People aren't. That's the problem. Nintendo is not selling the numbers of hardware units they need to. That's the whole reason why these "put your games on phones" topics come from. As a way for Nintendo to still be able to sell their games and make money in a world where smartphones are killing their handheld business and iPads are stealing their casual Wii customers.
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Nintendo Has no Plans For 'Mario on Smartphones'
- Thread starter Wishmaster92
- Start date
People aren't. That's the problem. Nintendo is not selling the numbers of hardware units they need to. That's the whole reason why these "put your games on phones" topics come from. As a way for Nintendo to still be able to sell their games and make money in a world where smartphones are killing their handheld business and iPads are stealing their casual Wii customers.
LiveFromKyoto
Member
I don't know what investors are expecting to change strategically then if he's unwilling to even consider this yet. Price drops? That's not going to change what's going on. More Mario games? A rental service or something?
This seriously continues to show a real stubbornness that is going to continue to make 2014 impossible for them, and 2015 as well.
Come back here in 5 years >
The portable space isn't their problem. Going mobile just cannibalizes their 3DS business and doesn't address the main problem, losses in their home console business.
Fantastapotamus
Wrong about commas, wrong about everything
Would Mario actually work on a smartphone? Usually J'n'R on them are kinda one touch things or endless runners. I can't see Mario working on it. Pokemon however would probably work fine.
Then again Pokemon sold what, 3 million copies? So either they would have to charge the same amount on phones (and nobody would buy it) or sell a billion copies to make the same cash, right?
Then again Pokemon sold what, 3 million copies? So either they would have to charge the same amount on phones (and nobody would buy it) or sell a billion copies to make the same cash, right?
BibiMaghoo
Member
Why Iwata? Why does the selling of mobile games software, have to be directly related to selling Nintendo hardware?
Do you not realise that you can do both, as separate business entities? That you can keep your Nintendo hardware and software business, but also sell software on mobile devices?
Whatswrongwithyou.gif.
Do you not realise that you can do both, as separate business entities? That you can keep your Nintendo hardware and software business, but also sell software on mobile devices?
Whatswrongwithyou.gif.
Immaculate
Banned
LiveFromKyoto
Member
The 3DS has been the #1 selling console worldwide for like a year straight. If that's getting "killed," the rest of the industry wishes they were such a casualty.
Wickerbasket
Member
They'd be expanding their fan base at the very least.
A lot of people seem to think that releasing on smartphone would cannibalise their existing fan base, but I really don't think that's the case. They could offer a whole range of different experiences on smartphones, while creating and attracting new fans to their home/portable consoles. You don't stop buying Mario Galaxy just because you have a Mario runner game on smartphone.
Principate
Saint Titanfall
The information we have from Square implies paid apps on smart phones don't make that much money.
If it's not f2p they shouldn't bother, not with the damage to handhelds which would even in it's current success be more profitable.
I don't see how putting Nintendo games on mobile wouldn't canabalize their handheld software and hardware sales.
The dedicated handheld gaming hardware market is shrinking every year. I do not think that trend is reversible, because of the simple realities around it. Most people do not care about gaming the way we do, and also do not want to carry around fifty devices. If they can have a phone that also plays games that cost $1-$10, why would they need anything else? For them, that's adequate.
What's happening to Nintendo is cutting them off from all corners. The VR revolution coming is going to subvert any future plans Nintendo can have to surprise people on the home console front. What else can Nintendo do for a home console? A handheld/console hybrid? That's the only thing I can think of, and it may help them for one single generation, but it's just delaying the overall trend.
The handheld market is drying up for gaming dedicated hardware. People focused on the Wii U's problems, but their report showed a drastic reduction in their forecast for 3DS and sales of 3DS software and hardware are seriously lagging behind now compared to past trends. How do they turn this around?
The problem is I am not sure there is a real viable solution that would just fix Nintendo's home console or handheld business. Whether it's next gen or the one after that, the realities eventually are going to crush Nintendo's hardware business like a twig. They have to figure out a new model for their business or I don't know what will happen.
