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[Aaron Strife]

Their gaming dedicated handheld market is shrinking everywhere. The problem with just continuing course is that it's a super short term solution. Yes, 3DS will probably finish out OK, even though trends are massively downward for gaming dedicated handheld hardware worldwide. But what would happen after that? Do you think they can sustain such a downward trajectory for their next handheld?

And why not just both? It's not necessarily an either/or proposition. They can have a group that focuses on making unique iOS/Android games, and a group that focuses on utilizing the unique strengths of their hardware.

The problem people have is that we don't actually see HOW it is possible for them to turn around the trends on their gaming consoles or their handhelds. Things are now on a clear decline and the causes, while not all obvious, do seem to suggest it is going to get harder and harder for Nintendo to come up with ways to avoid complete irrelevance in that section. How many gimmicks can Nintendo come up with to grab the headlines? There's only so many out there that exist. And Sony and Microsoft and super far along in their plans to start leveraging true consumer level VR. Don't you think that's going to make it even harder for Nintendo to stand out?

I'm very much in the "Nintendo's next console should be a console/handheld hybrid" crowd, so there's that.

There are very specific types of games that Nintendo could probably dabble with developing on iOS, and they're not the ones that will make you happy - games like Brain Age, which were highly successful on the DS but floundered on the 3DS. They're not going to start putting Mario games on the iPhone because there's no longer an incentive to buy a Nintendo handheld to play Mario.

Hell Nintendo's tried putting their tried-and-true 3DS series on Wii U and every one of them has failed to rejuvenate interest in the platform. Most consumers see Mario 3D Land on the 3DS and Mario 3D World on the Wii U and go for the cheaper alternative because they're such similar games. Yes 3D World is way better but its brand value has deteriorated from the fact that a 3DS version can be had for a cheaper price. Similarly an iPhone version of Mario would devalue a 3DS version of Mario regardless of the quality difference between the two.

Also consider how Nintendo's digital sales are pure profit at $40 a pop. There's no way they can recreate that lucrative business on Apple's terms.

Nintendo will move support to smartphones when the money isn't there for dedicated handhelds. Right now it is and I don't think 3DS has hit its peak yet.

 

[Principate]

My opinion is that the market can, (and should) bear higher priced mobile games from the right developers, and Nintendo are one of the few, if not one of the only companies that could lead this.

Not $20 admittedly, but they could certainly raise the premium price for mobile gaming into the $4.99 to 6.99 range.

And the revenue for this would be far less than their handhelds for a very long time (basically until it dies) there's nothing to imply the revenue from paid apps on smart phones is anything impressive recently.

The writing on the wall is free apps is the future. They'd be transiting from one dinosaur to another, if they attempt to chase paid apps.

It's either free or don't bother, if your looking long term overall.

 

[Amir0x]

I'm very much in the "Nintendo's next console should be a console/handheld hybrid" crowd, so there's that.

There are very specific types of games that Nintendo could probably dabble with developing on iOS, and they're not the ones that will make you happy - games like Brain Age, which were highly successful on the DS but floundered on the 3DS. They're not going to start putting Mario games on the iPhone because there's no longer an incentive to buy a Nintendo handheld to play Mario.

Hell Nintendo's tried putting their tried-and-true 3DS series on Wii U and every one of them has failed to rejuvenate interest in the platform. Most consumers see Mario 3D Land on the 3DS and Mario 3D World on the Wii U and go for the cheaper alternative because they're such similar games. Yes 3D World is way better but its brand value has deteriorated from the fact that a 3DS version can be had for a cheaper price. Similarly an iPhone version of Mario would devalue a 3DS version of Mario regardless of the quality difference between the two.

Also consider how Nintendo's digital sales are pure profit at $40 a pop. There's no way they can recreate that lucrative business on Apple's terms.

They don't have to recreate it, they have to create a NEW revenue stream. Then they can have what they're already doing plus that, and if the time come when their consoles and handhelds are really futile and there's no hope anyone can see, they'll be in a better position to leverage the groundwork they started laying down when they first went iOS/Android.

