gamecube games. You could transfer the games to the harddrive and play them off that...which would save you a considerable about of battery life because there would be no spinning media involved when you are playing the games. It'd improve load times as well.

 

[jarrod]

The HDD would be better served for downloading old out of print Nintendo platform games to play (GB, GBC, GBA, NES, SNES & N64 most likely) via emulation or for demos. Full GC games are too large imo, and I kinda doubt it'll be GC compatible (it'd be nice though).

I also doubt optical media, now with 3DM being a viable solid state, low cost, high capacity alternative. By the time GBE's ready for market, 2GB+ cards shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Baron Aloha]

The HDD would be better served for downloading old out of print Nintendo platform games to play (GB, GBC, GBA, NES, SNES & N64 most likely) via emulation or for demos. Full GC games are too large imo, and I kinda doubt it'll be GC compatible (it'd be nice though).

Well that would be nice too... but the hard drive would have plenty of space for GC games. In some cases the smaller the HDD the more expensive it is to make (since everyone makes them bigger now). Therefore it would benefit Nintendo (and the consumer) to go with a larger drive. I think 10 gigs would be the minimum.

 

[Project Midway]

for christmas 2006 and for a cheap price point....mini-HDD's are still too expensive, even the "small ones" like 4-8 gigs. Maybe in 2007-2008? But not in $99 device in 2006.

I believe we will see a new, HDD-less GB in christmas 2006.

 

[Baron Aloha]

for christmas 2006 and for a cheap price point....mini-HDD's are still too expensive. Maybe in 2007-2008? But not in $99 device in 2006.

I believe we will see a new, HDD-less GB in christmas 2006.

You may be right, but I personally don't think we will see a new Gameboy until at least Christmas 2007. Revolution will be launching Christmas 2006. It'd be overload. We might get DSSP before 2007 though.

I also don't see the next GB costing anything less than $129-$149 at launch. Times are changing. PSP and DS will set a precident for more expensive handhelds.

 

[jarrod]

for christmas 2006 and for a cheap price point....mini-HDD's are still too expensive, even the "small ones" like 4-8 gigs. Maybe in 2007-2008? But not in $99 device in 2006.

I believe we will see a new, HDD-less GB in christmas 2006.

Well then, they'll release the Game Boy Evolution SP in the spring of 2008 then.

You may be right, but I personally don't think we will see a new Gameboy until at least Christmas 2007. Revolution will be launching Christmas 2006. It'd be overload. We might get DSSP before 2007 though.

I also don't see the next GB costing anything less than $129 at launch.

Maybe, though I think Revolution might be coming a little sooner than expected (mid 2006 maybe), leaving that winter open for GBE.

And no, it'll cost $99 at launch.