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Is it only me who is disappointed with the portable gaming devices, or shall I say device of today as only Nintendo GBA is the only apparent one on the market?
Technologically, GBA is far more inferior to the games consoles at present. This is surely unfair to those who prefer their gaming to be portable, being forced into the past with technology and games similarly seen in the early nineties. Somebody shoot me! I myself prefer portable gaming as sitting in front of the television isn’t always convenient. I was really looking forward to the GBA when I first heard of it but alas, it was disappointing. Disappointing is a polite word. With the price nearly as high as its bigger better brothers, the GBA is pathetic attempt from a quality company such as Nintendo, taking advantage of the lack of competitors and the popularity of its ‘Game Boy’ brand.
I appreciate the high cost of developing portable technology, thus affecting its quality but I wouldn’t expect anything less than N64 technology, which would be understandable. Imagine a portable N64 being slightly bigger than a N64 cartridge and compatible with all N64 games. This could work to Nintendo’s advantage as well, because all the new games for the portable N64 would also be compatible with the old N64, keeping existing N64 customers happy and portraying a positive image of Nintendo as being loyal to its loyal customers. Ingenious don’t you think? I would definitely buy this as I find the concept of playing games such as Goldeneye, Super Mario 64 and Zelda on a portable device iresistable.
Something else that got my attention were the portable screens for the Gamecube and the PS1/PS2, which I spotted in the Special Reserve Discount Magazine. Wow, a bit clumsy but a very good idea. The portable screen specially suited the PS1 and the Gamecube as the former is small enough to be portable and the latter nearly there (Should Gamecube = GBA?). After the PlayStation, Sony re-released a redesigned version of the machine calling it the PS1 which is small enough to be a portable system. Then why not make it’s a portable version? A less cube like Gamecube with a built in screen, joypad buttons and an optional battery would have us a state of the art portable gaming machine to rival anything on the market. An optional joypad and television connection for those who prefer would make it open to both markets. The battery issue can be solved by batteries being similar to PDA batteries which may be optional and cost around a price of a games or less.
Obviously a system like this (the Gamecube is more than halfway there) would be slightly more expensive than the GBA but would be more appealing as the consumer would get two for the price of one.
Technologically, GBA is far more inferior to the games consoles at present. This is surely unfair to those who prefer their gaming to be portable, being forced into the past with technology and games similarly seen in the early nineties. Somebody shoot me! I myself prefer portable gaming as sitting in front of the television isn’t always convenient. I was really looking forward to the GBA when I first heard of it but alas, it was disappointing. Disappointing is a polite word. With the price nearly as high as its bigger better brothers, the GBA is pathetic attempt from a quality company such as Nintendo, taking advantage of the lack of competitors and the popularity of its ‘Game Boy’ brand.
I appreciate the high cost of developing portable technology, thus affecting its quality but I wouldn’t expect anything less than N64 technology, which would be understandable. Imagine a portable N64 being slightly bigger than a N64 cartridge and compatible with all N64 games. This could work to Nintendo’s advantage as well, because all the new games for the portable N64 would also be compatible with the old N64, keeping existing N64 customers happy and portraying a positive image of Nintendo as being loyal to its loyal customers. Ingenious don’t you think? I would definitely buy this as I find the concept of playing games such as Goldeneye, Super Mario 64 and Zelda on a portable device iresistable.
Something else that got my attention were the portable screens for the Gamecube and the PS1/PS2, which I spotted in the Special Reserve Discount Magazine. Wow, a bit clumsy but a very good idea. The portable screen specially suited the PS1 and the Gamecube as the former is small enough to be portable and the latter nearly there (Should Gamecube = GBA?). After the PlayStation, Sony re-released a redesigned version of the machine calling it the PS1 which is small enough to be a portable system. Then why not make it’s a portable version? A less cube like Gamecube with a built in screen, joypad buttons and an optional battery would have us a state of the art portable gaming machine to rival anything on the market. An optional joypad and television connection for those who prefer would make it open to both markets. The battery issue can be solved by batteries being similar to PDA batteries which may be optional and cost around a price of a games or less.
