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Nintendo Finally Working On Games for Smartphones

Posted by Soulskill on from the seeing-which-way-the-wind-blows dept.

Several readers sent word that Nintendo is finally bringing its games to mobile devices. It's partnering with Japanese game publisher DeNA to develop games for phones and tablets based on Nintendo's popular game IPs. (Existing games will not get mobile ports, however.) DeNA first approached Nintendo about using the company's characters in mobile games back in 2010, Iwata said, and has been passionately pursuing talks on the alliance ever since. Iwata acknowledged that the transition from the Wii and DS lines to the Wii U and 3DS lines has not gone "as smoothly as we had expected," but he maintained that industry watchers predicting the death of dedicated video game consoles are being too pessimistic. Iwata tied the move to smartphones to Nintendo's historical embrace of TV gaming after decades as a physical toy and card game company during a time when TVs didn't exist. "Now that smart devices have grown to become the window for so many people to personally connect with society, it would be a waste not to use these devices."

58 of 86 comments (clear)

  1. I still don't know why ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    ... they don't just partner with Apple and bring out a console. And yes, it should be called the iConsole.

    1. Re:I still don't know why ... by EmeraldBot · · Score: 5, Informative

      ... they don't just partner with Apple and bring out a console. And yes, it should be called the iConsole.

      Apple did once make a console, albeit in partnership with Bandei. It was called the Apple Pippin, and the fact you've never heard of it tells you how much that thing sucked. Besides, Nintendo and Apple both have their claims to fame in controlling hardware, and I don't think either one would be willing to concede control of it. On top of all that, their target audiences are completely different.

      --
      "Set a man a fire, he'll be warm for the rest of the night. Set a man afire, he'll be warm for the rest of his life."
    2. Re:I still don't know why ... by RenderSeven · · Score: 1

      It was called the Apple Pippin

      FTFL List price $599, units sold 42,000. Wow, thats a train wreck by any standard!

    3. Re:I still don't know why ... by aaron4801 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      It's worse than that. It was $599 in 1995, which would be over $925 today.

    4. Re:I still don't know why ... by SoCalChris · · Score: 2

      Why would they partner with someone who's already tried and failed in this industry, to do something that they've already been doing successfully for 30 years?

    5. Re:I still don't know why ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      "And yes, it should be called the iConsole."

      iWii surely.

    6. Re:I still don't know why ... by cheekyboy · · Score: 1

      They should have bought the rights to Amiga, and made a new Amiga MkII, with improved specs, CD32 size, and ported part of the mac api to it ( amiga was better :P~ apple ).

      And if it ran old amiga games, it would have been a hit, or get more sales than macs, if people would rig up a large monitor and Kb/mouse to it instead of macos.

      --
      Liberty freedom are no1, not dicks in suits.
    7. Re:I still don't know why ... by Bing+Tsher+E · · Score: 1

      To save Apple. Apple is now flailing around. They have a big sack of money from their one really successful product (iPhone) and need something new. The Watch/Tablet/Legacy PC biz is subsidized. The iPod/iTunes business? You're kidding, right? That's so aught (2000's)

    8. Re:I still don't know why ... by jrumney · · Score: 1

      I think that was the GP's point. Why would Nintendo feel any obligation to save Apple?

    9. Re:I still don't know why ... by Aereus · · Score: 1

      Still cheaper than the NeoGeo. That thing was like $799 in the late 80s. Each GAME cost somewhere between $150-200 even...

    10. Re:I still don't know why ... by lister+king+of+smeg · · Score: 1

      I think that was the GP's point. Why would Nintendo feel any obligation to save Apple?

      the big big bags of money

      --
      ---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
    11. Re:I still don't know why ... by DrXym · · Score: 1

      Apple have a big sack of money. I doubt they'd so much wish to "partner" with Nintendo as gobble them up and transform them into a brand. If not them, then Disney which has been on an IP buying spree for a while now.

