Nintendo feels the PSPressure as GBA 2 video-playback plans revealed
George Harrison confirms handheld evolution
Given that Sony is almost certain to take a whopping chunk of the handheld gaming market Nintendo has enjoyed as its own for the past decade, plans for the new Game Boy Advance are already well underway.
Speaking to EGM recently, Nintendo of America chief George Harrison made some hugely interesting comments pointing towards a considerable evolution in Nintendo’s attitude towards gaming.
“Well, clearly we're not an electronics company like Sony. Sony has the motivation to add as many component features to their system as possible,” said Harrison. “Our motivation is to figure out what features could be added to the game machine that would help enhance the game-playing experience. We're already toying with video-playback in the Game Boy arena. Still, we're not trying to become an all-in-one electronic appliance. We're trying to figure out the best machine we can launch to be competitive.”
And this is a hugely significant move for Nintendo, long-blighted by its own stubbornness. The firm has rejected time and time again any concept that isn’t pure gaming, one or two machines, several local players, nothing else. The concept of DVD playback seemed absurd to Nintendo, as did the idea of people wanting to play games online.
Perhaps this marks the first phase in the post-Yamauchi era that will see Nintendo get over itself to an extent, and realise that selling games and consoles by whatever means is imperative if survival is to be assured.
Why on earth would any company snub media-playback and online gaming, when it’s simply there to be had?
Everything Nintendo as it breaks.
Speaking to EGM recently, Nintendo of America chief George Harrison made some hugely interesting comments pointing towards a considerable evolution in Nintendo’s attitude towards gaming.
“Well, clearly we're not an electronics company like Sony. Sony has the motivation to add as many component features to their system as possible,” said Harrison. “Our motivation is to figure out what features could be added to the game machine that would help enhance the game-playing experience. We're already toying with video-playback in the Game Boy arena. Still, we're not trying to become an all-in-one electronic appliance. We're trying to figure out the best machine we can launch to be competitive.”
And this is a hugely significant move for Nintendo, long-blighted by its own stubbornness. The firm has rejected time and time again any concept that isn’t pure gaming, one or two machines, several local players, nothing else. The concept of DVD playback seemed absurd to Nintendo, as did the idea of people wanting to play games online.
Perhaps this marks the first phase in the post-Yamauchi era that will see Nintendo get over itself to an extent, and realise that selling games and consoles by whatever means is imperative if survival is to be assured.
Why on earth would any company snub media-playback and online gaming, when it’s simply there to be had?
Everything Nintendo as it breaks.
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