Game Boy
Maker(s): Nintendo
Date: 1989
On display: No, but featured in handling collection
Object number: H4
Credit line: National Videogame Museum
Game Boy
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Game Boy with the Game Boy Camera accessory
A Game Changer
First released in 1989, the Game Boy was a revolutionary device that actually drew its design from well-developed, pre-existing technologies.
One of the best-selling handheld consoles of all time, the Game Boy was designed to be much more affordable than other consoles. Chief engineer Gunpei Yokoi dreamed of a simple, portable device with a collectible library of games. The Game Boy’s resulting design, with its interchangeable game cartridges, paired with longer battery life than its competitors, made the console especially popular with casual gamers. In the Game Boy’s 14-year production run 118.69 million units were sold.
In 1995, at the height of the Game Boy’s fame, Nintendo released audience statistics stating that 46% of the Game Boy player-base were women and girls. This prompted a new interest in marketing video games towards girls and women players, who were now shown to be a growing presence in gaming.
Our Collection
What you see in our gallery is just a small part of our collection. Vital work behind the scenes focuses on cataloguing our items.
This is a key part of managing a Museum’s collection and is essential for many of our activities such as research, conservation and exhibition development.
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