Nintendo not giving up on GBA...yet

Without its line of Game Boy handhelds, Nintendo would likely not be in the position it is today. When the company went head-to-head with Sony's PlayStation 2 and Microsoft's Xbox with the GameCube, the result was disastrous for the one-time gaming leader.

Thankfully the company had the Game Boy Advance and more recently the Nintendo DS--both of which have helped keep Nintendo's wallet fat. While Nintendo tries to get back into the console race with the Wii, no one can dispute that the company dominates the handheld market.

Though the DS looks to shape the future of Nintendo's handhelds, the company believes its predecessor, though dated, still has some legs to stand on. Speaking at the Reuters Media Summit in New York, Nintendo of America president and COO Reggie Fils-Aime said, "We think that Game Boy Advance certainly has at least one more holiday season left in it."

In fact, Fils-Aime says, the GBA is still essential to Nintendo's plan as a "gateway console."

"For us, it continues to be a great stepping stone for five-, six-, seven-year old consumers to have their first great handheld gaming experience and then transition right into DS," Fils-Aime told Reuters.

According to the executive, sales of both the DS and GBA are expected to meet company expectations this year.