No more versions of GBA

By Ellie Gibson Published 11 May, 2006

Says Iwata himself.

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has said that there will be no more iterations in the Game Boy Advance series, despite the success of the GBA SP and GBA Micro.

In an interview with Reuters, Iwata said: "I would have a second thought about using our resources on what would be the next generation of Game Boy Advance, considering the strong support DS is now enjoying."

"The Japanese game market is now evolving around DS. We don't need to do something that will pour cold water on the situation."

Nintendo has managed to shift more than 74 million GBAs, if you count the original handheld, the SP and the Micro. They also reckon we've snapped up more than 16 million DS units since it launched in the US last November.

But Nintendo won't be able to focus all its attention on the DS over the coming months, since there's the winter launch of the Wii to worry about. Iwata promised that plenty of games will be available for the console from day one, stating: "I am aware that we cannot win user support by offering only a few titles at the launch like we did for Nintendo 64 and GameCube.

"We want to make it a double digit and we are able to do that." Titles already confirmed for launch include The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, the Wii Sports compilation and Ubisoft shooter Red Steel.

Iwata said he believes Nintendo can be the market leader in the next-generation console cycle, despite the fact that poor sales of the GameCube have left the Japanese giant trailing in third place this time around.

"We are fighting not with Sony or Microsoft, but with indifference among our potential customers," Iwata said.

"We are the only one who has clearly made it a mission to lure those who don't play games and those who have quit playing games, and to break down a wall in a household between players and non-players. If that goal is achieved, there is a good chance that we can be number one."

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (18) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Kay #1 6 years ago

    So Nintendo do want to be the market leader then? A lot of people seemed to assume that they were happy being the 'second console in the house'.

    K
    Edited by 1 at 11/05/06 @ 12:40

  • djchump #2 6 years ago

    That makes a lot of sense - why detract from the DS boom? Good move from Ninty to concentrate on building the DS up and hopefully using it to tie in with the Wii. I'm sure there will be lots of Wii games like Crystal Chronicles that will wirelessly use the DS as part of (or an extension of) the game.

    BTW Xiphos - I don't think Iwata-san heard you - maybe you should shout louder?
    Or maybe you should email Nintendo with your incredible insights; I'm sure they will be very interested in what you have to say :-P

  • jimmyboo #3 6 years ago

    But can you be sure we will be seeing the Gameboy Uber sometime within the next 12-18 months, i.e. the successor to the GBA, one that will sport analogue sticks, WiFi, gamecube-esq gfx, etc.

  • Psi #4 6 years ago

    how do you fight indifference?

    Ninty - 'HA I beat you indifference!'

    Indifference - 'yeah whatever I couldn't care less'

    Ninty - 'You just won't stay down will you!!'

  • Psi #5 6 years ago

    jimmyboo i doubt a gameboy upgrade is due any time soon, ninty's policy at the moment seems to be 'disruption' a release of a new gameboy would basically be soemthing trying to better the psp's graphics etc and i don't think thats on their agenda at the moment.

    i do see more hardware using the gameboy title, but not for a few years till the ds is dating. it's an unnessisary platform at the moment.



    ...although the cube cd's are pretty small, a porta cube would be nice :)
    Edited by 1 at 11/05/06 @ 13:11

  • Tiiti #6 6 years ago

    milky milky

  • struddie #7 6 years ago

    "They also reckon we've snapped up more than 16 million DS units since it launched in the US last November."

    Wasn't it launched the November before last? i.e. 2004

  • jonchoo #8 6 years ago

    Good news. I wouldn't want to stretch all my resources across three Nintendo platforms. The DS is good enough for me. If they do ever release another portable in 1-2 years time, make that the successor to the DS and not the GBA.

  • Markusdragon #9 6 years ago

    "We are fighting not with Sony or Microsoft, but with indifference among our potential customers,"

    The wars of the future will not be fought on the battlefield or at sea. They will be fought in space, or possibly on top of a very tall mountain!

  • ShekkyBoy #10 6 years ago

    Interesting comments. I feel from E3 so far, Nintendo has an excellent chance to make Wii one of their most successful consoles to date. Iwata has definitely lead Nintendo to pick up on the central concern that made the N64 and GC not as successful - lack of initial third-party support.

    The comment about the DS is interesting as George Harrison recently gave an interview with Game Informer, where he stated the Gameboy would return.

  • towser #11 6 years ago

    /claps GBA as it leaves the room slamming the door behind it so hard it hits it on the arse.

    Edited by 1 at 11/05/06 @ 13:53

  • Cabelo #12 6 years ago

    I certainly thought so too :)

    Well played that man.

  • ElephantMonkey #13 6 years ago

    so no more game boys? what happened to GBA 2 ? the 2 screens in my opinion are uneeded. Their next one should be a 1 (bigger) screen touchscreen handheld.

  • Psi #14 6 years ago

    cheers supermonkey Cabelo, It reminded me of a few years ago when some nutter came up with the catchphrase

    'war on terror'

    the same shortcircuit was flipped in my head then.


    oh ElephantMonkey your describing a touch sensitive psp, which going by sony's e3 track record should be announced at the end of the conference...
    Edited by 1 at 11/05/06 @ 15:53

  • floW #15 6 years ago

    how do you fight indifference?

    Ninty - 'HA I beat you indifference!'

    Indifference - 'yeah whatever I couldn't care less'

    Ninty - 'You just won't stay down will you!!'


    Oh damn, someone already made this joke... sorry Psi....

  • Kami #16 6 years ago

    Quote by Xiphos
    Nintendo, can you please stop fucking repeating, stipulating, repeating and reminding us that you

    ARE NOT COMPETING WITH SONY AND MICROSOFT

    it's not as if Sony or Microsoft give a flying noodle about whether you are or not

    Sony tried to mimic the controller a bit. Microsoft a while back said they wanted Shigeru Miyamoto. So yes, I'd say they both very much care. Nintendo are huge, they've been at this for ages, and especially now more than ever before, S&M be watching with renewed interest to see just how huge a hit Wii becomes. If Wii kicks their asses in the sales arena, then you can bet every penny you own that these two companies will follow suit. Sony and Microsoft have to care. Nintendo has made sure of that one.

    Also, Nintendo...
    YOU DON'T NEED TO REMIND ANYONE ABOUT HOW WELL YOU'RE DOING

    Well, considering there are still a legion of Sony and MS fans who will swear on their own grave that Nintendo is about to perish, I think they do, if only to "Wii" all over their vain expectations to see Nintendo franchises on their systems. As for Nintendo DS, well, doubt even Nintendo saw that one coming but it goes to prove that they are not quite as dead as some would try to convince you.

  • Zuiyo #17 6 years ago

    Nice reply, Kami.

  • Kami #18 6 years ago

    I have my moments...

    Time to take the Nasty Pills again...