There's the recent talk about the graphics of the potential new "DS" and the question that came to my mind is was should they go back to the Game Boy moniker for their next handheld?
The advantage of the Game Boy name is that everyone knows what a Game Boy is--casual gamers, hardcore gamers, non-gamers--they all knew what it is. Clearly, the Nintendo DS is a handheld success but I can't help but think that they could have made more money sticking with the Game Boy with their current business model.
Now, the new generation of gamers pretty much only know the Nintendo DS and maybe the Game Boy Advance--okay, maybe the Game Boy Color also; maybe. Either way, they mostly know the Nintendo DS so, theoretically that could make going back to the Game Boy name more difficult. On that point, Nintendo could lose money going back to the beloved Game Boy title. I definitely believe it's something Nintendo should consider if they want to make more money.
Personally, I think a return to the Game Boy name would attract the dedicated DS users of the new generation, recapture old veteran handheld players and attract the non-gamers and casual gamers who all know of the Game Boy. I'd say it's definitely worth a shot. As long as it lives up to the name of Game Boy and its greatness, I'm all for it.
I'd love to see Nintendo go back to the Gameboy name, I thought it was dumb when they renamed it DS, even though it doesn't sound that bad I just prefer the old school Gameboy name.
I never understood why they went away from the Game Boy name, like they could have called the DS the Game Boy Touch. Well maybe not then there may be some pedophilia connotations, I mean people easily made fun of the Wii when the name was first announced, I know I did, revolution sounded way more bad ass. But anyway I don't know if they can easily go back to the Game Boy name, I would have preferred they never changed the name, but thats just my opinion.
The Gameboy Colour was fantastic, but a new Gameboy would have to change everything about it, but I can see the benefit in having a recognisable gaming brand out there once again.
Indeed I aswell would love to see the return of Game Boy. I've had every model of it since the beginning and have played all the good games you would expect to hear about. Gameboy Advance of course being the best and my favorite. Quite possibly one of my favorite gaming systems ever considering the huge amount of quality games it put out in it's time. SO MANY GOOD GAMES lol. But yeah, I did enjoy the DS but I'm personally not a fan of all these motion controls and touch screen things that the new generation of systems are bringing about. Don't get me wrong it's a great handheld by I personally favor it's roots and the sticking to the normal control scheme of a handheld a.k.a. the Game Boy.
As much as I like the Gameboy and how many good memories the name alone retains, the DS has cut a name for itself out in the general casual gamer/non-gamer market as a more user friendly device. Going back to Gameboy would likely scare away the many people who bought DS's for things like Brain Age and those Ubisoft pedometers.
" The Gameboy Colour was fantastic, but a new Gameboy would have to change everything about it, but I can see the benefit in having a recognisable gaming brand out there once again. "
What would have to change? If Nintendo wanted to keep the touch aspects of it, they could keep it. Unless you're talking about the fact that the touch aspect is associated with the "DS" moniker, then I guess that makes sense.
" The Gameboy Colour was fantastic, but a new Gameboy would have to change everything about it, but I can see the benefit in having a recognisable gaming brand out there once again. "
What would have to change? If Nintendo wanted to keep the touch aspects of it, they could keep it. Unless you're talking about the fact that the touch aspect is associated with the "DS" moniker, then I guess that makes sense. "
Well, making the screen larger then a standard Gameboy would be an obvious one I guess.
@Gizmo: Well, a return to the Game Boy doesn't mean they necessarily have to use the exact same attributes of the old Game Boy's. It's just adding the name back to the handheld. A name is all marketing technique. If there is a good name, people will remember it and that helps with marketing and sales. That's why Sony has not changed the name of the Playstation because it's such a familiar name. It's so familiar, I hear people saying "I want to work for Playstation." You're actually working for Sony.
" More people know what a DS is than know what a Game Boy is. "
No way man, Gameboy made portable gaming what it is today - when I first got my DS when they came out EVERYONE who seen me play it called it a gameboy. It's not like they've forgotten what a game boy is now that the DS is popular.
" More people know what a DS is than know what a Game Boy is. "
No way man, Gameboy made portable gaming what it is today - when I first got my DS when they came out EVERYONE who seen me play it called it a gameboy. It's not like they've forgotten what a game boy is now that the DS is popular. "
Completely disagreed. A lot of people you know might have been in tune with the Game Boy name, but that's the thing - those are people who have some vague familiarity with video games. That's not an audience Nintendo has been going for in the past three years. DS has been so successful for Nintendo because they've been catering people who would have never given a second thought to the Game Boy by making crazy shit like Brain Age and the Personal Trainer games.
The Game Boy name is a relic from the days when Nintendo was trying to position their systems as toys rather than lifestyle devices like they are now. To the consumer base Nintendo is courting (women, older people, non-gamers), the DS name is a more inviting and friendlier name than Game Boy will ever be.
You DO realize that, with the combined units of all units, the Gameboy name has sold over 250 million units? Now, when the new Gameboy comes back, do you think all those people who used to own one of those Gameboys would have forgotten what it was they used to own? For instance:
A 30 year old guy used to own a Game Boy when they first came out back in the late 80s, when he was around 10. He's sitting in his living room around his kids when he sees a commercial for the new Gameboy. Of course, in his mind, he's going to go "Wow, a new Gameboy. I remember when I had one of those."
Now do that x 250 million. That's like each person in Canada having a Gameboy 8 times over. And, with the new crowd they got from the DS, that'll be even more. Who says they won't be doing casual type games on the new Gameboy?
they should have stayed with gameboy. they could have called it gameboy DS. they changed it i think when nintendo announced the DS. they made gameboy, gameboy color, gameboy advanced, gameboy SP, gameboy micro, then changed it to DS.