But again, you're still looking at it in a narrow perspective. It's not about bringing Mario platformers to iOS and therefore devaluing the brand. It's about leveraging the IP in a unique fashion that plays to the strengths of the iOS/Android platforms. As I said earlier, think the way the Rayman Runner game used the Rayman IP but in a unique way that worked very well for the iOS. It wasn't even close to a normal Rayman game, but it was quite well received. Nintendo is as creative as can be, they'll come up with some novel way to apply their brands.

The point is they have to start. They really do. They have to try at least a few test runs to see what will work and what will not. The longer they wait, the harder it'll be to adequately break into that market too - because everyone will be far more experienced than them at working the iOS/Android marketplace. Just like they were unprepared for the HD gen because they stayed with Wii so long (and they have admitted that they didn't expect how bad it would be and it rapidly slowed development), the same can happen for iOS and Android as well if they don't start laying ther foundation.

Nintendo will move support to smartphones when the money isn't there for dedicated handhelds. Right now it is and I don't think 3DS has hit its peak yet.

It had Mario, Pokemon, Monster Hunter. A billion other extremely well received games. Exactly what else can Nintendo do to reverse the trend if those didn't work? You really think that in a year where they released all that and they STILL had massive downward trajectory means 3DS has not hit its peak yet?

I'm just trying to understand the perspective, because I really love Nintendo. It's just getting harder to make excuses for their decisions.

 

[Nerokis]

It's money on the table, yeah, but does anyone seriously believe releasing Nintendo IPs on smart devices is an easy fix to any of Nintendo's problems? It's a low hanging fruit, but not necessarily a good one. Just look at almost every other Japanese developer who has gone this route. You have companies like SE that dominate the paid charts in Japan, proving smartphone gaming tends to have safe profit margins, but even then the revenue they're getting from smartphones doesn't come anywhere close to substituting the revenue they made/make with AAA development. In the meantime, they've diluted many of their IPs, and alienated much of their original audience.

A smartphone based strategy is almost always one associated with decline, not growth. It's typically a low risk, low reward business model that involves (so far) downsizing the scope of development, and tailoring everything around that diminished scope.

And Nintendo has much more on the line than a company like SE. Nintendo's hardware revenue is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. Their hardware doesn't have good, and may even have negative, profit margins (like Sony's), but it's the primary source of their revenue, enables a larger scope of development, and gives them a unique place in the industry. It's completely asinine to pretend that it's somehow obvious Nintendo should simply throw their IPs on the competition, and not to mention unimaginative, defeatist, and reactionary. Nintendo actually has much more room to breathe than Sony does, and the actual way to take advantage of that isn't to rush to make a quick buck from smartphone games, but to show they're capable of creating something the market wants. I imagine they'll experiment with smartphone stuff in the meantime as a sort of cushion against the next set of struggling quarterly reports, but it's hardly a proper strategy for the long term.

 

[RanoNL]

Lol Nintendo can't even get their games out on the VC and people are expecting them to start releasing it on mobile?

Lol

Exactly! Even if they really wanted to. It will take them at least five years to release a decent legacy collection on mobile/tablet.

 

[dcx4610]

"Surprising players" is exactly what I don't want from Nintendo. I want a powerful video game console with a simple controller that has access to multimedia features. It's not hard.

I don't want wands, remotes, balance boards, swords or other objects to play games with. Stop trying to reivent the wheel. Just make it better.

 

[maquiladora]

encourage them to try out the console version of the games

console version of the games

console version

Hmmm......

 

[MetalGuardian]

Thank God. If Nintendo is to some day be relegated to my least favorite "gaming" medium, so be it, but not before they have the opportunity for one last hurrah. If they fuck up the Wii U successor as badly as the Wii U, they probably deserve to implode, but I have this (possibly delusional) hope that if they get one more shot at the console market, they've learned enough these past few years to finally pump out some spectacular hardware.

 

[LocalE]

So Reggie agrees that motion controls suck

Has Nintendo ever released a motion control device that didn't involve real buttons?

Luigi endless runner incoming.


How terribly quaint. Someone should introduce the dude to a mouse & keyboard. Or, better yet, a Wiimote. I don't think it was the buttons that made that device resonate with a wider audience. A wider audience that went on to embrace touchscreens. Hell, their handheld only has one stick, is he suggesting that is 'the best gameplay experience' for games with a 3D camera? 'cause it ain't.

'The best gameplay experience' is going to differ from person to person.