Obviously a system like this (the Gamecube is more than halfway there) would be slightly more expensive than the GBA but would be more appealing as the consumer would get two for the price of one.
tooBad wrote:
> The Sony Ericsson P800 which will be available in a few months will
> have full 3D games like 'Men in Black' built in - very exciting.
> Counterstike? not impossible then. For more info:
> http://www.sonyericsson.com/P800/
The P800 is a very sexy device. But as I said earlier, the issue with portable devices isn't power. Sooner or later you will have a portable machine with the power of PS2/Gamecube/Xbox. The limiting factor is screen size.
You mention full 3D games, but that's my point - a 3D game on such a small screen is pretty much a waste of time. A distant enemy will be just a little block, so what's the point? Sure you could connect it to a larger screen, but that kind of defeats the whole 'portable' idea.
> The Sony Ericsson P800 which will be available in a few months will
> have full 3D games like 'Men in Black' built in - very exciting.
> Counterstike? not impossible then. For more info:
> http://www.sonyericsson.com/P800/
The P800 is a very sexy device. But as I said earlier, the issue with portable devices isn't power. Sooner or later you will have a portable machine with the power of PS2/Gamecube/Xbox. The limiting factor is screen size.
You mention full 3D games, but that's my point - a 3D game on such a small screen is pretty much a waste of time. A distant enemy will be just a little block, so what's the point? Sure you could connect it to a larger screen, but that kind of defeats the whole 'portable' idea.
Thanks Rosalind,
Jonman, I don't think I'm missing the point. The GBA isn't 'state of the art' technology, being released just before the Gamecube which itself is near portable size (if it wasn't that high and cube-like) and which 'is' state of the art technology. I fankly think Nintendo could have done much better with the GBA. They just took advantage of the lack of competition and the popularity of its their Game Boy brand as I said earlier. I think the GBA could have been near Gamecube quality if pushed and I wouldn't expect anything less than N64 quality.
Well mobile technology is very new, its only been a couple of years since people really started to move to the entertainment side of it. Having said that its technology is moving very fast indeed, more so than the portable games system technology. The Sony Ericsson P800 which will be available in a few months will have full 3D games like 'Men in Black' built in - very exciting. Counterstike? not impossible then. For more info: http://www.sonyericsson.com/P800/
Jonman, I don't think I'm missing the point. The GBA isn't 'state of the art' technology, being released just before the Gamecube which itself is near portable size (if it wasn't that high and cube-like) and which 'is' state of the art technology. I fankly think Nintendo could have done much better with the GBA. They just took advantage of the lack of competition and the popularity of its their Game Boy brand as I said earlier. I think the GBA could have been near Gamecube quality if pushed and I wouldn't expect anything less than N64 quality.
Well mobile technology is very new, its only been a couple of years since people really started to move to the entertainment side of it. Having said that its technology is moving very fast indeed, more so than the portable games system technology. The Sony Ericsson P800 which will be available in a few months will have full 3D games like 'Men in Black' built in - very exciting. Counterstike? not impossible then. For more info: http://www.sonyericsson.com/P800/
I can't help feeling that you've missed the point entirely. The reason that the GBA games look like early 90s games is because that was the current cutting edge technology that could be put into such a small package at that price at the time the GBA was designed.
To make a more powerful machine, you sacrifice size, cost and power consumption. The GBA has carefully balanced all 4 aspects to make a small, portable machine that was a step up from it's predecessors in terms of power, that's affordable, and runs for blimmin ages on 2 AA batteries, which is really quite an impressive feat.
That's what portable gaming is at the moment. Think about it - if it was that easy, everyone would be playing Counterstrike on their phones.
To make a more powerful machine, you sacrifice size, cost and power consumption. The GBA has carefully balanced all 4 aspects to make a small, portable machine that was a step up from it's predecessors in terms of power, that's affordable, and runs for blimmin ages on 2 AA batteries, which is really quite an impressive feat.
That's what portable gaming is at the moment. Think about it - if it was that easy, everyone would be playing Counterstrike on their phones.