What strategies do you believe they can implement that can avoid this without going smartphones or whatever?
Principate said:
Well why couldn't it be F2P?
OverturePT
Member
Pokemon sold 3DS's and 2DS's and that's what they want. Having Pokemon on mobile would eliminate the need to buy Nintendo hardware and possibly in the future buying more software from them. If you're pushing your hardware it's not a good idea to release games on other platforms, maybe some apps that would connect with the main game would be a good idea but definitely not a full game.
It's not as simple as release it on mobile or other platforms as it would kill them in the short/medium run. They need to try other approaches, mobile would be the last resort imo.
#1 selling against what? The two new consoles which have been out for two months, the dead vita and the 8 year old consoles?
The 3DS is moving less hardware and software than the DS did and has had its projections slashed every year. The mobile market is booming while the handheld market is shrinking.
Virtual dpads are generally terrible and so Mario wouldn't be a good fit on a all touch platform like a smartphone. On the other hand this isn't to say that Nintendo couldn't set their teams on building a bunch of new games, possibly new IPs, with multitouch controls at the core of the experience. Nintendo has experimented quite a bit with short, touch based games with the Wario Ware franchise, and a lot of that could lend itself quite well to a multitouch platform.
Personally I think it's in Nintendo's best interest to try that out on a multitouch platform that they themselves own and control.
Personally I think it's in Nintendo's best interest to try that out on a multitouch platform that they themselves own and control.
And_Gignac
Member
They will release accompanying apps that will have trailers and a constant "only available on Wii u, please buy a Wii u". Genius, Iwata. /sarcasm
Principate
Saint Titanfall
F2p Mario really? That's like absolute worst case scenario. I can't any core fans actually wants that (aside from investors).
Osiris
I permanently banned my 6 year old daughter from using the PS4 for mistakenly sending grief reports as it's too hard to watch or talk to her
If whatever they put on the smartphone isn't compelling enough to engage in it's own right, without being just a teaser and sales pitch for Nintendo hardware, then it won't gain any traction with the smartphone market and the initiative will fall flat on it's face.
Contrary to popular opinion there are a few things the mobile market is incredibly vocal about hating, and one of those things is advertising and/or nag-ware.
It'll be interesting to see what they are going to do, and whether they understand the mobile market.
Doesn't matter if it's Mario on a 'phone' or not as long as it's engaging and entertaining content.
Contrary to popular opinion there are a few things the mobile market is incredibly vocal about hating, and one of those things is advertising and/or nag-ware.
It'll be interesting to see what they are going to do, and whether they understand the mobile market.
Doesn't matter if it's Mario on a 'phone' or not as long as it's engaging and entertaining content.
Warm Machine
Member
Nintendo sort of kicked it off the the DS.
Wickerbasket
Member
They could create different games/experiences and appeal to different users.
For example, a Mario runner game wouldn't replace a full fledged platformer. It would, however, keep the IP relevant and bring in extra money.
Why does it have to be Mario and not some new IP? Like steel driver or diver whatever that submarine game is called?
I don't think mainline Nintendo games will be any good, cause they won't put any resources on the thing, they will all be guaranteed inferior versions to their console counterparts. But a brand new or unknown IP could flourish. I really think Ice Climbers endless would do well on smartphones.
I don't think mainline Nintendo games will be any good, cause they won't put any resources on the thing, they will all be guaranteed inferior versions to their console counterparts. But a brand new or unknown IP could flourish. I really think Ice Climbers endless would do well on smartphones.
eot
Banned
Putting Nintendo games on iOS isn't going to solve their problems. It's an oversaturated market with extreme price sensitivity. Of course they'd do well there, but they wouldn't sell 20 million iOS-Mario @ $30 like I imagine they want to. It doesn't seem like a market that would suit them. If you're talking going 3rd party the PS4/XB1 seem like a more natural fit.
peanutbutterlatte
Member
Would genuinely rather watch them burn. It's no kind of experience.
