Nintendo Announces GBA Sales Milestone

Thanks to TotalVideoGames.com for their article highlighting Nintendo's announcement that there have been 15 million GameBoy Advances sold in the U.S., at a rate of "...more than one unit sold every six seconds since the introduction of the Game Boy Advance in June, 2001." Nintendo also officially announced two new colors for the GBA SP, Flame (red) and Onyx (black), and even lay out their reasoning for those picks: "Color psychologists believe that certain hues generate specific, and often very strong responses in people. For example, black can foster strength and encourage independence, while red empowers and can stimulate the mind." Feel empowered yet?

Comments

So what about my old game boy?

[ERJ]

My old game boy was white. White is for purity, chastity....oh crap.

Re:So what about my old game boy?

[Jerf]

My old game boy was white. White is for purity, chastity....oh crap.

Your Game Boy got around? Wow, your Game Boy outscored quite a few people reading this comment.

Tell me, was he (or she...) a "playa'"?

"Insert tab A into slot B" indeed.

OK, I'll stop.

16 bit era strength

[Metroid72]

The popularity of this platform proves that the 16bit era was the golden age of videogames.

Gameplay was king, and that was the primary selling point of the Genesis and SNES.

Hopefully developers will continue to expand it with original ideas, instead of ports of older games.

It still also constitutes a potential entry for the new game programmer.

Re:16 bit era strength

[Acidic_Diarrhea]

You think that if the GBA hardware were offered up in a home console it would have sold 15 million units? There are plenty of games on the XBox/PS2/GC that have great gameplay. If the GBA were up against a platform that had PS2 level graphics, at the same price point, the GBA would get crushed. The fact is that people have a certain idea of how much a handheld should cost - they want the best graphics they can get for that price. Posts like yours are very perplexing - I can't believe people actually believe this type of stuff.

PARODY: You know, back in the great days of the NES - gameplay was king. With the release of the Genesis and SNES, graphics got so much better that people became obsessed with them and didn't care about the gameplay.

Come on...

Re:16 bit era strength

[Metroid72]

You have a point. I guess I should have mentioned that the 16 bit lineups are very suited to the form factor.
The idea was to highlight that despite the sofisticated production values of 32/64bit games, gameplay was still king.
Some people (me included) just like to pick up a game and without a heavy learning curve have fun on the go, interestingly, that was the case of many 8/16bit games.
And regarding your PS2 VS GBA comparison, remember that when you're talking about a handheld the game design paradigms change. The screen is smaller, the game sessions are shorter, so it requires a clever design to make a successful game.
Maybe I didn't word my original post very well, but that doesn't mean that I'm the enemy. I like technology & games too.. you know

============
I finished the "Save Jody" challenge on FZero!!! Yeeehaaa!!!

Re:16 bit era strength

[Inoshiro]

"If the GBA were up against a platform that had PS2 level graphics, at the same price point, the GBA would get crushed."

Posts like yours are very perplexing. The GBA hardware, in console form, would cost about 100$ CDN -- only a bit over a third of the cost of a PS2 system.

If Nintendo were to release a GBA player that worked without GameCube, I'm sure it'd sell decently well. More than you seem to think, anyways.

Re:16 bit era strength

[macrom]

Gameplay was king, and that was the primary selling point of the Genesis and SNES

Wrong. Graphics always were and always will be a primary selling point (from a marketing perspective). It's funny how quickly everyone forgets how the 2 consoles competed on games having better graphics than the other. Sure, we now see how the gameplay was awesome back then, but at the time you didn't see comercials or ads where Nintendo promoted the gameplay of their titles over those of Sega's, and to insinuate so is to show yourself for the fanboy (or girl) you are.

We always look back on a console and it's games for the fun titles, but make no mistake that companies promote the graphic prowess of their systems when trying to sell to gamers.

Re:16 bit era strength

[Acidic_Diarrhea]

You read my statement backwards. The original poster seemed to be proclaiming that the reason the GBA sold so well was because of the fact that the games harken back to the 16-bit generation of games. I was refuting this by saying that if a handheld were released where all others things were equal but the graphic capabilities of this new handheld were equal to the PS2, the more capable model would sell well. Nowhere did I mention the GBA player BUT since you brought it up, it has decent sales as is but your belief that it would sell "decently well" is, from what I can surmise, unfounded and has no backing of actual marketing studies or even informal polls. Furthermore, "decently well" is quite a vague measure of how well a consumer electronics item has sold. You might want to be a bit more clear in the future.

