Looking at the image above I see one icon and one primitive sketch of a product. The original Nintendo Game Boy retains its allure despite being technologically bested in every way and multiple times over by its successors. The Game Boy is not just old, it is a classic. Many of us have fond memories of staring down at its greenish screen for hours. The newer models offer a more robust experience, but who doesn’t enjoy returning to the original?

Now look to the right. Do you even recognize that? It is of course the orignal iPod. Many of us would laugh if we saw one of these toted around today. It does not have a color screen, hell it does not even have a touch wheel. When I picture an iPod I see something close to the 4th generation and later models; a basic, rounded rectangle with a screen and circular controls. I see the small white rectangle from the commercials. Apple did not create an iconic piece of hardware with their first iPod model, but the company did create an iconic product. The classic iPod continues to evolve year after year, but it remains consistent to the idea established in the early advertisements. Apple does not want its customers to get attached to a single model. New features are constantly being introduced to make older models seem humorously obsolete. Your brand new iPod remains a stylish fashion accessory for about a year before you need to hide it in a cute case to avoid embarrassment. No model is made to endure the test of time.

history of iPod and Game Boy

The styling of the iPod has not changed a great deal. The important features have arguably remained constant as well. All iPods play music. Is the experience improved greatly by color album art? Do you really want to watch a movie on that small of screen? Nintendo chose not to continuously update the Game Boy at first. The first Game Boy was released in 1989 and did not see an upgrade for seven years. Even then, the Game Boy Pocket offered a more compact size and sharper screen, but played all of the same games as the original handheld. Even with the release of the Game Boy Color in 1998, the original model remained compatible with a majority of the new games. Nintendo did not force upgrades and people continued to enjoy the original products. It was in Nintendo’s best interest to allow them to keep playing games. The Game Boy Advance was the first major upgrade twelve years after the original. Apple intentionally creates a disposable product, whereas Nintendo created the Game Boy to endure.

The form of the Game Boy has not remained nearly as consistent as the iPod. Someone familiar with the first iteration might not even recognize one of the later generations. The saving grace for Nintendo is that they have long dominated the handheld market, so many people would guess that any handheld gaming device is a Game Boy. With the Game Boy Advance Nintendo took on some of the habits of Apple.  Game Boy Advance saw two hardware revisions in four years. The Game Boy SP was welcomed with open arms due to the poor screen on the original model, but the Micro was a fashion accessory that many passed over. I personally loved the Gameboy Micro because I never owned the lighted SP. It was, however, a sign of things to come.

Three different versions of the Nintendo DS have been released since 2004. As you can see, the DS lite and DSi have started to take cues from the styling of Apple products. The Nintendo Wii, DS lite, and Game Boy Micro share very similar designs and even the actual d-pad. Many people commented on the new ‘Apple white’ paint jobs. Nintendo is now trying to make products that are more stylish and reach a wider audience. It is actually working very well. Hopefully their redesign rate will not start to match Apple as well. The DSi, much like the Game Boy Color, plays original DS games, but has slightly upgraded hardware that will allow for exclusive games. Now it is a guessing game to see if buying the DSi is worthwhile or if Nintendo will soon release a full hardware upgrade to the DS. All iPods play music, but not all handheld gaming devices are created equal.

Although many people enjoy the new look of Nintendo, I cannot say that I am impressed. The newer products look great, but feel very uninspired. Apple is the current king of sleek minimalism and it is hard to avoid comparison when you decide to name your products using Apple’s own lower case “i.” The Original Game Boy is an icon, but will the DS just become a blur? No one cares about the Original DS. It was ugly. The DS lite has a chance of being remembered, but the DSi is basically a newer, sleeker version. This kind of marketing does not work when many of your customers do not have jobs. The DS is expensive and parents cannot afford to buy a new one for their kids every two years. Nintendo can try to steal Apple’s styling cues, but should not copy its branding and advertising.

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Now let us talk about the other side of the coin. Apple really wants to take a chunk of that money the Nintendo DS is printing.

Apple wants you to know the iPhone can do everything, but they are pushing the iPod touch as a gaming device. I guess the slightly less functional iPod touch is great for slackers? There have been some crazy figures thrown around about the percentage of users that have downloaded at least one game on the iPhone or iPod touch. Well, guess what? Most of them are free or super low cost, and that does not mean they got any real play time. Apple is still in a great position to snag the Bejeweled-playing office worker. Nintendo has its own online game store for DSi, but the App Store is already well established in consumers’ minds. iPods are a status symbol in a way that Nintendo products never will be. Apple could very easily start making some money off games, but is anyone really prepared to buy $30+ software for their PMP? Games are going to stay in Casualland.

I think there is one flaw in the plan though. If Apple really wants people to buy the iPod touch as a portable gaming system, they need to change their ways. The iPod touch has seen three generations in three years. Those with older models are required to spend $10 with each generation in order to upgrade the firmware and use new apps. Not only that, but the hardware is already getting better. Games look and function better on a device released two years after the original. Who wants to buy a gaming machine that needs to be replaced every year or two? Apple does not understand gamers and probably does not care.

A few years ago a comparison between Nintendo and Apple may have been unlikely. Now it seems their markets are merging and their branding is starting to look very similar. Mac is the computer made for everyone and Wii is the console for all; both come in neat, white packages. I hope that Nintendo products will not completely lose their iconic designs. Even if they are not super slick, we remember them.  I cannot see a day where children beg for a new iPod to play the latest RPG monster collecting fare.  No one is going to look back at the iPod model of his childhood and remember it fondly–it will be hard enough to determine which one it even was. Nintendo, you are not Apple and that is a good thing. It is a bad time to be making products that look like Apple knock-offs. You don’t want to give them more credibility in the gaming market. Apple, I love my iPhone, but certainly not for the games. Game systems have a much longer lifespan than your music players. No one wants to buy a handheld game system where games are the last consideration. Try a bit harder, both of you.