You use a mouse and keyboard that don't have buttons? WTH?

The 3DS is moving less hardware and software than the DS did

Hell, the Wii moved less hardware than the DS did - by 50 million units. The PS4 is not likely to move 150 million units, is it?
Them consoles is shit, innit? They'll never sell enough units to put them neck and neck with the PS2. Pure shit, they oughta pack it up now.
Or maybe I missed your point?


At any rate, Nintendo software on smartphones and tablets will have to be some pretty phenomenal shit to get me on board. But then, I like their consoles and controllers with real buttons, so I suppose I'm not the target of any such initiative.

 

[BibiMaghoo]

Can you seriously not see what the issue is? People by nintendo hardware for nintendo games. They go together. If those IPs are elsewhere, it lowers the value proposition of their hardware.

They makes games as good as they do because the revenue from hardware allows them to. Giving up 30% of their revenue of games to apple and Google that they are now forced to sell for 10 bucks or less because of the app store market is not an immediately no duh solution.

You must have missed the bit where I said different games, using the same IP's. That is crucial. It does not lower the value of the hardware, if the games on that hardware are still not available anywhere else, it works, surprisingly, exactly the same as it does now.

The difference is that instead of making money from old games and custom mobile games from people that own phones - most people, they are making nothing from them at all. It is win win for them. This fear that using the Mario or Zelda IP on a phone in a different game will somehow stop people that buy Nintendo consoles from doing so, is unfounded, illogical, and a bad business decision.

 

[Principate]

You must have missed the bit where I said different games, using the same IP's. That is crucial. It does not lower the value of the hardware, if the games on that hardware are still not available anywhere else, it works, surprisingly, exactly the same as it does now.

The difference is that instead of making money from old games and custom mobile games from people that own phones - most people, they are making nothing from them at all. It is win win for them. This fear that using the Mario or Zelda IP on a phone in a different game will somehow stop people that buy Nintendo consoles from doing so, is unfounded, illogical, and a bad business decision.

That doesn't change anything what's the difference between different games and same games. To the average consumer they're exactly the same. That's not a crucial difference not remotely.

New IP's maybe, but the same IP no...

 

[Magicpaint]

You must have missed the bit where I said different games, using the same IP's. That is crucial. It does not lower the value of the hardware, if the games on that hardware are still not available anywhere else, it works, surprisingly, exactly the same as it does now.

The difference is that instead of making money from old games and custom mobile games from people that own phones - most people, they are making nothing from them at all. It is win win for them. This fear that using the Mario or Zelda IP on a phone in a different game will somehow stop people that buy Nintendo consoles from doing so, is unfounded, illogical, and a bad business decision.

How is it unfounded? Having a Mario or Zelda on another platform works against their philosophy of selling hardware through exclusive software. Providing software for the competition for a few bucks is counter productive to their goals. If you can't see the potential risk then I'm not sure what would make you see it. Wouldn't it be dumb for Microsoft to put *any* sort of Halo game on PS4? Or Sony having a variant of Little Big Planet on WiiU? That's the point of exclusivity. You can't get it anywhere else.

Now I agree that there's money to be made for the short term, but I don't think it does them any favours for the long term and I don't think their situation is desperate enough that it is worth the risk just yet.

 

[Elija2]

I understand why they wouldn't want to put a full-fledged Mario game out on iOS, but why not other smaller games? They have a ton of bite-sized WiiWare/DSiWare/3DSWare games (like the Art Style series) that they can port to iOS and they'll sell just because they have Nintendo written on them. It's not like they'll lose console sales if they put stuff like "You, Me, and the Cubes" on iOS. Nobody is buying a 3DS to play "Dillon's Rolling Western". It would also get more people to enjoy their hidden gems which is always nice.

 

[Darryl]

I don't get how anyone can advocate them doing this with the unsuccessful Wii U. They shouldn't be playing games with their one decent source of revenue - the 3DS.

 

[Kimosabae]

As Amirox and others have suggested - Nintendo on smartphones does not have to mean kowtowing their entire business model or IPs strictly to the platform. It could be a supplemental strength if approached smartly. I personally have zero interest in smartphone gaming - but put a quality Nintendo designed Mario game on iOS and I'm suddenly interested. Nintendo could help stabilize or increase their mindshare as a whole by just having a presence on that platform. That mindshare could translate directly to some type of hardware sales (depending on where they are regarding HW during that point in time). The company could easily raise the standard for game development on the platform.

