Nintendo: DS not Game Boy Advance's successor

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Japanese game giant clarifies its new double-screen gaming system's marketplace role.

In an interview conducted by Bloomberg Japan, Nintendo confirmed that the Nintendo DS, its newly announced portable dual-screen gaming system, is not being created to take over the Game Boy Advance's market. The company also confirmed that a separate machine is being developed as a next-generation successor for the GBA. According to Nintendo's public relations chief Yasuhiro Minagawa, "The development of succeeding machines for the GBA and Game Cube are in the works, separately from the Nintendo DS."

News source: GameSpot

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(1 reply) #1 Jstphish on 21 Jan 2004 - 22:47

Hmmm, this ought to be interesting. The Dual Screen sounds like something to please the masses until the next machine comes out (strange because the SP just came out (relatively) so maybe I'm wrong.

#1.1 Mav Phoenix on 21 Jan 2004 - 23:13

Well the SP is almost a year old...

#2 Aaryn Kasra on 21 Jan 2004 - 23:47

It sounds interesting, but somehow I don't see it being used to its full potential. I'm sure Nintendo will develop some cool stuff for it but is there going to be enough 3rd party support to warrant the purchase of another console?

#3 CrimsonBlur on 21 Jan 2004 - 23:53

This is a very interesting idea. I think this is more of a market test for Nintendo, than it is a major product release. I bet they are testing the waters for devices such as the DS to see if consumers will take on to a little more radical concept. This sounds like a Virtual Boy type product, where they just throw it into the market to see how the technology does.

#4 Ji@nBing on 22 Jan 2004 - 00:12

i thought it sounded really cool at first. but the more i think about it, the more stupid i think it is. i think i'll just save my $ for the next gen GB (though i'll wait untill it's actually out to pass final judgement)

(3 replies) #5 SkaterAustin on 22 Jan 2004 - 02:27

hmmm a new gamecube AND GBA... Wonder if we will see true 64 OR MABYE 128 bit graphics on gba now thatd be sweet luv my gba sp now.. then again we got psp that should be interesting

#5.1 Xenomorph on 22 Jan 2004 - 21:11

i'm sorry, but what exactly does "64" or "128" bit graphics look like? when the N64 was still new, and that Mortal Kombat game came out for it, i had a friend that was dissapointed that it "didn't look 64 bit" (the graphics were the same 2D you'd see on a SNES).

to improve the graphics, you'd want more ram, more hardware acceleration with video, etc... being 32, 64, 128, 256, or 512 bit isnt going to make things look better or worse.

#5.2 nic on 22 Jan 2004 - 21:56

If you are talking about color depth, I don't think 32-bit is going to be outdated anytime soon.

But, what is meant by 32, 64, 128...ect bit, is that (and i could be wrong here) is how large the instructions can be. You, foresay, have a 64-bit instruction set instead of a 32-bit one. What does that mean? Well you can address more memory in a single instruction for one.

#5.3 Overlord368 on 25 Jan 2004 - 17:17

Ok well theres a difference between the core processor and the colour depth bits. On ANY game you play you dont see colour depths of over 32 bits because...well 32 bits has all the colours you need right now

#6 thornz0 on 22 Jan 2004 - 05:01

i wont pass judgment yet, im not sure what they have planned for it....that being said, lol

boy i hope theres more to this

(1 reply) #7 TGD on 22 Jan 2004 - 17:10

Nintendo have always innovated. Just look at the controller of any console out right now, practically everything on it was invented by Nintendo. Rumble, analouge, D-Pad, shoulder buttons, buttons under the controller. This could be stupid, sure. But it could also change the way people play games.

#7.1 Overlord368 on 25 Jan 2004 - 17:19

yeah i loved the Z button on the 64!

when it shot in games it was kinda more like pulling a trigger

#8 Raum on 22 Jan 2004 - 17:19

Agreed, Nintendo has been a trustworthy name in the industry for delivering superb titles as well as a leading innovator.

I think the graphics will be about the capabilities of a Playstation 1, probably more refined. I wouldn't expect 128 bit graphics at all, and wouldn't hold my breath for a N64 equivelant, though it would be a nice surprise.

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