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Nintendo to Counter PSP Media Features

Posted by Zonk on from the extending-your-gameboy-for-fun-and-profit dept.

docdude316 writes "Gamespot is reporting that Nintendo has just announced a new media player add-on which is compatible with the Game Boy Advance SP and the Nintendo DS. The media player will let both the GBA SP and the DS play MPEG-4 and MP3 files off of a SD card. It will retail for 5,000 yen ($48 US), and will only be available off of Nintendo's website. There are currently no plans for a North American or European release."

16 of 81 comments (clear)

  1. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  2. Buy a 3rd-party one right now by Rayonic · · Score: 4, Informative

    Very similar devices already exist for the GBA. This one, for instance, does movies, music, ebooks, pictures, and even old famicom games.

    All that and its cheaper too. (No, this is not a product endorsement.)

    --
    [PowerPoint] is a tool for capitalist presentation
    1. Re:Buy a 3rd-party one right now by Aggrazel · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I have one of those, works great. I bought it for my kid, takes about 4 hours to turn a 30 minute TV show into a 200mb file that it can play.

      Also you can "trick" this device into playing Gameboy games as well as NES games. The NES emulation leaves a lot to be desired though since you can only load roms up to 192k and you can't save... but most roms 192k or less have passwords anyway.

      If you want to do this for real though get a Flash2Advance card, then you can do all KINDS of neat GBA tricks.

    2. Re:Buy a 3rd-party one right now by mausmalone · · Score: 2, Interesting
      The differences, though:
      • the one from lik sang uses CF, not SD (in my mind, that's a point for the lik sang one since I already have CF cards)
      • the one from lik sang requires you to re-save your movies and music to their format, which apparently is pretty shitty. the nintendo one says it'll play Mpeg 4 and MP3, excellent formats.
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      -=-=-=-=-=
      I'd rather be flamed than ignored.
  3. Re:SP only? by big+daddy+kane · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I think its less a technical issue and more of a marketing one. By makeing the SP or DS a requirment, it will drive sales of the new units, rather than having people stick with their regular GBA's.

  4. Re:actually for the gba... by satoshi1 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    You might be able to. When flash carts are inserted into the DS it says "A DS Option pack is inserted" where it normally says "Play GBA Game." The DS may be able to take advantage of this if Nintendo makes the DS see it as an "option pack."

  5. DS Net? by mwielgosz · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Since the DS has wireless networking...how long until we see internet capabilies and browser software on this thing? Sure the screen is a bit small for a page to look correct, but it would be suitable able to read news articles or messageboards on it. I guess you could use a text only browser line lynx to make it readable for blogs/news. Maybe even a POP3 email client for on the go email? The touchscreen would make a good way to emulate mouse input. With some cities planning free wireless hotspots, could this be a reality?

    Is this even possible on the DS or am I way out there on this one?
    I know that this would be the number one selling point for me if this became reality. It would be really convient to have a device that had the great gaming library from Nintendo, music, movies, and slashdot.

    --
    -Mike
    1. Re:DS Net? by FortissimoWily · · Score: 2, Interesting

      "Is this even possible on the DS or am I way out there on this one?"

      It's quite possible, and in fact, internet browsing software is already in development. ;)

  6. Re:SP only? by Headcase88 · · Score: 2, Informative

    It runs on both GBA SP and DS. The question is: why it won't work on the orginal GBA?

    --
    "When the atomic bomb goes off there's devastation...but when the atomic bong goes off there's celebraaaaation!"
  7. Re:first post by Guppy06 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Because we're all pirates over here (arrr). We're talking about mpeg files, not FairPlay or Windows Media, and we can't have a big-name electronics distributer selling products that don't respect DRM!

  8. Re:SP only? by Guppy06 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    "What's the difference in hardware between it and the regular GBA?"

    One is selling better than the other. It probably runs fine on the ordinary GBA, they probably just threw in the "SP" part because they could.

    The only way this wouldn't work on a GBA is if it required a dongle that plugged into the SP's and DS's multi-port (power, sound, and whatever the hell else that port can do).

  9. Re:SP only? by gauauu · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Nope. GBA and GBA SP have the same hardware internals.

    GBA - 32 bit ARM7 16.7 Mhz processor
    GBA SP - 32 bit ARM7 16.7 Mhz processor

    The SP has some changes like the rechargeable battery, backlight, no built-in-headphone jack (!?), but as far as functionality, they are the exact same.

    As a programmer, you can't even detect which platform the game is running on. (which would be nice, because it would be great to be able to adjust the screen coloring based on whether there is a backlight present). Some commercial games, like I think Legend of Zelda 4 swords, allow you to switch the palette manually based on whether you have an SP or not, but no games can do it automatically.

    So if it works on the SP, it works on the GBA, unless the actual physical form factor of the cartridge is huge and bulky and strangely shaped, and is designed to not fit into the regular GBA.

  10. Re:first post by mausmalone · · Score: 2, Informative

    Most likely there's just no plans for a NA release because they're trying to get it to market in Japan ASAP to counter the PSP. They have time to delay any plans to release it abroad because the PSP won't be released here for a while yet. At any rate, Nintendo doesn't region-protect their handhelds, so get the import.

    --
    -=-=-=-=-=
    I'd rather be flamed than ignored.
  11. Re:MS is probably happy by mausmalone · · Score: 2, Informative

    The WMV container has DRM built in, whereas AVI is too old for that. This is probably a move to keep them from catching the ire of the MPAA.

    --
    -=-=-=-=-=
    I'd rather be flamed than ignored.
  12. F2A vs. EFA by tepples · · Score: 2, Informative

    If you want to do this for real though get a Flash2Advance card, then you can do all KINDS of neat GBA tricks.

    I agree, and I've written a couple tricks myself. But don't get the F2A if you have a Nintendo DS, as writing to the F2A requires using the link port on a GBA or GBA SP, which the DS lacks. Get the EFA Extreme Flash Advance (kicktrading.ca sells it) instead, as it is written through a connector on the cart itself.

  13. Re:EXCLUSIVE! Nintendo's 2005 line-up revealed by StocDred · · Score: 4, Funny
    Wow! But wait until you see the Xbox's 2005 lineup!

    JANUARY
    Another WWII shooter! It's online and has dual weapons!
    A sports game!
    A PS2 port!

    FEBRUARY
    Another Vietnam shooter! It's online and has dual weapons!
    A US-developed RPG that fails to live up to expectations!
    A PS2 port!

    MARCH
    Another Sci-Fi shooter! It's online and has dual weapons!
    Another sports game!
    A PS2 port!

    APRIL
    Another Vietnam shooter, because the kids love them! It's online and has dual weapons!
    A whole bunch of PS2 ports!

    Anybody can play this game, jerk.