A Monday report from Japanese business newspaper Nikkei claimed Nintendo is planning unveil an iOS app to market content for its Wii U and 3DS, with the app allegedly featuring information about new games from Nintendo and the mobile initiative potentially also including playable demos of console and handheld games. In a statement provided to Engadget today, however, Nintendo has denied it is planning to offer such minigames on smartphone platforms.
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"Nikkei's article contains information previously stated by Mr Iwata during past press conferences, including statements which relate to Nintendo's willingness to make use of smart devices to promote our products.
However during such past announcements Mr Iwata has also stated that Nintendo's intention is not to make Nintendo software available on smart devices and as such, we can confirm that there are no plans to offer minigames on smartphone devices."
Nintendo is at a crossroads as mobile gaming makes gains on both the console and handheld market. The Japanese game maker reported its third consecutive annual loss and adjusted its forecast to reflect a 35 billion yen ($335.76 million) operating loss, instead of the previously projected profit of 100 billion yen. The company also slashed it sales forecasts for the Wii U from 9 million to 2.8 million units and cut its estimates for the 3DS from 18 million to 13.5 million units.
Many investors and Nintendo fans have called for the legendary game company to embrace mobile platforms, but the company's executives have so far remained steadfast in focusing their valuable game franchises only on Nintendo-branded hardware.
Top Rated Comments
(View all)If Nintendo steps into the mobile gaming market they will waste a lot of energy trying to compete in a whole new area of gaming. they will be developing new software or porting old software to two new platforms (android and iOS), that are fragmented over different types of hardware, and competing with developers who have been there for many years already.
Go play Super Mario 3D world and then tell me you can replicate that on a phone. I'm sorry but you can't.
Nintendo's place is in the living room or a mobile device of their design, not your smartphone.
The next Smash Bros,. and Zelda, and Mario Kart, and other 1st party titles will be a shot in the arm for Wii U sales, the console will likely go the route of the Gamecube, which was not a success but was still profitable by the end of it's run.
Nintendo's next move should be as the recent rumors have pointed to; a console/handheld fusion device with backwards compatibility to Wii and Wii U, support from Nintendo's online market, and specs at least somewhere in the ballpark of the current offerings from Microsoft and Sony.
A seamless mobile and living room gaming experience.
Did mac clones help Apple? No.
Then why would Nintendo commit suicide just so you can play Mario on your iPhone?
Aside from top notch game making and an earned reputation for making some of the best games in the business, the most valuable thing Nintendo has is its catalog of retro games and its intellectual properties.
Putting those games and/or properties on other devices is like throwing money away for Nintendo.
When you buy a game on Nintendo's virtual console they earn 100 percent of the profit, if they were bleeding them off onto other devices they would be earning less than if they sold it themselves.
This is what happens when the same company develops hardware and software.
Are you kidding me? What does Apple do? I'm pretty sure they make hardware and the software that runs on it.
The dialogue between Quintus and Maximus at that moment is also very appropriate:
Quintus: People should know when they are conquered.
Maximus: Would you, Quintus? Would I?