    12. Re:I still don't know why ... by squiggleslash · · Score: 1

      FWIW Apple has also made a PDA that flopped, and they made several laptop type things in the late 1980s that were commercial disasters too. They went on to produce the iPad and Powerbook (the former didn't even need Steve Jobs to make it a success.) In a parallel with the Powerbook story, IBM also had several failed attempts at a PC compatible portable computer/laptop until they had success with the Thinkpad.

      Right now Apple has tried to make a TV set top box twice in the last decade, and most Apple watchers didn't even notice - the original iTV was a Mac mini in a smaller case with a customized Mac OS X. It was replaced a few years later with a device that kinda looked similar, had the exact same name, but was completely different, running iOS with some sort of ARM hardware that may (I genuinely don't know) be based upon one of their portable designs. Neither have been successful yet, but it's evidence Apple isn't averse to trying different things to attack the same market, and it wouldn't surprise me if, if the current generation fails, they'll try yet another redesign and type of product, possibly also called iTV.

      I think the whole "A company once tried to make X, it was a flop, therefore they should never try to make X again" thing is a little overblown. Indeed, sometimes the flops are necessary, unless there's huge competitive pressures to stay out of a space, there's no reason to stop trying, learning from each flop.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    13. Re:I still don't know why ... by ArcadeMan · · Score: 1

      You can now get a real arcade MVS motherboard on eBay and buy used arcade carts for a lot less than the home version of the console. Just buy an arcade RGB video converter, a JAMMA harness, arcade controls, build yourself an arcade cabinet and you're good to go. Make yourself a bartop if you don't have room for a full-size cabinet.

      Popular games are easy to find and usually available for under fifty bucks. Just search for "neo geo mvs cart".

      --
      Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
    14. Re:I still don't know why ... by antifoidulus · · Score: 1

      Although oddly enough they seem to retain most of their value(probably as collectors items).... My friend and I decided one day we were going to search the used game stores in Tokyo's Akihabara district to find a Pippin, and if it was affordable buy one. We eventually did find one, but it was 70,000 yen(about $800 or so back then, about $600 now), Needless to say we didn't buy it.

      --
      Monstar L
  2. Oh crap... by LordNightwalker · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This can be seen as Nintendo just expanding into the casual market, but I remember what happened to Sega...

    --
    Install windows on my workstation? You crazy? Got any idea how much I paid for the damn thing?
    1. Re:Oh crap... by DigiShaman · · Score: 4, Interesting

      AppleTV will eventually become an iOS console. Get used to it, but custom gaming consoles may become a thing of the past once the hardware has become commoditized. You can only push 2D/3D graphics so far on a TV before hands are thrown up and "fuck it, good enough". In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if this turns less into a Microsoft vs Sony as it would be Microsoft vs Apple, vs Steam in the battle for platforms and not hardware specs.

      --
      Life is not for the lazy.
    2. Re:Oh crap... by nhat11 · · Score: 1

      And it worked well for them, they're making a lot more money making games for mobile and online games then their current offerings. That's why they're currently restructuring to focus on that.

  3. No they aren't being too pessimistic... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    ... computing is becoming a commodity. PC gaming is growing leaps and bounds as the bottom billions start to enter the global middle class, you have mobile phones, laptops, ipads, etc. Computing is slowly becoming a commodity device that will ultimately be everywhere. This doesn't mean total death for consoles but you don't need three different PC's (which is what consoles are, they use modern PC 3D chips). The console generations will slowly get longer and/or end because we're nearing the limit of transistor shrinkage (aka there won't be much advantage to releasing a new console if there is no new hardware available anyway). Costs and times for shrinking transistors are escalating enormously and it's going to take some radical breakthroughs in computing to move it forward. Things that most likely is going to take decades or or perhaps a century at least.

    If valve can somehow get into console land with steam machines you can expect PC gaming to ultimately take over, not that I'm saying it will but if he finds some way to crack the console market it's a possibility.

    All the consoles are basically rebadged PC's with some customization, that's all they are at this point.

