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Comics To Be Distributed On GBA Flashcarts In Japan

Posted by simoniker on from the black-and-white-and-read-all-over dept.

Thanks to 1UP for its article discussing plans to distribute comic strips via Game Boy Advance flash RAM cartridges in Japan. The cart will be released in August by the same company (Toshiba/AM3) as the previously mentioned Advance Movie Player system, and both will share a distribution scheme "...similar to Nintendo's own vending-machine distribution of 16-bit Super Famicom games. Consumers would buy blank cartridges separately and download content into them at kiosk terminals, placed at game stores and other locations, and then view that content on their GBAs."

3 of 28 comments (clear)

  1. Re:I like the idea, the GBA is underutilized by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Why couldn't they just use compact flash cards like everyone else? It's not like Nintendo's based in China or anything.

  2. Re:Cost? by Acidic_Diarrhea · · Score: 4, Interesting
    You state the need for a charge like it is a sure thing. The linked article is short on details but the possibility that this could be driven by ads is a possibility. Since I don't live in Japan, I'm not in a position to comment on the market there but if Marvel or DC released a system like this, the reduction in printing costs could lead to a system much like network television - where advertisers are paying for the development of content and all the company has to deliver is mindshare.

    I think comic strips are quite a different animal than the Famicom system you cite as evidence. It has always cost more to produce a video game than it is to produce a comic strip.

    --
    I hate liberals. If you are a liberal, do not reply.
  3. Re:I like the idea, the GBA is underutilized by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting
    Actually, the Gameboy and Super Nintendo had vending machines were you could write games to a flash cart, so the GBA thing isn't that new.

    The service was called Nintendo Power and it ended back in 2002. AFAIK, there were some SFC games that were only available thru this service. Actually, the famicon disk rewrite service just ended a few years ago too.

    akamichi