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CES Summit Brings Together 'GameBoy Killers'

Posted by simoniker on from the shoot-you-down dept.

Thanks to GameSpy for their article covering a panel at CES in Las Vegas discussing the future of the handheld gaming market. Representatives for the Sony PSP, Tapwave Zodiac, Nokia N-Gage, and for Intel's 'standard portable platform' XScale technology were in attendance, and it was noted that: "Intel, Nokia, and Tapwave are attempting to expand the market by offering powerful platforms that also offer other productivity and entertainment features." However, Sony are staying out of allowing other kinds of software on the PSP, suggesting: "We feel very strongly that what the consumer wants is a dedicated gaming device." A retail representative also voiced concerns with the new diversity of portables: "I don't know if there's room for tons of other devices. You've got to sell to the core gamers and expand from that."

13 of 41 comments (clear)

  1. Right.. by swat_r2 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The only way they will actually compete head to head with the GBA is if they are under 100 bucks. Even if they can cook you dinner, clean the house and walk your dog.

    1. Re:Right.. by FlipmodePlaya · · Score: 4, Insightful

      That worked for Sony back when Sega provided them an oppurtunity to pry into the console market. Nintendo wasn't overly dominant (still dominant), and Sony had room to squeze in and expand. Remember that at first, the N64 was killing the PS.

      This is a different market. 'Gameboy' is a household name, more so than 'Nintendo' ever was. It's been in countless TV shows, movies, and the like. Every parent knows what it is. The Playstation isn't quite as well known as it, I would argue. Not only that, but there is no ailing company for Sony to steal the business of (Sega's Game Gear won't help them).

      Forgetting the obvious design problems of making a handheld console do what they say it will (they will surely scale it back, PSX style), they need to make it at a reasonable price. I've yet to see an estimate pricing it at under $200, most hover across the $300 line (USD). That's more than any home console sells for, right now.

      So the Gameboy has the advantage of an absurdly large user base and library of games, brand name recognition, and most likely price. Sony will have to compete with Nokia...

    2. Re:Right.. by buffer-overflowed · · Score: 2, Informative

      Don't forget you can get a flash card for a GBA for around $100. This allows you to buy a complete dev kit + test system for between $160 and $200(or, if you have an internet connection you can get every GB, GBA, and NES game for free(store them 4 at a time on one normal sized cart)). For $300 you can buy a GBA SP, A 1GB Flash Cart(big enough to store something like 64 GBA games), A link cable, and a Gamecube - GBA link cable. The GBA SP has a base battery power of 8-10 hours with backlight on, and the battery can be replaced to nearly double that for another $100. So, you have an upgradeable, portable system with a one time cost, that comes in at base at the sub $100 pricepoint.

      The N-Gage similarly, allows homebrewing(in theory). The PSP will not.

      Given Sony's preferrence for hyping hardware features that will never see the light of day(PS1, PS2, PSX), it would deeply shock me if it performed at anywhere near the level they claim. Then, their reputation for producing crap(PS1 & PS2 laser assemblies, which have a tendancy to fail[granted this is high volume, but the gameboy has much higher volume and you don't hear about hardly any problems from GB/GBA/GBA-SP owners]).

      Even if it does live up to the hype, it's still looking to debut at the $300 pricepoint. At which point, it better come out with some damned fun games, decent battery life, and a BJ attachment if they expect me to buy one.

      Many have offered a superior handheld system to Nintendo, all have failed. If Sony fails to convince the majority of current Gameboy Owners that it's worth it to buy a new handheld, their offering will die or languish at a far distant 2nd(where who in their right mind would develop much for it?).

      --
      The key to the enjoyment of pop music is to replace any instance of "love" with "C.H.U.D."
  2. Comics... by Terminal+Saint · · Score: 5, Funny

    Is it just me, or does this conjure up images of them all sitting around a big table with one speaking: "Gentlemen, our first task is to find a way to kill superma... er... Nintendo."