I'd love to see it make a return. Nintendo loves money however, and the DS is too strong of a brand to let go of. The term 'Game Boy' also just seems weird at this point given the image Nintendo have built up for themselves. Of course, they could market them as two seperate products alongside eachother, but then there will be different hardare specifications to deal with and a split in games, which is less than ideal.
" @iAmJohn: You DO realize that, with the combined units of all units, the Gameboy name has sold over 250 million units? "
Over the twenty years that the Game Boy brand has existed and the multiple iterations that have come out in that time (Game Boy, Game Boy Light, Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Advance SP, Game Boy Micro)? It doesn't surprise me. And yet, the DS brand has only been around for close to five years now yet has sold 108 million units worldwide as of the end of June. It's taken the DS brand a quarter of the Game Boy brand's life to sell almost half of what the Game Boy brand sold in its entire run.
And again, why would they need to bring back the Game Boy name? In Nintendo's mind, everyone who knows the Game Boy name is tuned in enough to know who Nintendo is and how fun their games are, and are already potential customers regardless of of whether or not the system is named the Game Boy or the DS. Nintendo's whole strategy for almost four years now has been about reaching out to people who normally wouldn't want anything to do with a video game system. Again: the Game Boy is a relic from a bygone era where Nintendo was trying to position their systems as toys so they could be put in places like Toys 'R Us; they've already established the DS as a lifestyle device in the same way an iPod is, and since that's given them more success than they have ever had before, they have absolutely no reason to ever go back.
@iAmJohn: That is true. One thing I will comment on though is that when Nintendo was trying to position their games as toys, gaming wasn't popular in the first place. However, even people who didn't play games, knew about the Game Boy just off of its sheer success and popularity. Seeing kids walk around with giant, gray bricks with buttons attached to them wasn't exactly unnoticeable either. But because gaming wasn't popular and because it was pretty much frowned upon, it didn't get as much sales.
So, Nintendo changed their marketing strategy and ditched the Game Boy brand and brought in "DS." which was only named as such for the Dual Screen. I don't know what advantage they gained from ditching the Game Boy moniker when it's the handheld and games that is making them money--a lot because gaming is more acceptable now. That's why I think they can safely bring it back--it may not be a need but it's not a disadvantage and I think it would only help.
In March this year, after four years on the market, DS had sold 100 million units, and has continued selling huge every month since then. It took the Game Boy 11 years to hit that mark, and the Game Boy Advance sold 81 million over its life. I completely respect the Game Boy as a seminal handheld, changing the games industry forever (GB Tetris rules!), but the DS brand is more popular and has shown a faster rate of sales than Game Boy ever did. The DS brand helps that system cross over to non-traditional markets. Nintendo has a great history with Game Boy, but their marketing future is in DS, or yet another, demographically ambiguous brand.
" The Game Boy Micro actually came out after the DS, afaik. It was shit. "
What, the Game Boy Micro was awesome dude, it was basically a HDGBA of sorts - smaller screen yet the same number of pixels. It's also got a wireless link adaptor with great distance, it's awesome for 2 player battles in games, without the annoyance of wires:
" The Game Boy Micro actually came out after the DS, afaik. It was shit. "
It was essentially the PSP Go. It's still a decent system, just offers nothing over the existing models and is far too expensive. I remember seeing the Micro's discounted to £40 pretty quickly though, which would have been a great price.. if I didn't already own a GBA, SP and Gameboy Player for the Gamecube. We just didn't need another model, especially when the DS was out/shortly coming.
I could definitely see Nintendo going back to being more gamer focused though. I don't think they're going to try and abandon their mass appeal, but I think they've realized that they've alienated a lot of the "core" gamers. Miyomota especially seems quite upset about that. Although the DS still offers a massive amount of great 'core' games, I definitely think they're going to push that a bit more, instead of the route they went with for the DSi - which was almost entirely focused at the casual crowd.
Actually no. It stands for "Developer System" because it of the new types of games it's supposed to inspire developers to create.
As for the original question, I could see them re-introducing the GameBoy brand, but I doubt they'll get rid of the two screens/touch screen of the DS design.
Actually no. It stands for "Developer System" because it of the new types of games it's supposed to inspire developers to create. As for the original question, I could see them re-introducing the GameBoy brand, but I doubt they'll get rid of the two screens/touch screen of the DS design. "
" This thread has realllly got me wanting a GBA Micro... they are so cute! "
Haha, they are very cute.. You should definitely get one, they can be got for dirt cheap these days. The biggest plus is the size, they are very convenient in that respect. They are also ripe for customization because of their face-plates.
Zelda has never looked this cute :) It's a great way to play games...
" This thread has realllly got me wanting a GBA Micro... they are so cute! "
Haha, they are very cute.. You should definitely get one, they can be got for dirt cheap these days. The biggest plus is the size, they are very convenient in that respect.They are also ripe for customization because of their face-plates.
Zelda has never looked this cute :) It's a great way to play games...
Game Boy is dead, shed a tear and get over it. Game Boy was called that because Nintendo's target was young males. Now a days I see more women playing a DS then I see men. Calling it Game Boy again would be taking all that money and flushing it down the potty. The only way i could see this happening is if they made a pink one and called it the Game Girl and blue one and call it a Game Boy. I really don't see that happening and I don't know that I would. RIP Game Boy you were good to us.
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