Nieuwe 32-bits Gameboy krijgt internet connectivity

Nintendo heeft een nieuwe Gameboy in ontwikkeling, die zal worden uitgerust met een 32-bits ARM processor. Het apparaatje kan middels een mobiele telefoon aan het internet geknoopt worden. Het is de bedoeling dat de Gameboy Advance meer wordt dan alleen een idioot spelcomputertje, het ding zou ook een concurrent voor handheld devices zoals de Palm Pilot kunnen worden:

Game Boy, Nintendo's best-selling handheld video game machine, is about to grow up. Nintendo plans to upgrade its popular device by including a powerful processor and a port that will allow it to be connected to a cell phone for accessing the Internet. With the new capabilities, users will be able to go online to play multiplayer games, participate in online chats, download software, and retrieve email. Nintendo also said it will develop a new digital camera for the new Game Boy that will allow users to see the faces of their online opponents.

Game Boy Advance, as it is currently being called, should reach the Japanese market by August 2000 and the North American market by the end of the 2000. Pricing details were not released, but current Game Boys cost less than $100. "This is an entirely new field of development for the video game industry," said Nintendo Chairman Hiroshi Yamauchi at a press event in Japan. "Being able to play any time, any place is what video games should be all about."

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