    --
    It's sad when choosing an installation directory on your own qualifies you as an "advanced user."
  3. Handheld market situation by neostorm · · Score: 4, Insightful

    With the GBA riding as the top product for this market, it's a sure target for a challenger. However I really don't think any of the devices here hold any sort of challenge for it, sadly enough.
    The PalmOS devices, while supporting a vast library of PalmOS games, don't have nearly the quality that the average gamer would be interested in. The typical PalmOS games are not very exciting to say the least, and will ultimately fail to really draw in a crowd.
    The NGage needs no introduction, and it's reasons for failure are already pretty apparent.
    The Sony PSP is really the next best contender, but if they launch at the rumored price level reported in the last few days, it's not going to go very far until a major drop in retail. Who knows...

    Funny enough, the two devices that probably could have done quite well against the GBA were never brought over here; the Wonderswan color and the GP32. The Wonderswan probably would have sold for the Final Fantasy ports alone, and the GP32 really entices me as an older gamer, simply because of it's open development.

    1. Re:Handheld market situation by b0r0din · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I agree about the price. $350, let alone $200, is too much for a handheld system. I don't care how great the graphics are, unless you can drive the price down to say $150, you won't be able to penetrate a market where a $70-100 device (which easily fits into a pocket now, I might add) has more than 90% of the market share. I remember even 10 years ago, the Sega GameGear was just about the most beautiful handheld you could lay your eyes on. Color LCD display, TV capable. But I just couldn't afford it. In the end, I opted for the monochrome GameBoy. It took them years to develop it in color, despite my estimate that they would be in color within two years. But they still hold the market, and have something like 600 playable games for it. The PSP does have a chance, but only if they can drive the cost to about $150. Plus, I'm not a big fan of spinning discs when it comes to portables. Solid state is the way to go. I'm sure iPod users would disagree, but the less moving parts, the better, if you ask me.

      We'll see. One reason Nintendo dominated w/GameBoy was because their NES had made them dominant, and it seemed a natural progression. Now, Sony is the game station of choice, and PSP seems like a natural progression. Their hype machine is in full swing just like it was when they were developing the PS2, and look how it destroyed the Dreamcast.

      As for Nokia and company, no chance in hell. They should have stuck to cell phones. Their games just don't even look that good, even on TV. Two years from now, maybe. And the other one...Zodiac? Hell I already forgot it. They'll drown under the competition from the two top players. They have no name recognition, no other game products. Nothing. If they're smart, they'll stick to a niche market like airplanes or fancy limos.

  4. Excuse me if I don't buy it by Slashdot+Insider · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Sony, on the other hand, is sticking to its gaming guns with the PSP. "We feel very strongly that what the consumer wants is a dedicated gaming device,"
    MPEG4 video (w/ a format large enough to hold a movie), ATRAC3 (as used in MD players), MP3, 7.1 sound, USB 2.0, memory stick slot, and a 16:9 widescreen. Does anyone seriously believe the line that they want a dedicated gaming machine?
  5. All-in-one device by sofakingl · · Score: 2, Insightful

    We feel very strongly that what the consumer wants is a dedicated gaming device.

    They say that for the portable system, but not the home console. Honestly, I could care less about DVD playing, CD playing, and the other new stuff in the PSX, since I have devices for those purposes already that outproform the PS2/PSX. But when it comes to portable machines, I would rather carry around one device rather than several. Don't get me wrong, I don't want cell phone abilities on the system, but PDA software would be quite useful (and if not integrated into the system, then at least in software form). Of course, all-in-one devices tend to not be as good as individual ones, but if it is done decently it will at least be an added reason to shell out the high price that this thing seems to be heading towards.

  6. Sony has it right on this one by Pluvius · · Score: 2, Interesting

    However, Sony are staying out of allowing other kinds of software on the PSP, suggesting: "We feel very strongly that what the consumer wants is a dedicated gaming device."

    Translation: Unlike Intel, Tapwave, and Nokia, we're not fucking stupid.

