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[GCX]

Lots of interesting stuff, the whole article is worth reading:

http://www.theverge.com/2016/12/8/1...un-iphone-nintendo-shigeru-miyamoto-interview

Miyamoto says that Nintendo has been toying with the idea of a one-button Mario game since the days of Wii. “As we were doing those experiments, we thought that that kind of approach would perhaps best be suited to iPhone,” he says. “So that became the basis for Super Mario Run.” But whether it was for Wii or iPhone, the goal behind this streamlined Mario was the same: to bring the distinct flavor of Super Mario to as many people as possible. “Nintendo has been making Mario games for a long time, and the longer you continue to make a series, the more complex the gameplay becomes, and the harder it becomes for new players to be able to get into the series,” Miyamoto says. “We felt that by having this simple tap interaction to make Mario jump, we’d be able to make a game that the broadest audience of people could play.”

Following the release of Go, older 3DS Pokémon games saw a significant boost in sales, while the recently-launched Pokémon Sun and Moon have become some of the fastest-selling titles in Nintendo’s history. “Certainly when we first embarked on our mobile strategy, a key element for us was the idea of bringing our characters and [intellectual property] to a much broader audience,” Miyamoto says. “But I think we were surprised by the impact that [Pokémon Go] has had in terms of bringing that audience back to our own games.”

The timing worked out well for Pokémon — Go launched in July, while Sun and Moon hit the 3DS just a few months later in November. While Nintendo may not be able to replicate that kind of staggered release exactly with future mobile games, the general idea will be the same. “We have Super Mario Run releasing now, and it’s already decided that we’ll be making a Mario game for our next system,” Miyamoto says. “And similarly with Animal Crossing, the hope is that when we release the Animal Crossing mobile game, we’ll have more people who become familiar with the Animal Crossing world and characters, so that when we next release an Animal Crossing game we’ll have a much larger audience who will be interested.” Miyamoto also notes that some other franchises, such as pet-rearing simulator Nintendogs, could potentially work better as mobile-only experiences. “Depending on the IP there are different opportunities,” he says.

Super Mario Run is different: it’s Nintendo’s flagship property featuring one of the most recognizable characters in the world. In a lot of ways its success or failure will set the tone for Nintendo’s future efforts in mobile, giving players an idea of what to expect from the company’s future releases. That importance isn’t lost on Miyamoto, and it’s part of the reason why, in addition to serving as Super Mario Run’s producer, he’s also taken on a more hands-on, directorial role. He’s even working with longtime Nintendo producer Takashi Tezuka, who, alongside Miyamoto, developed the original Super Mario Bros. “It’s sort of like the two of us are working together again like back then, designing stages and things like that,” says Miyamoto. “It’s been a lot of fun.”

Mobile, on the other hand, offers the potential for a small team to make a modest-sized game — though that wasn’t the case with Super Mario Run. In addition to its main “tour” mode, which closely resembles a typical Mario title, the game also features a competitive “toad rush” mode and a city-building mode that lets you build your own version of the Mushroom Kingdom. Each of these modes was developed by a separate team. “I was hoping that by developing for mobile things would get simpler,” Miyamoto says, “but they actually didn’t.”

Super Mario Run has the potential to reach more players than any Mario game before it. And if that turns out to be the case, it presents Nintendo with an interesting new problem, one that could change how Mario games are created moving forward. “Super Mario Run is going to introduce millions of more people to the fun of Mario, and it’ll become the entry point for them,” Miyamoto explains. “And then the question becomes, once you’ve gone through that entry point, then what comes next? Is it a more traditional Mario experience? Is it something like the Mario Galaxy games? We’ll then have to look at what it is these new fans want from a Mario game, and we’ll continue to see Mario evolve in that way.”

 

[Rubixcuba]

Animal Crossing/Fire Emblem Switch confirmed!

 

[robotrock]

I'll go to this link to get my Super Mario Run news, thanks OP.

The Verge>>>>The Devil>Jimmy Fallon

 

[JeffZero]

Good thread, OP. Fascinating read.

I don't know what it is with Nintendo. Aside from Zelda I'm not really all that into them, nor have I been into them in any huge capacity at any point in my life. But I will never get tired of reading up on them, nor will I ever stop cheering them on.

 

[AgeEighty]

I'll go to this link to get my Super Mario Run news, thanks OP.

The Verge>>>>The Devil>Jimmy Fallon

Honestly The Verge can be pretty shitty in some ways too. Their gaming coverage seems all right, but their movie and TV articles are execrable.

 

[robotrock]

Honestly The Verge can be pretty shitty in some ways too. Their gaming coverage seems all right, but their movie and TV articles are execrable.

Didn't they have an Apple employee on their editorial team

 

[Mister Sloane]

Didn't they have an Apple employee on their editorial team

One of its editors took a job with Apple, but didn't tell The Verge and according to it, despite making attempts to contact them, heard nothing or very little (I can't remember which) from that editor in the two months that they started working with Apple. After it learnt of the Apple job, made an investigation and the person's contract was terminated.

 

[kitsuneyo]

Animal Crossing/Fire Emblem Switch confirmed!

That was my takeaway too. Wonder if AC will be shown in the January promo.

 

[GCX]

That was my takeaway too. Wonder if AC will be shown in the January promo.

If AC is next on Nintendo mobile game release list, the console game shouldn't be too far behind. So yeah, maybe.

 

[Aostia]

It honestly seemed fun
Gonna hope it will spread the brand awarness for switch

 

[Lazaro]

One of its editors took a job with Apple, but didn't tell The Verge and according to it, despite making attempts to contact them, heard nothing or very little (I can't remember which) from that editor in the two months that they started working with Apple. After it learnt of the Apple job, made an investigation and the person's contract was terminated.

Apple PR and contacts are amazing at what they do.

Hopefully Nintendo can take advantage of their culture to create brand awareness for their own products and IP's

 

[JeffZero]

It honestly seemed fun
Gonna hope it will spread the brand awarness for switch

Off-topic as heck, but it's great to see you've still got the El Capitan Todd brand image going on. xD I still chuckle.

 

[GCX]

It honestly seemed fun
Gonna hope it will spread the brand awarness for switch

I think this, NES mini and Pokemon Go are doing a nice job at raising the brand awareness for Nintendo as a whole.

 

[Zeyphersan]

One of its editors took a job with Apple, but didn't tell The Verge and according to it, despite making attempts to contact them, heard nothing or very little (I can't remember which) from that editor in the two months that they started working with Apple. After it learnt of the Apple job, made an investigation and the person's contract was terminated.

Also got fired from Apple for it as well, last I heard