 

[dorkimoe]

Just imagine playing Mario with virtual buttons...

Has nobody actually played an emulated Mario game on a cellphone? Controls are horrendous!

Yeah moving left and right with a jump button would be tough .

They could so it on tablets for bigger area maybe. But phone would probably suck

They should definitely work on putting out their software though. Because their consoles aren't hacking it (IMO)

 

[Principate]

As Amirox and others have suggested - Nintendo on smartphones does not have to mean kowtowing their entire business model or IPs strictly to the platform. It could be a supplemental strength if approached smartly. I personally have zero interest in smartphone gaming - but put a quality Nintendo designed Mario game on iOS and I'm suddenly interested. Nintendo could help stabilize or increase their mindshare as a whole by just having a presence on that platform. That mindshare could translate directly to some type of hardware sales (depending on where they are regarding HW during that point in time). The company could easily raise the standard for game development on the platform.

The Rayman example only works because Ubisoft doesn't own a console. Otherwise that is precisely what it means.

Do you wonder why Microsoft didn't release a Halo spin off on the PS2 despite it's popularity, because well that's because it'd hinder the sales of it's consoles. Companies don't do that for a very established reason. The profits from such a port unless it's the next big thing won't be worth the loss in handheld sales.

 

[Kurtofan]

Thank you Based Iwata.

 

[batman2million]

Nintendo does seem to keep a very tight hold on their franchises. I can't think of an instances where any of their IP's were on another hardware besides theirs.

IMO, that's a good thing. I gives their IPs some substance and value.

 

[Fourth Storm]

I can envision a setup similar to Playstation Plus, where there is a cross platform subscription service. Offer a limited selection of bite-sized and VC games to iOS and Android owners, or even in-browser games. As part of the subscription, if Nintendo can fathom being so generous, offer a rotating selection of "free" games for their dedicated consoles as incentive to buy in to those machines. There are also possibilities for a F2P Pokemon type game where instead of microtransactions, benefits are gained by owning the typical robust adventure found on the handheld.

 

[Kimosabae]

The Rayman example only works because Ubisoft doesn't own a console. Otherwise that is precisely what it means.

Do you wonder why Microsoft didn't release a Halo spin off on the PS2 despite it's popularity, because well that's because it'd hinder the sales of it's consoles. Companies don't do that for a very established reason. The profits from such a port unless it's the next big thing won't be worth the loss in handheld sales.

What is your evidence for this? What are you basing this off of?

You're assertion is a false equivocation, even. I'm talking about a console/mobile strategy not a console/console strategy. Console and mobile are different markets. If you have a console on the market, of course it would be silly to support the hardware of a competing console manufacturer with software. You'd potentially increase their marketshare at the expense of your own.

But, again, we're talking about mobile/console.

 

[BibiMaghoo]

That doesn't change anything what's the difference between different games and same games. To the average consumer they're exactly the same. That's not a crucial difference not remotely.

New IP's maybe, but the same IP no...

Does the existence of FFVI on Ios and Android, somehow diminish the FF brand? Does the average consumer, believe when they play all the bravest, that the game is the same as a console version with the same FF branding? You must believe the average consumer to be incredibly, mind numbingly stupid, to think that is the case. People understand that a phone game is not a console game. Give them some credit man.

How is it unfounded? Having a Mario or Zelda on another platform works against their philosophy of selling hardware through exclusive software. Providing software for the competition for a few bucks is counter productive to their goals. If you can't see the potential risk then I'm not sure what would make you see it. Wouldn't it be dumb for Microsoft to put *any* sort of Halo game on PS4? Or Sony having a variant of Little Big Planet on WiiU? That's the point of exclusivity. You can't get it anywhere else.

Now I agree that there's money to be made for the short term, but I don't think it does them any favours for the long term and I don't think their situation is desperate enough that it is worth the risk just yet.

Nintendo are not in competition with Apple and Google. I accept that it is against their philosophy, of using software to sell hardware, I just don't believe it is a good one to have at this time. They can make hardware and sell it with exclusive games. They can also make games that use their IP's for mobile devices. This does not eliminate one market, but opens another. I am not talking about other consoles, with that I agree. I am talking specifically about the mobile space, where the games cannot match the consoles outputs.