    Read the reviews of the N-Gage. What do most people complain about beyond the ridiculous price? The thousands of buttons out of which only a few have any real gaming function. But thousands of buttons, as much as they make gaming next to impossible, are almost certainly required in any portable that wants to do much more than play games. The only other solution is selling optional accessories (a mini-keyboard, for instance), and that has almost as many problems.

    Actually, there is one other possibility: Make the screen touch-sensitive a la PDAs. I'm not sure how practical this is for these types of portables, though.

    Of course, even if Sony did make a portable that could do everything, it would probably still sell. This is Sony we're talking about here.

    Rob

  7. Nintendo is right?! by RyoShin · · Score: 4, Insightful

    However, Sony are staying out of allowing other kinds of software on the PSP, suggesting: "We feel very strongly that what the consumer wants is a dedicated gaming device."

    I can recall interviews with Nintendo personel that they didn't put a DVD player, etc., in the Gamecube because they think the people are interested in dedicated gaming devices, which I agree with. Is Sony saying Nintendo is right?

  8. Don't expect me to believe this by xQuarkDS9x · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I don't believe any of this. Simply because when the Sony PSP does come out in the States it will be around $200-400, compared to a GBA or GBA SP which is MUCH cheaper and has a *HUGE* software library spanning the original Gameboy, Gameboy Color and Gameboy Advance titles.

    Nokia N-Gage is a joke, no serious gamer buys this unless they like wasting money. Intel's standard portable platform isn't going to mean much of anything to a gamer at any rate.

    No, Nintendo will still dominate the handheld market, especially once the NEXT generation of their handheld comes out with equal to or slightly better N64 quality graphics and gameplay.

    --
    You must master your joystick like a fisherman masters bait! - Gimpy
  9. They just don't get it by IntergalacticWalrus · · Score: 2, Insightful

    All those companies apparetly don't understand why the GBA is so cool: it's an oldskool device. It's only a slightly better SNES, with all that good ol' stuff like tile rendering and scrolling. Those so-called "GBA killers" all sport fancy-pants mobile 3D GPUs and other silly stuff that only makes them bland, shitty versions of living room consoles. I bet 90% of the games we'll see on these handhelds will be washed-out versions of current console games. Who the hell wants to play that?

  10. Message to Nokia, et al. by Ayaress · · Score: 3, Interesting

    TO: Nokia
    CC: Anybody else making a system to compete with the GBA
    FROM: Captain Obvious
    SUBJECT: Portable gaming systems

    You all have it entirely wrong, but even getting it right won't save you at this point.

    A set-top-box console will cost you $100-200 right now. Even the X-box has a relatively reasonable pricetag right now. They all have huge libraries of games, especially the PS2.

    The successful portable systems (GBA, and the Wonderswan at least could move units in Japan) are under $100 bucks, and have huge libraries.

    These new portables cost $300-500, and have a handful of games available. You lose. It's almost forgone conclusion. You're following almost the exact same business model that Nokia did with the N-Gage, and like a herd of lemmings you're all running out to sea.

    They're too expensive, and have too few games to buy as a set-top-box, but as a portable, they're worthless. A portable should be cheap because it's at the most risk, and it's a lot more likely to need replacing than a set-top console.

    My GBA gets bounced around a lot. It's taken trips down stairs, it's been dropped in puddles, stepped on, kicked, thrown in frustration, and it still works (although I did break the contact edge on my Golden Sun cart). If I do manage to break it, it's cheap enough to replace - $80 isn't peanuts, but it won't mean skipping meals.

    I have a friend who has an N-Gage. Or should say HAD an N-Gage. Let's say it broke well. He dropped it once onto a carpeted floor, and it doesn't work anymore. And at $300 to replace, he's not getting a new one. Instead, he bought a GBA and SIX games, and still had enough money left to pay off the bet I made him that he'd buy a GBA before the year was out.

    I tried to imagine how much money I'd be out if my GBA was as fragile as an N-Gage. It gave me a headache. I'd probably have had to sell my car by now.