SantaC
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Question: All three consolemakers, yourself included, have unveiled their plans for the next console generation. How do you feel about Nintendo's prospects with Revolution at this point?
Iwata: In the first place, Sony and Microsoft are taking about the same approach for the future by making machines with powerful and sophisticated technology. Nintendo is taking a little bit different approach, and I think this is an interesting contrast.
Of course, we are applying advances in technology. But when you use those advances just to boost the processing power, the trade-off is that you increase power consumption, make the machine more expensive and make developing games more expensive. When I look at the balance of that trade-off -- what you gain and what you lose -- I don't think it's good. Nintendo is applying the benefits of advanced technology, but we're using it to make our machines more power-efficient, quieter and faster to start. And we're making a brand-new user interface. I think that way of thinking is the biggest difference.
Q: Which strategy will prevail?
Iwata: It is going to be the customers who decide. What Nintendo will do is simply try to do our best, believing that our strategy is right.
Q: Bill Gates said recently that he thinks Nintendo will be more of a niche player in the future, with Sony and Microsoft battling for the number one spot. What do you think of that characterization?
Iwata: Talking about the definition of the niche, or niche market, I really have the completely opposite opinion. The people the other companies are targeting are very limited to those who are high-tech oriented, and core game players. They cannot expand beyond that population. We are trying to capture the widest possible audience all around the world. (He cited the example of Nintendogs, a new virtual pet game for the Nintendo DS handheld machine that has taken off in Japan.) In other words, we are trying to capture the people who are even beyond the gaming population. So for that kind of company, we don't think the term "niche" is appropriate.
Q: What will games be like on Revolution?
Iwata: We really cannot forget about the existence of the avid game fans -- the fans of Nintendo games. I know that those Nintendo fans now are looking forward to playing the advanced versions of "Mario" and "Zelda" and "Metroid" and others, and of course we are going to respond to those requests from avid game fans.
At the same time, many people are looking forward to multiplayer games, and we are ready to provide more exciting opportunities by introducing them to (the company's new wireless online gaming service) Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection so that, with the Revolution, people in remote areas can play with each other as if they were playing with people in front of them.
Also, we really feel that we need to create something that is very unique and different from today's gaming -- something that can stimulate interest from those who are not playing today's games. ... What Nintendo is trying to do, therefore, is to create a new interface and new theme of gaming that can really address the needs of the current non-gamers. (That new interface has been the subject of a lot of speculation, although the company has said it's keeping the details secret for now.)
Q: When you talk about the new interface, do you mean something on the screen or in the hand?
Iwata: Unfortunately, I really cannot say anything right now, but at least I can tell you that you will use your hands. (Laughs.)
Q: Microsoft will be the first to market, releasing the Xbox 360 later this year. Revolution comes sometime next year. How does that affect the ultimate outcome in terms of market share?
Iwata: If the first entrant always wins the market, the Dreamcast must have won the race against the PS2, for example. (Sony's Playstation 2 came to market after Sega's Dreamcast and was extremely successful, while Dreamcast fizzled.) There are many precedents like that in the past. The first to market is not necessarily the winner in the race.
But we cannot afford to be too late. That's a very important point. Right now we are keeping many secrets, but by the end of this year, I believe we really need to express to the worldwide audience what the mysterious proposals we have are all about. Otherwise we will be in an extremely different position.
Q: You revealed a surprise this week -- the Game Boy Micro. (Iwata pulls out one of the 4-by-2-inch game players, along with a tiny cartridge that plays a music video on the color screen and audio through attached headphones.) What was the inspiration for this product?
Iwata: We tried different ways to see how small we could get it, to see what kind of design would be good. We experimented with horizontal and vertical screens and experimented with various screen sizes. As a result, we came up with some prototypes, but we wondered if we could get it even smaller. ... We thought we should make it the ultimate. So we made it with a metallic body, which is unusual for Nintendo, and we made it as small as possible.
Q: The general perception is that Nintendo appeals to a younger audience. Will you try to embrace that, expand upon it, or move away from it in the next console generation?
Iwata: First of all, I've never once been embarrassed that children have supported Nintendo. I'm proud of it. That's because children judge products based on instinct. Everyone wants to appeal to people's instincts, but it's not easy. That doesn't mean we're making products just for children. We believe that there's interactive entertainment that people in their 60s, 70s and 80s can enjoy, so we're doing various things.
Discuss.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/225097_e3iwata20.html
I think they've spoken.