Re:16 bit era strength

[scot4875]

If the GBA were up against a platform that had PS2 level graphics, at the same price point, the GBA would get crushed.

Counter example to prove this is an invalid point: the Gamecube and XBox have clearly superior graphics capabilities, yet which console has sold the most? (Not to mention -- the Gamecube is significantly cheaper and has far better load times)

It's all marketing. Period. Consoles are popular for the same reason Britney Spears and her ilk are popular.

--Jeremy

Re:16 bit era strength

[Acidic_Diarrhea]

It is not "all marketing." I will grant that marketing plays a huge role in it. But if you think that the Sony Playstation beat the Sega Saturn purely due to marketing, you are mistaken. The games that showed off the 3D power of the PSX helped to push that machine. To say that it is "all marketing" is a rather naive view of the matter. Another issue is the games available for the particular console.

My point, which you obviously had a hard time grasping, was that the original poster was making the jump that the GBA was selling well due to the harkening back to the 16-bit generation and that that was what the consumer wanted. I was pointing out, hypothetically, that if the consumer can have SNES graphics or PS2 graphics, for the same price (and I also assumed all other things equal) the consumer would take the PS2 type graphics. You are rather obtuse for missing this. Try reading comments in context in the future.

Re:16 bit era strength

[DeadScreenSky]

To add to your excellent point, nearly every major revolutionary game also had some kind of cutting edge graphics (or technology) when it was released. Sonic the Hedgehog looked really good, and ran fast as well (remember how bad the slowdown was in most old NES games?). Zelda had a battery save. Mario64 had really amazing graphics for its time. Street Fighter 2 looked amazing when it came out. AFAIK, Super Mario Brothers is the first game with that kind of soundtrack running through the whole thing. There are plenty of other examples. We oftentimes forget how awesome these games looked or sounded back in the day.

Re:16 bit era strength

[DeadScreenSky]

For the record, the Xbox also has some ridiculously good loading times, too, better than the Cube in many cases. Though admittedly a few big games fall on their face in this area (looking at you, KOTOR).

Re:16 bit era strength

[Metroid72]

Hmmm... I agree that coincidentally, many of those revolutionary games pushed some technical aspect (graphics, speed, sound, etc.) But I can also mention many instances of games that excelled (sp?) on many of those aspects but can be seen in history as regular or bad games.
8bit -> Bo Jackson Baseball had great graphics and speech (I bet you've never heard of that game), but you've heard about Tecmo Bowl and Baseball Stars.
16bit ->Super Adventure Island had a killer soundtrack, Bugsy the bobcat was very fast; but none of them are remembered as 16bit greats. Games like Herzog Zhwey, Super Bomberman, Shadowrun, exceled in gameplay, but never broke any technical ground.
The fact that Marketers used graphics technology,speed and sound to sell is not related to the fact that the past 8bit/16bit eras where richer in gameplay. In fact, a few years ago, when manufacturers could make money from consoles, they targeted more the casual gamer, because they knew that with a console and a game they could make some money.. and how do you think was the best way to do it.. EYE POPING GRAPHICS.
Now the game has changed, consoles are sold at a "loss", and it's hard to tell the difference between one console and the other (graphically)
And by the way... Revolutionary is usually associated with breaking new ground, sadly we aren't seeing much of this these days...
The hollywoodification of the game industry is good and bad... but especially bad for true gameplay.

Re:16 bit era strength

[DeadScreenSky]

That is certainly true. Technical excellence is no indicator of a game's real worth. But even the excellent games that are lacking in tech you do mention (which do play very well) just aren't very well remembered by most people, in my experience. I have to wonder how much of that is because they didn't truly break any technological ground (though I would maybe argue Herzog Zwei did, since it was a pretty complex game for the Genesis, especially to be played split-screen).

