Bandai Plans Handheld Device

[nukinetix]

Hmmm ... not sure what to think of this. Yes, it's indicative of the expansion of gaming in non-gaming circles, in japan and elsewhere, but no, it's NOT what I've been talking about recently. In any case:

Reports from Japan are suggesting that Bandai is negotiating with a mobile phone company to launch a handheld device, featuring games. According to Nikkei, Bandai is close to an agreement with network company Willcom. The two companies are planning the launch of a handheld device aimed at children (i.e. sub-16, the current GBA market?), which would play games and serve as a phone. The new service will be called Kids Keitai (Kids Mobile) and will launch later this year. It's not known what nature of games is being planned.

Bandai has proven to be capable of doing damage, tamagochi was an example of that (though it DID inspire nintendo to further promote the gameboy by using pokemon). If Bandai succeeds in harming the GBA market, which is still Nintendo's main money maker, Nintendo will have to respond firmly and swiftly.

Nintendo, your turn now ...

[nukinetix]

This smacks of Korea-envy, the koreans have had it for over a year now:

SK Telecom Releases "GXG", Mobile Phone 3D Games Apr. 11. 2005

- Plans to release 16 different types of 3D mobile games, and launch a total of 73 games, by the first half of this year.
- Upgrading traditional mobile games in terms of capacity and content utilizing incredible speed and powerful graphics
- Will invest more than KRW 10 billion this year in game planning, developing, and publishing.

SK Telecom has launched a variety of great 3D games that let users enjoy a sense of incredible speed and powerful graphics by upgrading the existing mobile games offered via mobile phone. The company also opened a mobile game portal site called 'GXG' (www.GXG.com), on April 11.

Apparently Gundam kicks ass!

[Flare]

My money is on the one with the screen on top, with the controls below. That one is sweet.

[Darksol]

Me wants to play Gundam on that thing, drool!

[nukinetix]

Hold on a sec ... wasn't Bandai bought over by Namco recently (or did that consolidation never actually happen?)

[Galaga will never die]

Hold on a sec ... wasn't Bandai bought over by Namco recently (or did that consolidation never actually happen?)

It happened

coincidentally enough I was just playing their first Bandai-Namco joint developed Gundam game - a Japan import titled Gundam: One Year War - on my PS2 about 30 mins ago before reading this thread.

(Link to Gundam: One Year War)

[nukinetix]

So it happened, right. That's what I remembered

Well, if all goes to plan you'll be playing gundam on your 3d accelerated convergent device sooner than you think

[BJWanlund]

um, wasn't the wonderswan a bandai device? designed by the late Gunpei Yokoi, no less?

BJ

[nukinetix]

Yep, sure was! A nice little handheld device designed by the man who did the gameboy in the first place. I got one.

[Alyinsanfran]

I want one of those SK Telecom jackets.