People that buy Nintendo consoles, will not stop doing so if they can get a mobile game with Mario in it, or Zelda. They will buy the console for the console level games of these IP's. Nothing is lost, only gained.

 

[Principate]

Does the existence of FFVI on Ios and Android, somehow diminish the FF brand? Does the average consumer, believe when they play all the bravest, that the game is the same as a console version with the same FF branding? You must believe the average consumer to be incredibly, mind numbingly stupid, to think that is the case. People understand that a phone game is not a console game. Give them some credit man.



Nintendo are not in competition with Apple and Google. I accept that it is against their philosophy, of using software to sell hardware, I just don't believe it is a good one to have at this time. They can make hardware and sell it with exclusive games. They can also make games that use their IP's for mobile devices. This does not eliminate one market, but opens another. I am not talking about other consoles, with that I agree. I am talking specifically about the mobile space, where the games cannot match the consoles outputs.

People that buy Nintendo consoles, will not stop doing so if they can get a mobile game with Mario in it, or Zelda. They will buy the console for the console level games of these IP's. Nothing is lost, only gained.

They're not selling hardware.

It's something people using this argument often don't understand FF is a multiplatform release, you don't use that argument when it releases on a another platform since it's simply another evolution of the software..

Nintendo games drive Nintendo hardware. Why do you think Sony does not release a Last of Us spin off on Xbox or why Microsoft doesn't release a Halo spin off on PlayStation it's the exact same scenario. Exact same.

You cannot honestly believe otherwise.

 

[BocoDragon]

Nintendo does seem to keep a very tight hold on their franchises. I can't think of an instances where any of their IP's were on another hardware besides theirs.

I can!

 

[MrGame&Watch]

Well why couldn't it be F2P?

We joked around about Nintendo doing this at work(I work at a f2p mobile game studio) They won't stand a chance in F2P. They don't have the infrastructure, mindset, culture, or know how to make this move. You essentially need to become an analytics company first, game company second. Do you really think Nintendo will turn itself into metric-based game company?

Nintendo is a great game company, but they aren't built for this, and I can't see them going this way. They'll probably try companion apps similar to the ifruit app for Gta5 to appease investors.

 

[avaya]

The success of Wii and DS have fooled a lot of people into thinking Nintendo can turn it around. Wii U is the return to the form book, not the exception.

Most kids want iPads and iPhones these days, that should have been the wake-up call 3yrs ago.

Stock will be interesting at the 6,000-7,000yen level.

 

[Platy]

When people understand how mobile games are REAL GAMING they will understand that going mobile is going third party.

The only diference is that they acept any shit they trow at, so Nintendo can make something like Nintendo Video or some kind of Miiverse integration more on the marketing side of things, which is something that Nintendo would do on Ps3, but sony would NEVER acept a WiiU/3DS marketing tool there =P

 

[Anth0ny]

I'm very much in the "Nintendo's next console should be a console/handheld hybrid" crowd, so there's that.

There are very specific types of games that Nintendo could probably dabble with developing on iOS, and they're not the ones that will make you happy - games like Brain Age, which were highly successful on the DS but floundered on the 3DS. They're not going to start putting Mario games on the iPhone because there's no longer an incentive to buy a Nintendo handheld to play Mario.

Hell Nintendo's tried putting their tried-and-true 3DS series on Wii U and every one of them has failed to rejuvenate interest in the platform. Most consumers see Mario 3D Land on the 3DS and Mario 3D World on the Wii U and go for the cheaper alternative because they're such similar games. Yes 3D World is way better but its brand value has deteriorated from the fact that a 3DS version can be had for a cheaper price. Similarly an iPhone version of Mario would devalue a 3DS version of Mario regardless of the quality difference between the two.

Also consider how Nintendo's digital sales are pure profit at $40 a pop. There's no way they can recreate that lucrative business on Apple's terms.

Nintendo will move support to smartphones when the money isn't there for dedicated handhelds. Right now it is and I don't think 3DS has hit its peak yet.

These are my thoughts exactly.

If Mario was ever on mobile, it wouldn't be New Super Mario Bros 3. It wouldn't be Super Mario 3D Land 2. It would be "8 bit, smb1 style runner with micro transactions" to shut the shareholders up.

