Why a GBA port and no GC port?

[Zubiac666]

So I was shopping through some electronic stores yesterday and I thought when looking at the GBA section:" WTF?"

I mean can anyone tell me why the GBA has some games that only "should" fit to non-portable consoles.
GBA has ports of:

Silent Scope (A Snipergame for a handheld.huh? Yeah it's a pretty good conversion but why the heck don't they (konami I think) release it for GC instead/too? Noone can tell me that it would sell less on GC than on GBA!)

Britneys Dance Beat (Why? I guess it would sell better on GC too!)

Max Payne

Jet Set Radio

Virtual Tennis (why no GC port?)

and several fishing games

Is it so much cheaper to produce a GBA game/port?
Why don't they just port games like "Silent Scope" to GC (like they did with PS2)? NOOOOO,it's better making a GBA port and draw this game new with (harder to create)bitmap graphics!!

weird


your thoughts please

[Zubiac666]

So I was shopping through some electronic stores yesterday and I thought when looking at the GBA section:" WTF?"

I mean can anyone tell me why the GBA has some games that only "should" fit to non-portable consoles.
GBA has ports of:

Silent Scope (A Snipergame for a handheld.huh? Yeah it's a pretty good conversion but why the heck don't they (konami I think) release it for GC instead/too? Noone can tell me that it would sell less on GC than on GBA!)

Britneys Dance Beat (Why? I guess it would sell better on GC too!)

Max Payne

Jet Set Radio

Virtual Tennis (why no GC port?)

and several fishing games

Is it so much cheaper to produce a GBA game/port?
Why don't they just port games like "Silent Scope" to GC (like they did with PS2)? NOOOOO,it's better making a GBA port and draw this game new with (harder to create)bitmap graphics!!

weird


your thoughts please

[Bratwurst]

It is VERY cheap to make a GBA game compared to a console port, and quicker too.

I would wager the market is larger for the GBA than the Gamecube, additionally.

[Bratwurst]

It is VERY cheap to make a GBA game compared to a console port, and quicker too.

I would wager the market is larger for the GBA than the Gamecube, additionally.

[Ze_ro]

I would wager the market is larger for the GBA than the Gamecube, additionally.

I'd say that that's probably the kicker... As for costs, I would think that GBA cartridges would be more costly to produce than Gamecube discs.

However, I'm surprised that Hudson is making Gamecube versions of Bonk and Adventure Island, yet ignoring the GBA. I'd love to get a "Bonk All-Stars", or "Hudson Classics" cartridge!

--Zero

[Ze_ro]

I would wager the market is larger for the GBA than the Gamecube, additionally.

I'd say that that's probably the kicker... As for costs, I would think that GBA cartridges would be more costly to produce than Gamecube discs.

However, I'm surprised that Hudson is making Gamecube versions of Bonk and Adventure Island, yet ignoring the GBA. I'd love to get a "Bonk All-Stars", or "Hudson Classics" cartridge!

--Zero

[Bratwurst]

Yeah, I meant developing the software as opposed to the medium.. I'd like to see some figures on the materials cost for a GBA cart versus the Gamecube disc though.

[Bratwurst]

Yeah, I meant developing the software as opposed to the medium.. I'd like to see some figures on the materials cost for a GBA cart versus the Gamecube disc though.

[Ed Oscuro]

Yeah, I meant developing the software as opposed to the medium.. I'd like to see some figures on the materials cost for a GBA cart versus the Gamecube disc though.

On the plus side, you've got a cheap plastic shell for a GBA cart versus a mini-DVD style case. Neither's exactly off-the-shelf-components, but still pretty cheap to produce at the rate they must be making them. I do think that the insides of a GBA cart must eat up a little of that profit margin, but how much?

[Ed Oscuro]

Yeah, I meant developing the software as opposed to the medium.. I'd like to see some figures on the materials cost for a GBA cart versus the Gamecube disc though.

On the plus side, you've got a cheap plastic shell for a GBA cart versus a mini-DVD style case. Neither's exactly off-the-shelf-components, but still pretty cheap to produce at the rate they must be making them. I do think that the insides of a GBA cart must eat up a little of that profit margin, but how much?

[Slipdeath]

they are making four swords on the gc

[Slipdeath]

they are making four swords on the gc

[hydr0x]

they are making four swords on the gc

not up-to-date: N decided do merge Four Swords and Tetras Trackers into one GC game

[hydr0x]

they are making four swords on the gc

not up-to-date: N decided do merge Four Swords and Tetras Trackers into one GC game

[Duncan]

they are making four swords on the gc

not up-to-date: N decided do merge Four Swords and Tetras Trackers into one GC game

Had not heard that yet, strangely. Thanks for the new info!

[Duncan]

they are making four swords on the gc

not up-to-date: N decided do merge Four Swords and Tetras Trackers into one GC game

Had not heard that yet, strangely. Thanks for the new info!

[zmweasel]

Noone can tell me that it would sell less on GC than on GBA!)

Third-party GameCube games, with rare exceptions, are poor sellers. Of the top 100 sellers in the first half of 2003, according to NPD, the highest-rated third-party GC title is Rogue Squadron II, ranked 51st. And there are only four third-party GCN titles in the entire top 100.

Virtual Tennis (why no GC port?)

Because traditional-sports games REALLY don't sell on the GameCube.

Is it so much cheaper to produce a GBA game/port?

Yes.

Why don't they just port games like "Silent Scope" to GC (like they did with PS2)? NOOOOO,it's better making a GBA port and draw this game new with (harder to create)bitmap graphics!!

Actually, 2D bitmap graphics are considerably easier and cheaper to create than 3D graphics. There's a reason why graphic artists now outnumber programmers in the game-development field; it takes tons of talent to create detailed 3D imagery. By comparison, a couple of artists can bang out any number of 2D tilesets and sprites.

-- Z.

[zmweasel]

Noone can tell me that it would sell less on GC than on GBA!)

Third-party GameCube games, with rare exceptions, are poor sellers. Of the top 100 sellers in the first half of 2003, according to NPD, the highest-rated third-party GC title is Rogue Squadron II, ranked 51st. And there are only four third-party GCN titles in the entire top 100.

Virtual Tennis (why no GC port?)

Because traditional-sports games REALLY don't sell on the GameCube.

Is it so much cheaper to produce a GBA game/port?

Yes.

Why don't they just port games like "Silent Scope" to GC (like they did with PS2)? NOOOOO,it's better making a GBA port and draw this game new with (harder to create)bitmap graphics!!

Actually, 2D bitmap graphics are considerably easier and cheaper to create than 3D graphics. There's a reason why graphic artists now outnumber programmers in the game-development field; it takes tons of talent to create detailed 3D imagery. By comparison, a couple of artists can bang out any number of 2D tilesets and sprites.

-- Z.

[Ze_ro]

the highest-rated third-party GC title is Rogue Squadron II, ranked 51st. And there are only four third-party GCN titles in the entire top 100.

So, Nintendo has released 96 titles that were better than pretty much everything else? I can't even name 96 Nintendo-made Gamecube games. Where is this information from?

--Zero

[Ze_ro]

the highest-rated third-party GC title is Rogue Squadron II, ranked 51st. And there are only four third-party GCN titles in the entire top 100.

So, Nintendo has released 96 titles that were better than pretty much everything else? I can't even name 96 Nintendo-made Gamecube games. Where is this information from?

--Zero