And though the Hollywoodization of gaming has caused a lot of problems (the explosion of game budgets, along with a partial collapse of 'independent' game development that so characterized PCs and the like because of their increasing irrelvancy are really starting to hurt gaming), it has led to some cool stuff still. GTA3, love it or hate it, is a ridiculously well-selling game that is also amazingly open-ended for a console game. This game features a huge amount of emergent gameplay (especially compared to the Zeldas and Final Fantasies of the world), as well as an oft-ignored focus on ethics (it does punish you for driving 'evil', but it still gives you the choice to do so). To see complex games like it sell well makes me optimistic about the future of gaming. You see similar ethical choices and emergent stuff in other games (like Deus Ex), and I personally think that especially the ethics part is a newish form of gameplay that we just didn't really have much of in the 8 and 16 bit days. Having to decide what is right and wrong is an exciting gameplay dynamic, and is something that can really affect us even when we are done playing, and hopefully more developers will encorporate it in their games...

Work Order

[Rudy Rodarte]

I put in the Work Order to my wife for a the GBA SP several times, but it has been rejected over and over again. Maybe I can pick up a used one somewhere.
Sightly OT, I'm planning on picking up the new Konami Arcade hits pretty soon. I do wish they included Contra and Life Force from the NES, too.

Re:Work Order

[Firehawke]

Try your local mall. EBWorld and Software Etc are offering used GBAs for about $50, and you can always trade up some older gear for one.

Re:Work Order

[PainKilleR-CE]

I put in the Work Order to my wife for a the GBA SP several times, but it has been rejected over and over again.

I put it in (the Work Order to my gf) with a couple of addendums:
1) trade-in of older Platinum GBA (non-SP) to reduce cost
2) blue GBA-SP goes to my gf upon receipt of black GBA-SP from retailer

If the older SP had been green I probably could've gotten by without #1, but that's ok. Now, the real question is will I be able to actually get ahold of both a black GBA-SP and FF:Tactics Advance in one place without going to several stores. I'm guessing I'll have to put my name on a list for at least one of them or look somewhere else.

Re:Work Order

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't get a GBA. I have great eye sight and find the origional GBA a total pain to play. Either there is glare on the screen or you don't have enough light. I've never found an angle were I can clearly see the whole screen all at once.

I quit playing it and just travel with my GBC now. Still, I'm going to get an SP soon. Black.

Re:Work Order

[Rudy Rodarte]

Yea, Its been tempting to trade in the old GBA for an SP. EB will give me $30 off an SP. That brings the price from $99 to $69 but that brings my final SP cost to like $170, factoring the original cost of the GBA. I think I'd have better luck selling it to someone else for what EB charges.
Time will tell if the wife gives in. Perhaps she will have to get her own for me to get one.....

Da ansa is simpl

[Jahf]

RED UNS GO FASTA!

Re:Da ansa is simpl

[Anonymous Coward]

-1: Obscure Games Workshop reference ;)

Green

[Michael.Forman]

"Color psychologists believe that certain hues generate specific, and often very strong responses in people. For example, black can foster strength and encourage independence, while red empowers and can stimulate the mind."

Strange. Red always makes me skeptical of the pseudoscientific claims of "color psychologists". :P

Michael.

Well then

[Phexro]

"Nintendo also officially announced two new colors for the GBA SP, Flame (red) and Onyx (black), and even lay out their reasoning for those picks..."

The fact that those colors have been available in Japan since the launch of the SP had nothing to do with it.

Right.

Re:Well then

[scot4875]

Nevermind that those *could* have been the reasons that they were available in Japan since launch to begin with.

--Jeremy

THAT explains it

[Snowmit]

Color psychologists believe that certain hues generate specific, and often very strong responses in people. For example, black can foster strength and encourage independence, while red empowers and can stimulate the mind."

I've always assumed that the delight I got from splattering blood all over the place was due to some primal rage. Now I know that it's because it makes me smarter.

Non-silver Gameboy SP

[MyDixieWrecked]

Are those actually released in the US, yet? I heard they were going to be released in August, but I haven't heard anything since.

I picked up a Japanese GBASP off half.com that's black, and I was still under the impression that I was special, especially since I haven't seen anyone else with one that's not silver. I also get the occasional comment from these 9 year-olds as they walk by "Wow! that guy has a black gameboy!"