I must admit that I want a GBA. Mainly because a fair amount of old-school RPGs are getting a re-realease on it. With rumours of some of the unreleased final fantasy games coming out on it I can't resist really.
But with reports of problems with visabitlity and having looked at the quality of the graphics I do feel that £80 is a bit of a rip off when the Game Cube is retailing for only £130. And £30-40 for a much lower quality game erks a bit.
It does seem to me that it is lower quality that the SEGA Gamegear which came out years before the GBA. I still have mine and i still play on it. I can pick up second hand games for it for a few pounds
I don't see why Nintendo couldn't have made the same quality as the Game Cube. When SEGA were still selling the Mega Drive, they released a handheld version of it called the Nomad (?I think). It played Mega Drive Games.
I think that calling the Came Cube and screen portable is a bit laughable though, you can't exactly carry it around in your pocket or you bag for on the go gaming. I certainly won't be investing in a screen anytime soon.
Good Post
Ros
But with reports of problems with visabitlity and having looked at the quality of the graphics I do feel that £80 is a bit of a rip off when the Game Cube is retailing for only £130. And £30-40 for a much lower quality game erks a bit.
It does seem to me that it is lower quality that the SEGA Gamegear which came out years before the GBA. I still have mine and i still play on it. I can pick up second hand games for it for a few pounds
I don't see why Nintendo couldn't have made the same quality as the Game Cube. When SEGA were still selling the Mega Drive, they released a handheld version of it called the Nomad (?I think). It played Mega Drive Games.
I think that calling the Came Cube and screen portable is a bit laughable though, you can't exactly carry it around in your pocket or you bag for on the go gaming. I certainly won't be investing in a screen anytime soon.
Good Post
Ros
I agree, handheld machines are a disappointment.
But to be fair, I don't think there's much tht can be done. It doesn't matter how powerful a handheld machine is, because any screen small enough to be portable is useless for playing anything but the simplest of games.
Something like Tetris or Pacman is okay, but get into any form of 3D game and it just isn't worth the bother. Which is why I sold my Game Gear and Gameboy ages ago, and haven't bothered with the GBA.
It amazes me when I hear how many Gameboy's (in various forms) have been sold worldwide. All I can say is that a lot of people must be very easily pleased!
I played Tony Hawk's Pro Skater on a friends GBA a while ago and it was just hopeless. The size of the screen just isn't large enough to get any real detail in, and the whole thing just felt below par. I'd hate to try any form of FPS on it!
The most ridiculous thing I've seen recently is that full-size steering wheel for the GBA, where you plug the machine into the middle of the wheel. That surely defeats the who purpose of a handheld machine? And apart from that, you'd look stupid using one.
No, I'm afraid I like my games on a big screen. If I'm off out anywhere, I'd rather take my MD player and listen to some music. Handheld machines just aren't worth bothering with at all.
But to be fair, I don't think there's much tht can be done. It doesn't matter how powerful a handheld machine is, because any screen small enough to be portable is useless for playing anything but the simplest of games.
Something like Tetris or Pacman is okay, but get into any form of 3D game and it just isn't worth the bother. Which is why I sold my Game Gear and Gameboy ages ago, and haven't bothered with the GBA.
It amazes me when I hear how many Gameboy's (in various forms) have been sold worldwide. All I can say is that a lot of people must be very easily pleased!
I played Tony Hawk's Pro Skater on a friends GBA a while ago and it was just hopeless. The size of the screen just isn't large enough to get any real detail in, and the whole thing just felt below par. I'd hate to try any form of FPS on it!
The most ridiculous thing I've seen recently is that full-size steering wheel for the GBA, where you plug the machine into the middle of the wheel. That surely defeats the who purpose of a handheld machine? And apart from that, you'd look stupid using one.
No, I'm afraid I like my games on a big screen. If I'm off out anywhere, I'd rather take my MD player and listen to some music. Handheld machines just aren't worth bothering with at all.
Is it only me who is disappointed with the portable gaming devices, or shall I say device of today as only Nintendo GBA is the only apparent one on the market?