What I fear, and what I'm sure Nintendo fears, is the parents. The GAF audience is well aware that most iOS games are low budget shit that exist to make money off suckers that buy into micro transactions. If Nintendo goes this route, we can rest assured that the REAL Nintendo games are still available on Nintendos console or handheld.

But Jane Walmart couldn't give two fucks. "No jimmy, I'm not buying you a $200 Nintendo. You already have Mario for your phone!" That is the mentality that I'm sure scares the shit out of Nintendo, and why they are so hesitant to just put their big franchises out on mobile. It's why I don't think they're going to go through with it, no matter much much the shareholders beg. They'll stick to their guns and try to make the traditional approach to handheld games work.

 

[Maedhros]

These are my thoughts exactly.

If Mario was ever on mobile, it wouldn't be New Super Mario Bros 3. It wouldn't be Super Mario 3D Land 2. It would be "8 bit, smb1 style runner with micro transactions" to shut the shareholders up.

What I fear, and what I'm sure Nintendo fears, is the parents. The GAF audience is well aware that most iOS games are low budget shit that exist to make money off suckers that buy into micro transactions. If Nintendo goes this route, we can rest assured that the REAL Nintendo games are still available on Nintendos console or handheld.

But Jane Walmart couldn't give two fucks. "No jimmy, I'm not buying you a $200 Nintendo. You already have Mario for your phone!" That is the mentality that I'm sure scares the shit out of Nintendo, and why they are so hesitant to just put their big franchises out on mobile. It's why I don't think they're going to go through with it, no matter much much the shareholders beg. They'll stick to their guns and try to make the traditional approach to handheld games work.

They'll die trying.

 

[BibiMaghoo]

They're not selling hardware.

It's something people using this argument often don't understand FF is a multiplatform release, you don't use that argument when it releases on a another platform since it's simply another evolution of the platform.

Nintendo games drive Nintendo hardware. Why do you think Sony does ot release a Last of Us spin off on Xbox or why Microsoft doesn't release a Halo spin off on PlayStation it's the exact same scenario. Exact.

I understand that, but the theoretical value of an IP makes it relevant. Using the mobile space to pimp smaller, cheaper games using popular branding is easy money, and does not harm the IP itself. All the bravest was universally seen as trash, yet has no bearing on the perceived quality of mainline titles.

Nintendo games can still drive the hardware. I don't see how cut and paste mobile games using Nintendo properties would damage console sales at all, I just cannot agree with that. People understand they are of a different quality, reflected in the price.

I guess you don't know about Halo Spartan Assault being on W8 phone then. Sony and Microsoft are already heavily involved in the mobile space. Nintendo are not, their value is in their IP's, and this value can be spread across sectors without diminishing it, as we have seen with every large software house for many years now.

 

[Hale-XF11]

They can do better than smartphones. I've said it before and I'll say it again, they should go all in on the upcoming virtual reality revolution. They could blow our minds with the next Mario 64 moment in VR.

 

[Kokonoe]

 

[BlockheadBrown]

Good. They shouldn't.

On a side note, I'd love to see Pachter run a game company (into the ground based on his short-sighted views and opinions).

 

[Principate]

These are my thoughts exactly.

If Mario was ever on mobile, it wouldn't be New Super Mario Bros 3. It wouldn't be Super Mario 3D Land 2. It would be "8 bit, smb1 style runner with micro transactions" to shut the shareholders up.

What I fear, and what I'm sure Nintendo fears, is the parents. The GAF audience is well aware that most iOS games are low budget shit that exist to make money off suckers that buy into micro transactions. If Nintendo goes this route, we can rest assured that the REAL Nintendo games are still available on Nintendos console or handheld.

But Jane Walmart couldn't give two fucks. "No jimmy, I'm not buying you a $200 Nintendo. You already have Mario for your phone!" That is the mentality that I'm sure scares the shit out of Nintendo, and why they are so hesitant to just put their big franchises out on mobile. It's why I don't think they're going to go through with it, no matter much much the shareholders beg. They'll stick to their guns and try to make the traditional approach to handheld games work.

If the next gen handhelds flops then they'll certainly do it. But the 3DS has sold what 40 million hardware's and has a decent software ecosystem.