They could sell a controller for phones/pads though.
OverturePT
Member
Not every console needs DS numbers to be successful. Only PS2 sold more than that and every freaking one had a PS2 at home. It's obvious the market is shifting but not selling DS numbers shouldn't automatically make Nintendo go mobile.
Right, what I'm saying is they could make a perfect good lineup of F2P Games. Or maybe they could revolutionize the smart phone pricing model somehow. But they have to try SOMETHING.
I think most of us at this point have to be in agreement that it's no longer a matter of simply releasing the right Mario game or the right Zelda game. The market is not going to buy a Nintendo hardware just for those games anymore. There needs to be something else. So I am suggesting people bring some ideas to the table, to help me see what they see. So many people seem to think the trajectory can be changed somehow, so I would like to understand how
And I don't WANT Nintendo to do this. But I do WANT Nintendo to survive. If the way they survive and are healthy is to leverage some of their properties on smart phones, then great. If the way to survive is to release games eventually on other hardware, then great. I want them to survive, that's what is important to me.
It's not selling up to expectations and not tracking as well as the DS did. The market is starting to shift away from devices like this. It is a success but it is not as successful as their other portable brands were and their next console iteration for a handheld will see even less sales.
3DS was number one this year when people weren't buying very many old gen consoles and only a few million of each current new gen consoles were sold.
The writing is on the wall that this portable gaming business is shifting away from Nintendo hardware.
Minsc
Gold Member
I agree a traditional platforming games wouldn't be ideal, but other franchises like Mario Party (or even Animal Crossing) are actually pretty well suited to smartphones/tablets imo, being essentially a bunch of mini games already. They just have to make / use mini-games which are touch screen friedly, which shouldn't be hard. Do something like that, and put in game center support, maybe IAP for alternate boardsets or something, and it'd sell. Would it sell billions like Pokemon or something? Probably not... but it probably would sell more than not doing it. Would certainly appeal to younger audiences on tablets, and they wouldn't have a whole lot of competition either, it could help grow their marketshare a bit if they expand their reach more.
And_Gignac
Member
That is false, as proven by 3DS sales in Japan. Smartphones and portable consoles can coexist.
i think it's fair to say that they're not going to start releasing mario games on ios, but what are they expecting to do with it? the comment about using smartphones to get people to play their console games sounds ridiculous. how would that even work? sony and microsoft aren't doing that, unless nintendo is just talking about having an ios app similar to smartglass/playstationapp.
Osiris
I permanently banned my 6 year old daughter from using the PS4 for mistakenly sending grief reports as it's too hard to watch or talk to her
Nintendo don't do "rapid change" of the type they need to, whatever happens I can't see a new, agile, Nintendo appearing.
They are in for one hell of a "Winter of Discontent", better grab your scarves.
DeviantBoi
Member
Mario 64 with a virtual joystick?
NO, THANK YOU!
NO, THANK YOU!
Mango The Magician
Banned
Good, keep your franchise away from that mobile crap. A few little mini-games collections wouldn't hurt though, could be a good way to advertise.
RurouniZel
Asks questions so Ezalc doesn't have to
Red Liquorice
Member
Would it really hurt to put stuff like Mario 1 on other platforms?
3DS sales in Japan prove that the handheld market is shrinking, not the opposite. It was down YoY last year too, even with all the software they chucked at it.
One region that has specific gaming tastes that trend towards portable gaming and still has Nintendo portable domination disproves everything he said about the device's worldwide appeal compared to smartphones? I think not.
Why do everybody keep saying this. It is possible to create controllers for phones/pads you know. Its already supported in both android and ios.
Bundle a controller with a bunch of classic Nintendo games and it will probably sell very well.
Principate
Saint Titanfall
Still makes up like 80% (very rough guess) of the Japanese games industry, and still very profitable.