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"Woah woah woah ..."

The DS a third pillar?
I really don’t think so; not any more, at least.

(This is probably going to be painfully disjointed, but bear with me.)

From Ninty’s point of view, perhaps - at least, if they’re still taking the same view as pre-E3, that if only 10% of people ‘get’ the DS, they’ll be happy.
That was when, to me, the 2-screen thing did seem a little gimmicky - hardly revolutionary.

But then they announced that the second screen would be touch-sensitive.
Now there’s something revolutionary. Something you can actually work with, something much more than a gimmick - that could actually change how we play games.

And after E3, I think I can safely say that more than 10% of you here ‘get’ the DS.
I could probably say that 90% of you will remove limbs to physically get the DS.

And I don’t think it’s a third pillar any more. It’s a second pillar, with impressive girth.

Any mention of the GBA2 at E3? If so, I must have missed it.
Have any of you actually even thought about the poor thing?

Think about things from other companies’ point of view. Would any of them release games on just the DS or GBA2? I don’t think so - straight ports minus any touch-screen features are more likely: why split potential profits?

After all - how many of you were planning on buying the DS and the GBA2? I know I’m not, it does seem rather a waste of money.

What will be the point of GBA2 anyway?
The leap in terms of graphics from GBA to DS / PSP is one of the greatest ever seen - a jump that big again would being visuals up to today’s home-console standards. Practically impossible, I’m sure.

So will Ninty carry on their promised gaming revolutions with the GBA2? Like ... I dunno, 3 screens? One for throwing stuff at.
But, no, that would be the DS2, wouldn’t it?

I just can’t see one company doing any better with 2 handhelds than they would with 1.

Yes yes, DS is something different.
But it’s a handheld all the same, and would get exactly the same kind of games as the GBA2.

Back to the developers - most companies probably shat themselves when they heard of the PSP. Because that’s a whole other market to be tapped - Sony loyalists to target, smaller versions of PS games to create.
But with the GBA2 - how many companies would bother? They’d get no more sales than usual, as the Ninty market is already being covered by the DS.

And since the DS made such an impact (I think even Ninty were impressed by its reception) I wouldn’t be surprised if the GBA2 never surfaced. Or at least, not until - if ever - the DS died.

Did that make any sense?
FFF.

Also, wasn't the DS supposed to be called something else?

There will not be a GBA follow up in the DS's life span.

The reason it is a third pillar is so the GBA SP can continue selling along side it... not so a follow up to the GBA can.

The GBA SP will be a VERY CHEAP little GEM with classic 2D Nintendo software that retro freaks and casual handheld gamers will buy. It is cheap, filled with short sharp games that can be enjoyed on the road and is not anything too over the top.

As for the DS, this is a revolutionary new machine that will hopefully cause loads of sales.

The GBA SP will win the handheld war, the war between the DS and the PSP is merley for second place.

The DS is essentially the GBA2, it's just I think they don't want to say it is if the two-screen system fails. If it does, then they can always knock together a one-screen souped up DS for a GBA2 and claim it was in the making all along.

Yes, not to mention backwards compatibility.
Forgot about that.

In all honesty, I think Ninty were just being coy and very unsure about how the DS would be received (which isn't very much like them).
And now, like I said, I wouldn't be surprised if GBA2 fades away.

Nintendo stated that this isn't the GBA's successor, supposedly because they were a little nervy about what people would think.

Its supposed to be the third pillar of Nintendo gaming, but I don't see how this is fully possible what with backwards compatibilty and all.

We'll see.

Stridman™ wrote:
> What?
> I dont get this, why isn't the Nintendo DS the next GBA?

No-one knows, because nothing about the GBA2 has been released.

However, before the DS launch, Ninty stated that it was a third pillar for Ninty - so completely seperate for GC and GBA.

So one can presume that the GBA will get an upgrade.

What?
I dont get this, why isn't the Nintendo DS the next GBA?

What differences will both Handheld consoles have???

I'll look forward to it.

But I'll remain adamant, that it is not good business to have 2 handhelds on the market at once. It just forces 3rd party developers to work twice as hard for their money - which will lead to one system being void of good games or, at worst, both.
The companies will just move onto easier money field - the PSP for example.

And from a designer's point of view - would you rather make a game for the DS, where brand new ideas can be tried and tested, put into practise for the 1st time.
Or the GBA2 - SP with better graphics (most likely)

In a business sense, I mean. I had quite an interesting idea on what Nintendo plan to do with the DS - I was going to write a post about it.

But I don't have time at the moment, I'm off in five minutes :-).

Mav wrote:
> The GBA 2 and DS have been put into the market to do different
> things.
>
> I'll come and back this up later...

As I said.
But they're still both handhelds, you can't change that. Who has 2 handhelds from the same company? It makes no sense.

The GBA 2 and DS have been put into the market to do different things.

I'll come and back this up later...