The only way transition now would be worthwhile thus accelerating the death of dedicated handhelds is if they reach near the top of highest grossing f2p and remain at the top. Otherwise it's simply not worth and they know this. Which is why they are in no great hurry.

 

[avaya]

But Jane Walmart couldn't give two fucks. "No jimmy, I'm not buying you a $200 Nintendo. You already have Mario for your phone!" That is the mentality that I'm sure scares the shit out of Nintendo, and why they are so hesitant to just put their big franchises out on mobile.

Little Jimmy, I shit you not, wants his shiny IPhone or IPad. So he's already a lost cause for Nintendo unless they move to that platform.

 

[Principate]

I understand that, but the theoretical value of an IP makes it relevant. Using the mobile space to pimp smaller, cheaper games using popular branding is easy money, and does not harm the IP itself. All the bravest was universally seen as trash, yet has no bearing on the perceived quality of mainline titles.

Nintendo games can still drive the hardware. I don't see how cut and paste mobile games using Nintendo properties would damage console sales at all, I just cannot agree with that. People understand they are of a different quality, reflected in the price.

I guess you don't know about Halo Spartan Assault being on W8 phone then. Sony and Microsoft are already heavily involved in the mobile space. Nintendo are not, their value is in their IP's, and this value can be spread across sectors without diminishing it, as we have seen with every large software house for many years now.

Microsoft owns W8 smart phone that's a terrible example.


Anth0ny's post pretty much explains the issues with it, the crowd that would get the game on smart phone will latch unto the cheapest and easiest available option.

It's why 3D world won't sell anywhere near 3D Land despite being a superior product, in content etc.

 

[ironcreed]

"Surprising players" is exactly what I don't want from Nintendo. I want a powerful video game console with a simple controller that has access to multimedia features. It's not hard.

I don't want wands, remotes, balance boards, swords or other objects to play games with. Stop trying to reivent the wheel. Just make it better.

At this point, getting a powerful console with a simple controller and multimedia features would be a surprise from Nintendo.

 

[BocoDragon]

"Surprising players" is exactly what I don't want from Nintendo. I want a powerful video game console with a simple controller that has access to multimedia features. It's not hard.

I don't want wands, remotes, balance boards, swords or other objects to play games with. Stop trying to reivent the wheel. Just make it better.

But GameCube.

 

[Aaron Strife]

They don't have to recreate it, they have to create a NEW revenue stream. Then they can have what they're already doing plus that, and if the time come when their consoles and handhelds are really futile and there's no hope anyone can see, they'll be in a better position to leverage the groundwork they started laying down when they first went iOS/Android.

But again, you're still looking at it in a narrow perspective. It's not about bringing Mario platformers to iOS and therefore devaluing the brand. It's about leveraging the IP in a unique fashion that plays to the strengths of the iOS/Android platforms. As I said earlier, think the way the Rayman Runner game used the Rayman IP but in a unique way that worked very well for the iOS. It wasn't even close to a normal Rayman game, but it was quite well received. Nintendo is as creative as can be, they'll come up with some novel way to apply their brands.

The point is they have to start. They really do. They have to try at least a few test runs to see what will work and what will not. The longer they wait, the harder it'll be to adequately break into that market too - because everyone will be far more experienced than them at working the iOS/Android marketplace. Just like they were unprepared for the HD gen because they stayed with Wii so long (and they have admitted that they didn't expect how bad it would be and it rapidly slowed development), the same can happen for iOS and Android as well if they don't start laying ther foundation.

Sure, they can start experimenting with companion apps and things like Brain Age for now, but like I said they are never going to recreate the business of releasing SM3DL for 3DS with a Mario game on iPhone. Maybe someday down the road that would be more feasible but the investment on making a creative iOS Mario - for the time being - would be better spent on making a new 3DS Mario that will net them 40x the profit.

Unless you want them to open up a new studio specifically for the creation of iOS games, they can't afford diverting EAD's efforts away from Wii U and 3DS.

It had Mario, Pokemon, Monster Hunter. A billion other extremely well received games. Exactly what else can Nintendo do to reverse the trend if those didn't work? You really think that in a year where they released all that and they STILL had massive downward trajectory means 3DS has not hit its peak yet?

