Portable GBA DVD Player

Share your perspective. Keep it thoughtful, welcoming and on topic.

1. This is one that I might get… eventually. (When my children are old enough to play the games, that is.)Weren't we talking a week ago about the possiblity of Nintendo licensing the GBA hardware to third parties to include it in other portable devices? Yes, I think Carmine mentioned it…

2. Muahahahaha!Anyways, that's what I'd guess would happen if Nintendo was realy serious with keeping the GB brand unique from the DS. The DS and GBA I don't think can co-exist if they are both pure gameplay devices.What I was predicting was that the GBA hardware be "micronized" to the point where it can be licensed out to manufacturers of cellphones and MP3 devices. Cellphones and MP3 players are luxury items which are already high cost and already piling on new features, real games would be an excellent addition.Cellphone makers and other pocket luxury device makers would get an easy and painless way to add gameplay to their devices list of selling points.Buyers of those items, already paying top dollar, could easily foot the bill. GBA hardware is dirt cheap anyways, and top-line cellphones and MP3 payers run in the hundreds of dollars anyways.Mobile game developers would be freed from the arcane 100+ different environment INSANE cellphone game development world, they'd get one standard easy-to-develop for platform.Nintendo would get virtually market dominant acceptance of their GB platform, a true "three pillar" strategy, and more money.Here are the problems:GBA carts are too big. In size conscious devices that are already crammed full of technology, that could be a problem.The GBA distribution system currently doesn't allow downloading games, which would be a flaw to a mobile wireless internet-ready device.Non-standard screens, the GBA hardware would need a way to utilize each different screen in a standard way, a very significant technical hurdles.Non-standard inputs. The hardware manufacturers would be hard pressed to come up with new interfaces that serve as both game and phone/mp3 controls. They don't need to be perfect, but they can't be ridiculous….anyways, I'm not confident it'll happen. It's just a scenario I predicted and I wouldn't be at all surprised if it didn't pan out at all beyond this.~Carmine M. RedKairon@aol.com

3. I agree Carmine,I think a lot of those hurtles could be overcome though.GBA carts are too big. They are pretty big, but not huge, if the rest of the device was designed well, this wouldn't be too big of a problem, especially in a device that has to stay a certain size to be useable, like a cell phone. The GBA distribution system currently doesn't allow downloading gamesWith the Revolution, Nintendo already has to build the infrastructure for downloading games, GBA games would be no problem to add to it.Non-standard screensAll the phone companies would really have to do is make sure that the aspect ratio is the same.Or, Nintendo could just sell them the game boy micro's screens, I am sure they would work fine with a cell phone.Non-standard inputs. The hardware manufacturers would be hard pressed to come up with new interfaces that serve as both game and phone/mp3 controls.All Cell phones I've ever had have had a cross pad type thing near the top (D-pad), with two buttons on either side to navigate menu's (a and b buttons), plus an additional button in the center of the cross pad (start) then you still have 12 buttons leftover (* and # could be mapped to L and R, etc.) I would love to have my cell phone be capable of playing GBA games instead of the pre-NES era game play that most current cell phones can do, but I wouldn't even consider it if it didn't have at least as good of a control interface as a GBA. There is nothing worse than doing really well in 'magical drop' and accidentally hitting the back button, which is placed way too close.

4. is this gizmondo which´s hendheld just went bankrupt?team up with nintendo

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