Is a Virtual Console for DS/next gen Nintendo handheld a given??

These are the GBA games I have for my Mario DSLite: all Super Mario Bros., all Zeldas (Zelda I, II, link to past, minish cap), both metroid games for gba, donkey kong country 1-3.... basically i have all the classics. i feel like if nintendo comes out with a "virtual console" for their handheld system in a few years these GBA games will sink in re-sale price, and, more importantly, I really won't need to keep these games and my gba at hand.

basically, is now a good time to sell my gba and all the games? do you think a "virtual console" for a nintendo handheld (dsi or the next one) is less than a few years off??

I think it unlikely at all, we went through all the reasons like 3 days ago. A thread called cla$$ic DSi or somethin

You probably won't see a VC for DS because Nintendo wants you to buy a Wii and get your old games there.

It would be nice if Nintendo at least allowed you to transfer your games onto DSi/3DS so you could play them on the go, but that's probably not realistic because of the way the games are tied to a specific console. Still, Nintendo could find a way to allow it if they wanted to, but they'd also be concerned about potential piracy.

I think the reason we don't have VC-style Gameboy Advance games for download is because the GBA still technically has not been discontinued. Last year it actually sold over 20,000 units.

As for the original Gameboy, I guess Nintendo doesn't think it's worth the trouble? The games would probably have to be priced cheaper than NES titles to get sales, and the returns would be marginal.

As for the original Gameboy, I guess Nintendo doesn't think it's worth the trouble? The games would probably have to be priced cheaper than NES titles to get sales, and the returns would be marginal.

SakusEnvoy

Well it's not like they would be losing money. And Apple has shown that you can make a killing on cheap downloads.

These are the GBA games I have for my Mario DSLite: all Super Mario Bros., all Zeldas (Zelda I, II, link to past, minish cap), both metroid games for gba, donkey kong country 1-3.... basically i have all the classics. i feel like if nintendo comes out with a "virtual console" for their handheld system in a few years these GBA games will sink in re-sale price, and, more importantly, I really won't need to keep these games and my gba at hand.

basically, is now a good time to sell my gba and all the games? do you think a "virtual console" for a nintendo handheld (dsi or the next one) is less than a few years off??

GCwasthebestsys

Yah if you still have a DS or GBA save those, if you don't sell them. I am next to positive we will see nothing Virtual Console wise...maybe a slim chance for GB or GBA games, but only cuz those aren't one Wii.

There IS a thing called E3 where companies, including Nintendo, make surprise announcements....maybe they'll unveil something like this? At least that's what I'm hoping, as it's one of the big reasons why I bought a DSi.tjoeb123

Well your gonna be disappointed then

[QUOTE="SakusEnvoy"]

As for the original Gameboy, I guess Nintendo doesn't think it's worth the trouble? The games would probably have to be priced cheaper than NES titles to get sales, and the returns would be marginal.

ThePlothole

Well it's not like they would be losing money. And Apple has shown that you can make a killing on cheap downloads.

Well one game being transfered to DSiWare probably costs more than an apple flash game

Well one game being transfered to DSiWare probably costs more than an apple flash game

Cruse34

I doubt it. Okay, I don't actually know what it costs to per game. But keep in mind that the games on the virtual console are being emulated, not ported. All they should have to do, once papers are signed and rights have been settled, is take the original game code (or the ROM) and process it into the appropriate format. And this is probably done not individually but in batches.

I'm surprised that a lot of people don't expect this to be an eventual reality. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the DSi or 3DS eventually had a VC that allowed to you play previously purchased games from the Wii.

[QUOTE="Cruse34"]

Well one game being transfered to DSiWare probably costs more than an apple flash game

ThePlothole

I doubt it. Okay, I don't actually know what it costs to per game. But keep in mind that the games on the virtual console are being emulated, not ported. All they should have to do, once papers are signed and rights have been settled, is take the original game code (or the ROM) and process it into the appropriate format. And this is probably done not individually but in batches.

Okay true and I went through Nintendo not being interested in the VC last week find that thread if you want. But it also cost money to maintain the servers and such

I honestly don't think I will care either way. I consider the virtual console to be somewhat of a failure, just because Nintendo did a pretty awful job making that service. Don't get me wrong, it's nice that I can play Majora's Mask and Kirby's Adventure anytime on my Wii, but at what cost? A lousy download system, poor page design, a terrible add-on remote control andno real account linked to all of this.

