New Nintendo Game Boy to be launched in Japan

Nintendo Co would launch Game Boy Micro, a new mobile phone-sized game console, in Japan on September 13.

Nintendo Co said on Thursday that it would first launch Game Boy Micro, a new mobile phone-sized game console, in Japan on September 13 with a price tag of 12,000 yen ($109).

HT Image

Nintendo, known for software titles featuring characters such as Mario, Donkey Kong and Pokemon, dominates the portable game industry with about 94 per cent market share, and aims to strengthen its grip with the Micro as it goes up against Sony Corp's Play-Station Portable.

The Japanese company, based in the ancient western city of Kyoto, hopes to attract women and casual gamers -- those unwilling or unable to spend hours playing games -- with the compact and stylish devices. It said the Game Boy Micro was the world's smallest console.

The company said earlier this week the portable, which weighs just 80 grams, or about 20 per cent less than Apple Computer Inc's I-Pod mini music device, would be available in the United States from the end of September and in Europe from November 4.

The Micro, whose screen has adjustable brightness levels, will play all the same games as the current Game Boy Advance SP. The company said it expected to sell 4 million Micro units worldwide in the current business year to March 2006.

It said in May that it expected to sell a total of 10.2 million Game Boy Advance devices worldwide in the current business year ending March, including Game Boy Micro. Shares of Nintendo were up 1.34 per cent at 11,340 yen in late afternoon trade in Tokyo, outperforming a 0.41 per cent rise in the Nikkei 225 average.