Technologically, GBA is far more inferior to the games consoles at present. This is surely unfair to those who prefer their gaming to be portable, being forced into the past with technology and games similarly seen in the early nineties. Somebody shoot me! I myself prefer portable gaming as sitting in front of the television isn’t always convenient. I was really looking forward to the GBA when I first heard of it but alas, it was disappointing. Disappointing is a polite word. With the price nearly as high as its bigger better brothers, the GBA is pathetic attempt from a quality company such as Nintendo, taking advantage of the lack of competitors and the popularity of its ‘Game Boy’ brand.
I appreciate the high cost of developing portable technology, thus affecting its quality but I wouldn’t expect anything less than N64 technology, which would be understandable. Imagine a portable N64 being slightly bigger than a N64 cartridge and compatible with all N64 games. This could work to Nintendo’s advantage as well, because all the new games for the portable N64 would also be compatible with the old N64, keeping existing N64 customers happy and portraying a positive image of Nintendo as being loyal to its loyal customers. Ingenious don’t you think? I would definitely buy this as I find the concept of playing games such as Goldeneye, Super Mario 64 and Zelda on a portable device iresistable.
Something else that got my attention were the portable screens for the Gamecube and the PS1/PS2, which I spotted in the Special Reserve Discount Magazine. Wow, a bit clumsy but a very good idea. The portable screen specially suited the PS1 and the Gamecube as the former is small enough to be portable and the latter nearly there (Should Gamecube = GBA?). After the PlayStation, Sony re-released a redesigned version of the machine calling it the PS1 which is small enough to be a portable system. Then why not make it’s a portable version? A less cube like Gamecube with a built in screen, joypad buttons and an optional battery would have us a state of the art portable gaming machine to rival anything on the market. An optional joypad and television connection for those who prefer would make it open to both markets. The battery issue can be solved by batteries being similar to PDA batteries which may be optional and cost around a price of a games or less.
Obviously a system like this (the Gamecube is more than halfway there) would be slightly more expensive than the GBA but would be more appealing as the consumer would get two for the price of one.
Technologically, GBA is far more inferior to the games consoles at present. This is surely unfair to those who prefer their gaming to be portable, being forced into the past with technology and games similarly seen in the early nineties. Somebody shoot me! I myself prefer portable gaming as sitting in front of the television isn’t always convenient. I was really looking forward to the GBA when I first heard of it but alas, it was disappointing. Disappointing is a polite word. With the price nearly as high as its bigger better brothers, the GBA is pathetic attempt from a quality company such as Nintendo, taking advantage of the lack of competitors and the popularity of its ‘Game Boy’ brand.
I appreciate the high cost of developing portable technology, thus affecting its quality but I wouldn’t expect anything less than N64 technology, which would be understandable. Imagine a portable N64 being slightly bigger than a N64 cartridge and compatible with all N64 games. This could work to Nintendo’s advantage as well, because all the new games for the portable N64 would also be compatible with the old N64, keeping existing N64 customers happy and portraying a positive image of Nintendo as being loyal to its loyal customers. Ingenious don’t you think? I would definitely buy this as I find the concept of playing games such as Goldeneye, Super Mario 64 and Zelda on a portable device iresistable.
Something else that got my attention were the portable screens for the Gamecube and the PS1/PS2, which I spotted in the Special Reserve Discount Magazine. Wow, a bit clumsy but a very good idea. The portable screen specially suited the PS1 and the Gamecube as the former is small enough to be portable and the latter nearly there (Should Gamecube = GBA?). After the PlayStation, Sony re-released a redesigned version of the machine calling it the PS1 which is small enough to be a portable system. Then why not make it’s a portable version? A less cube like Gamecube with a built in screen, joypad buttons and an optional battery would have us a state of the art portable gaming machine to rival anything on the market. An optional joypad and television connection for those who prefer would make it open to both markets. The battery issue can be solved by batteries being similar to PDA batteries which may be optional and cost around a price of a games or less.
Obviously a system like this (the Gamecube is more than halfway there) would be slightly more expensive than the GBA but would be more appealing as the consumer would get two for the price of one.