I'm just trying to understand the perspective, because I really love Nintendo. It's just getting harder to make excuses for their decisions.

This is a broader problem with Nintendo and the gaming industry in general, their overreliance on old IPs to sell new systems. Mario and Pokemon weren't the reason the DS took off, they were always on Nintendo handhelds. It was games like Nintendogs and Brain Age that drew in the "casual" market that's since moved onto smartphone apps. If Nintendo, or anyone wants to recreate the kind of success they had with the Wii or DS, they need to invest in new IPs, and not necessarily the ones that NeoGAF is going to get excited for. Also their success with Monster Hunter 4 came partially at the expense of the Vita so I don't think that's a particularly good example, it's a zero-sum game.

One thing they've really exceeded with though is fostering a healthy environment for their own releases and I think that's their greatest success with the 3DS thus far. To a point where games like Fire Emblem Awakening, Monster Hunter, Bravely Default etc. can sell very well in the West and a game like Luigi's Mansion 2 is pulling Mario/Zelda numbers.

By the end of the 3DS life cycle, Super Mario 3D Land will probably have sold as many copies as Super Mario 64 DS. The audience from the DS that buys those types of games is still there. It's the nontraditional audience they're missing out on, who was never the core of Nintendo's business.

 

[Sylfurd]

THANKS GOD !

 

[RM8]

Lol of course they don't have plans. Personally I don't see how that'd help anything, it's not like SNES ROMs on iOS are going to save WiiU somehow. They'd make some money, but maybe not enough to strongly affect the value of their own Virtual Console service.

 

[Dr. Buni]

All I will say is I'm glad.

.

 

[-Silver-]

Mario doesn't make sense. But Pokemon....

I've been thinking about this for quite some time as well. They could release Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen, both very old, on the iPhone and Android. I'm pretty sure it would storm the charts if they made it online and everything.

 

[MAtgS]

Mario vs. DK game would be kinda neat. PH/ST as well if they fix some of the glaring issues they had.

 

[Mario]

I could easily see Mario or DK re-imagined as smartphone endless or level based runners.

If Donkey Kong Jungle Beat can be fun and have depth (and it was for me at least) then you can make a similar experience on a phone.

 

[The Lamonster]

Fine with me. Mario games require actual buttons.

I'd rather Nintendo focus on getting iPhone-like technology in their handheld systems.

 

[Tye The Czar]

Good.

The last thing any true fan would want is to see Nintendo bastardize their franchises for smartphones. I would rather that they simply provide original, "lightweight" apps or apps supplementary to games on their own systems.

IMO, what Nintendo needs to do is:

• Make a successor to the Wii U and have it directly compete with PS4 and Xbone, offering full backwards compatibility with Wii and Wii U games.
• Cross-buy and cross-play. Enough said.
• Go wild with virtual console releases, offer cross-buy, include Gamecube games.
• Deliver more HD rereleases of both Gamecube and Wii games.
• Kill all region locking. If MS and Sony can release their consoles in different regions without any international crises, then so can Nintendo. Importing is an overblown issue. This cannot be hit over Nintendo's head enough.
  
• Tie games to accounts. This cannot be hit over Nintendo's head enough either.
• Add DS games to 3DS eShop.
• Do market research for the West. It's become clearer and clearer that Nintendo's decisions for recent consoles since the Gamecube have always seen Japan as their first priority. http://www.notenoughshaders.com/2013/04/02/satoru-iwata-hubris-versus-western-culture/ With Japan's waning interest in consoles, it's a moot point.
• Feature more 2nd-party Nintendo characters(Xenoblade, Last Story, Wonderful 101) in Smash Bros. and Nintendo cameos. I want Shulk as a Newcomer and I want him now!

 

[PopeReal]

More at the links, lock if old.

http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2014/01/20/nintendos-woes-dont-mean-game-over-for-its-consoles/
http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/01/20/nintendo-has-no-plans-for-mario-on-smartphones

Thank God. Fuck that mobile noise. That is not the gaming I would want Nintendo to touch. Plenty of other ways to change directions while keeping in the console hardware business.

 

[Origami Superman]

Good. Fixing their systems should be a priority, not releasing games on phones.

 

[ElectricKaibutsu]

Good. I don't want any resources being taken away from their console/handheld software development.