It's always nice to have children be fascinated by you gaming device. ;)

Re:Non-silver Gameboy SP

[PunchMonkey]

Blue GBA SPs were available same time as silver.

I've seen Red and black available this month too.

Of course I am in Canada... but I really doubt we're getting this stuff before the US is :-)

my GBA SP is silver ...

[MORTAR_COMBAT!]

.. but I wish I could trade it for the new black one, so it would match my Cube and controllers :(

That's silly.

[Inoshiro]

"I was refuting this by saying that if a handheld were released where all others things were equal but the graphic capabilities of this new handheld were equal to the PS2, the more capable model would sell well."

Besides that being a complete crap statement because it would not exist in real life (being that there would be no way that two such systems could exist differening only in graphics capability and not in cost or availability), the fact of the matter is games are the only measure of a system. I've said it before, and I'll keep saying it until you retards understand it. I don't play the Dolby Digital on an Xbox any more than I play the PS2 DVD movie feature -- they're just features, entirely tangental to wether there are games worth playing on the damn console!

You can make a SuperDuperGameWhiz9000 which claims 7.1 audio, ultraD mega-defitition cornea vision graphics, and pants-shittingly good controllers that also have the ability to bend time -- but without a game to play on it that's worth anything, your console will sell nowhere near as well as the original NES because people buy game consoles to play games, not to wank off to a set of static features in a brochure.

I also reassert: if Nintendo ever went to the trouble of putting TV out and a power adapter in with the GBA player + a controller and sold it for ~100$ CDN, it would sell. Parents would have no problem buying it for the kids, because it would be inexpensive and judged to be easier for the younger ones. When you make your coke-head examples where market forces like these don't exist, you only prove your ignorance of the game market.

Re:That's silly.

[Acidic_Diarrhea]

Besides that being a complete crap statement because it would not exist in real life

Well, you're rather rude, aren't you?

You are still missing the point. Let me try one more time to explain it to you. (And if you don't get it this time, I'll throw my hands up.) The original poster was claiming that the 16-bit era was the golden age of video gaming and the reason that the GBA has sold well is because those are the types of games people want - not GTA3 or GT3 or Halo or Metroid Prime. I made a hypothetical example up (yes, hypothetical situations don't have to be possible in order to show a point, it's true!) to point out that people will take the best graphics they can get for their money and if you could have either Super Mario World or Super Mario Sunshine on your handheld, most people would select the handheld that allowed Super Mario Sunshine level graphics.

The rest of your post was very rude as well. Why do you feel the need to put me down because of a post I made? Calling people retards is not a socially accepted practice in polite and money-making society - consider giving that up. I think I won't respond to you any further as it appears you're not capable of having a courteous dialogue. I read your statement in an attempt to understand your point of view but when you call what I say "complete crap" and use the word "retards", I'm a little put-off. Good luck with your life.

Re:That's silly.

[Anonymous Coward]

somebody mod this loud-mouth bitch down.

Are you a retard?

[Inoshiro]

Do you agree with the statement, "a system is awesome based on its specs, not the games that are available"?

If you don't agree, you're not a retard.

The original poster you replied to does seem to have a bit too much nostalgia, but you seem to ignore the games part of the argument. I'm just pointing out the obvious flaws in your statement.

Besides, little example arguments that are completely made up to only prove one point (given that they are so far from reality as to not apply to reality) are crap. They only cloud the issue and distract from the real logic flaws in the part of the argument that applies to real life.

Is someone with a reading problem also a 'retard'?

[DeadScreenSky]

"a system is awesome based on its specs, not the games that are available"?

That isn't even remotely what the poster was talking about, and it is ridiculous to even suggest that they were. You seriously missed the point.

No black gba's in the US?

[evilhayama]

I'm pretty amazed that they're just announcing the new colours in the US now. I've owned a Black GBA for a month or more now, in Australia. I'm glad we don't always get stuff ages after the mighty US urv A.

Now I can finally buy a GBASP

[dq5 studios]

I held off buying a SP because Black wasn't a locally available color. I've also not purchased a Wavebird for the same reason. All the accessories have to match the 'Cube.