Nintendo takes on iPod and PSP with its Game Boy Micro

June 1, 2005

Although Nintendo was well known for producing 'Games only' consoles, this has changed with their last announcement of the Nintendo Revolution, which can also play DVDs. Now Nintendo aims to take on the iPod and even the PSP with its upcoming Game Boy Micro. This player will be bundled with a cartridge currently known as "Play-Yan" that can play MP3s and MPEG-4 videos from an SD card.

With a typical price of $79 for the current Game Boy Advance SP, it is likely Nintendo will not make a major leap in pricing to something like the $249 price tag for the PSP, thus potentially giving it a pricing advantage. Like the iPod, Nintendo has also been focusing a lot of attention on the look and style to make it more 'fashionable' such as with the younger generation. So far Nintendo currently dominates 94% of the handheld gaming device market share with over 28 million units sold.

Cool factor. Something associated with Apple's iPod and something not associated with the veteran video game maker Nintendo. The company hopes to change that with the new Game Boy Micro. The smaller, hipper Game Boy is about as big as an iPod but plays a huge collection of Game Boy Advance games. It can also play MP3s and videos with an additional cartridge, to let Nintendo inch toward a brand new status in video games.
The Game Boy Micro is the third re-release of the Game Boy Advance, originally launched in 2001. Nintendo has since released the best-selling Game Boy Advance SP, and now the Micro.

At less than 1-inch thin, the Game Boy Micro is the tiniest Game Boy ever and includes a minimalist edge that strays from the cute design of Pokemon characters. The industrial design is what Nintendo hopes will catch a wave of image-conscious gamers who want to be seen with the coolest gadgets.

While many questioned Nintendo's release of yet another Game Boy Advance, the answer to the Game Boy Micro's introduction lies in marketshare. Nintendo dominates the handheld market with 94% percent marketshare that includes the Game Boy Advance and the recently released Nintendo DS. After 28 million units sold, the Game Boy Advance line can be resold in different designs to attract new customers, just like Apple's iPod line.

Read the full article here.

Even if Nintendo managed to keep pricing close to the
iPod shuffle range, unfortunately it will not be as compact, thus users who have
no interest in games or video on the go will likely resort to the iPod shuffle
or mini series. Then again, it will likely be a good competitor to the PSP
for video playback due to its support for cheaper SD cards and its well known name when it comes to handheld games.

Finally, as Nintendo has sold over 28 million handheld gaming devices or close to double the number of iPods sold to date,
they may do well even in the MP3 player market with
its upcoming player, even if most customers are likely going to
use them for playing games. 😉

Feel free to discuss about MPEG4 encoding on our Video Edit Software forum.

Source: Punch Jump news