We all suspected that the Game Boy Advance was basically moribund, because it lacks the high-tech money-printing capabilities of the DS. Confirming our suspicions, Shigeru Miyamoto mentioned in an interview with Kotaku that Nintendo basically didn't care about the platform anymore. Now, according to George Harrison, it's not just Nintendo's "third pillar" strategy that's out, but the whole Game Boy line. He told GameDaily that "This year in our marketing you really won't see much push against Game Boy itself, so it will kind of seek its own level. It's hard to say in the future if we will ever bring back the Game Boy trademark."
It makes sense for Nintendo not to bring back the Game Boy name when the DS has so much momentum. But, personally, we think it's quite sad to see a Nintendo standard go away. Oh, well, at least we've got the Wii now to take over as the most awkwardly-named Nintendo console on the market.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-16-2007 @ 5:00PM
Covarr said...
But they'll continue their DS line instead, probably with a new DS in 5 years or so called "DS Turbo" or something like that.
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7-16-2007 @ 5:17PM
Hame said...
I think it would be silly for Nintendo to completely ditch such a HUGE brandname as "Game Boy". After all it's one of the most famous, most recognisable brands in the world. The name is ingrained into the public consciousness, it has so much meaning, history and character. It would be tragic to see it go (and it wasn't as if its popularity was waning or anything). I think it'll back at some point.
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7-16-2007 @ 5:22PM
hvnlysoldr said...
They'll turn it into a mini-game series for their handhelds after putting it as a dead weight in SBBB.
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7-16-2007 @ 6:00PM
greatslack said...
How would they even market a new Game Boy? "Nintendo without the innovation!"
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7-16-2007 @ 6:06PM
Nushio said...
I still call the DS and DSLite Gameboys. Its the only way older people understand what these machines are.
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7-16-2007 @ 7:23PM
theLoneYoshi said...
Yea... Many people I know have referred to the Nintendo DS as the Game Boy DS. Back in 2004, people even asked me "Have you seen that new game boy?" So maybe the Game Boy branding might be dead to Nintendo, but it still lives in the hearts of people. To the mainstream, Nintendo's handhelds will always be Game Boys.
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7-16-2007 @ 7:47PM
Trogdor said...
Strangely, I don't really care. The only Game Boy games I've ever really played are Fire Emblem, Advance Wars, and Pokemon. Considering I can play all of those on my DS (through the backwards-compatible GBA slot), I'm indifferent for the matter. When the Fire Emblem game comes out on the DS (Come on...Everyone knows Nintendo's gonna make one) Then the Game Boy will truly be obsolete and without purpose in my eyes.
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7-16-2007 @ 7:56PM
strider_mt2k said...
To a certain extent the name "Game Boy" is a limiting one.
Tell someone you carry a Game Boy and prepare to make excuses for it.
Tell 'em you run a DS Lite and you have so much confidence that they'll want to see what you're playing.
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7-17-2007 @ 2:08AM
Almadi said...
But what about the Amazin Gameboy Omega...
http://madiart.blogspot.com/2007/07/ancient-concept.html
Awwwwww.....
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7-17-2007 @ 7:45AM
Kenny said...
Where is the picture of the Gameboy Qee from?
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7-17-2007 @ 9:50AM
jrr said...
I still occasionally engage in some 2-player tetris using a pair of 1989 bricks and that alarmingly-similar-to-usb cable.
Oh and I refer to the DS as a gameboy, too.
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7-17-2007 @ 3:32PM
Aaron said...
I'm sure the *next* version of the DS (maybe 2 years away) will be called offically 'GameBoy DS'. Bada-bing, problem solved.
Obviously Nintendo could never again release a handheld without two screens and without touchscreen functionality, microphone, etc., and expect anyone to be interested. Therefore, they combine the features of the DS with the name recognition of the Game Boy.
I knew this would be the plan about one year after the DS came out, when it became apparent that the DS *was* the new Game Boy.
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7-17-2007 @ 7:00PM
Pokemanic said...
i call my ds a "game boy". so my parents regoninse it
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7-19-2007 @ 4:45PM
Phil said...
I second the question of asking where the gameboy qee is from. I want one.
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