I hope they make something 100 times better for Nintendo's next console, and enable people the chance to transfer everything they bought on their Wiis. But I wouldn't be surprised if their solution is something gimmicky and hardly worth the hassle.

I'm surprised that a lot of people don't expect this to be an eventual reality. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the DSi or 3DS eventually had a VC that allowed to you play previously purchased games from the Wii.

thebisonx

You probably won't see a VC for DS because Nintendo wants you to buy a Wii and get your old games there.

It would be nice if Nintendo at least allowed you to transfer your games onto DSi/3DS so you could play them on the go, but that's probably not realistic because of the way the games are tied to a specific console. Still, Nintendo could find a way to allow it if they wanted to, but they'd also be concerned about potential piracy.

I think the reason we don't have VC-style Gameboy Advance games for download is because the GBA still technically has not been discontinued. Last year it actually sold over 20,000 units.

As for the original Gameboy, I guess Nintendo doesn't think it's worth the trouble? The games would probably have to be priced cheaper than NES titles to get sales, and the returns would be marginal.

SakusEnvoy

It's not a given, but I don't agree with the reasons given here for dismissing it completely. Nintendo has to do very little work to get these old games on to newer platforms. If there's any onboard storage at all, you could easily carry hundreds of NES games.

They make a policy where VC games are non-transferrable and boom, they get some of us to buy VC games all over again and they tap into the market of DS owners without a Wii to buy VC games as well.

No.

Nothing's a given unless it's been announced

Yeah they would. But to the OP's question, How would a digital game service reduce the value of your games. You have the actual cartridges, don't those retain value no matter what?

Get a Wii if you want to play the old Mario games and A Link to the Past. The original Metroid is pretty much Metroid: Zero Mission as well.

You may see the virtual console work with both the Wii and the 3DS, depending on whether the 3DS can support controls for all of the systems on the virtual console, otherwise I wouldn't hold my breath.

I honestly don't think you will see other great GameBoy, GameBoy Color andGameBoy Advancegames on the virtual console, at least not anytime soon. As awesome as it would be to download the Golden Sun titles and the old Advance Wars and the GBA Fire Emblems and Pokemon games, I just don't see it happening - yet.

But give it a few years, and maybe Nintendo will come up with a better model for their virtual console games.

Get a Wii if you want to play the old Mario games and A Link to the Past. The original Metroid is pretty much Metroid: Zero Mission as well.

Ovirew

Zero Mission is quite a bit different from the original Metroid.

Get a Wii if you want to play the old Mario games and A Link to the Past. The original Metroid is pretty much Metroid: Zero Mission as well.

You may see the virtual console work with both the Wii and the 3DS, depending on whether the 3DS can support controls for all of the systems on the virtual console, otherwise I wouldn't hold my breath.

I honestly don't think you will see other great GameBoy, GameBoy Color andGameBoy Advancegames on the virtual console, at least not anytime soon. As awesome as it would be to download the Golden Sun titles and the old Advance Wars and the GBA Fire Emblems and Pokemon games, I just don't see it happening - yet.

But give it a few years, and maybe Nintendo will come up with a better model for their virtual console games.

Ovirew

My opinion is starting to turn around on this one. Yes, the Virtual Console is a big selling point for the Wii, but consider the risk involved in the 3DS: It is quite likely that the improved hardware, and the addition of a 3D parallax barrier display, could raise the MSRP of the 3DS to $249. If this is the case, it would make it Nintendo's most expensive system - the addition of a portable Virtual Console would provide a compelling new feature to help shift units for people uninterested in the system's 3D capabilities.

There was a certain barrier to implementing the VC on the DSi: the 256 x 192 LCD display. NES, SNES and N64 games have minimum resolutions of 256 x 224 (and many N64 games ran at 640 x 480). Theoretically, they could have used two screens or simply not displayed 32 vertical lines, but I'm sure they were not too keen on that solution. Assuming they use a higher resolution display on the 3DS, that obstacle will be gone.

It's not a "given", but there's no reason not to do it. It won't be competing with the Wii -- even if it did, the Wii already has a strong enough library to stand on its own. The 3DS is a new system and needs all the help it can get.

Finally, the pressure has been mounting from the competition to provide a compelling portable digital download space. DSiWare is one component to that strategy, but alone it will not satisfy people's desire for cheap, high-quality downloads. Even the original PSP can download PS1 games.