Failure Of The E-Reader

Nintendo Insider have got an article titled, Failure Of The E-Reader, which takes a look at nintendos latest GBA addon, the e-reader and why like so many of the other GBA addons, it looks like failing:

You surely remember the end of last year - the hype over Metroid Prime and Fusion and the usual rush of titles for the holiday season. Along with the wealth of great titles, Nintendo slipped in the little Game Boy Advance peripheral known as the e-Reader. Retailing for a MSRP of $39.99 (US), the thing was a bit costly, but had such great starting support that it seemed well worth the money. So where did the little device that could go wrong?

One has to start from the outside, and that may very well be the first problem. Price. For $40, one could easily purchase a GCN game or save money grabbing a GBA title. The device did include, however, a game (worth about $5) and some more cards that would amount to $5 total if bought seperately in individual packs. Still, the price tag may have made some customers hestiate on picking up the E-Reader. Perhaps if Nintendo started packaging it in with some GBA's and/or games, people might be willing to pay a little extra for its cost.