    1. Re:No they aren't being too pessimistic... by EmeraldBot · · Score: 1

      ... computing is becoming a commodity. PC gaming is growing leaps and bounds as the bottom billions start to enter the global middle class, you have mobile phones, laptops, ipads, etc. Computing is slowly becoming a commodity device that will ultimately be everywhere. This doesn't mean total death for consoles but you don't need three different PC's (which is what consoles are, they use modern PC 3D chips). The console generations will slowly get longer and/or end because we're nearing the limit of transistor shrinkage (aka there won't be much advantage to releasing a new console if there is no new hardware available anyway). Costs and times for shrinking transistors are escalating enormously and it's going to take some radical breakthroughs in computing to move it forward. Things that most likely is going to take decades or or perhaps a century at least.

      If valve can somehow get into console land with steam machines you can expect PC gaming to ultimately take over, not that I'm saying it will but if he finds some way to crack the console market it's a possibility.

      All the consoles are basically rebadged PC's with some customization, that's all they are at this point.

      You're right on the underlying specs being almost exactly the same, but when you sit down to play a game on a console, you don't really want to do anything else. It's like saying that beer drinking in Germany is in jeopardy because wine is becoming more popular. They're both alcoholic drinks, but the taste is completely different.

      --
      "Set a man a fire, he'll be warm for the rest of the night. Set a man afire, he'll be warm for the rest of his life."
    2. Re:No they aren't being too pessimistic... by tlhIngan · · Score: 4, Insightful

      If valve can somehow get into console land with steam machines you can expect PC gaming to ultimately take over, not that I'm saying it will but if he finds some way to crack the console market it's a possibility.

      All the consoles are basically rebadged PC's with some customization, that's all they are at this point.

      No, Steam machines have a fundamental problem - they suck.

      First off, the problem with PC gaming is piracy. Face it - 90% piracy has lead to developers targeting consoles. And it's still that high despite Steam (no-Steam hacks are plentiful, and it's why Steam has support for 3rd-party DRM still).

      So the PC will remain the realm of secondary for AAA devs and the playground of indie. AAA devs will do console first, make back the big bucks, then do a half-assed port to PC as always. It might be a bit easier to take your Xbone game and run it on Windows 10, but you still have a port. Basically the devs will make their big bucks on the console, then when it tapers off, they'll release the PC version and hope to sell enough to pay for the port. Any extra is icing.

      This is only broken by games that DO sell well on the PC where effective DRM is possible - i.e., games where online is a major component. So your Call of Duty or Battlefield will have day 1 ports because there is a sizable PC contingent who will buy it on day one at full price, to whom serial numbers are easily verified by servers, etc. Plus, PC users help bring it to the point of "1 billion copies sold on day one!" type PR announcements. (There are also many valid reasons for releasing on PC, since keyboard+mouse rules FPS world).

      But for other games, ... not so much. Couple that with the perchant for steam sales and well, you're hoping to make it up in volume. Hell, I won't buy a PC game unless it hits $5 on sale, except in VERY rare circumstances. It's a race to the bottom, and if you want your PC game to be $70, it's got to have a big customer base who will pay full price. If not, they're going to wait for a steam sale, so better to sell on consoles for $60-70 first, release on PC 3 months later at $40, then a month later discount it to $20 for steam sale and let that be the PC release. Then 6 months later discount it to $5 and pick up the remainder as profit, hopefully.

      Steam Machines? No, they're not taking over, unless you can guarantee me a $500 machine will last 10 years with zero upgrades. And seeing the initial batch, the $500 machines are... underwhelming. The good machines are $1200+, and even then you can get a console, get the "plus" (PS+, XBL Gold) services for $50 a year for 10 years, and still be ahead of a Steam Machine.

      Or you can pop in a new $200 video card every couple of years and consoles will come out ahead.

      Or we're gonna have to put up with an i3 with midrange discrete GPUs for the next 10 years as the "it must run on this configuration" system. Just like how we complained the PS3 and Xbox360 were holding back gaming... 4 years ago.

    3. Re:No they aren't being too pessimistic... by CronoCloud · · Score: 1

      Or we're gonna have to put up with an i3 with midrange discrete GPUs for the next 10 years as the "it must run on this configuration" system. Just like how we complained the PS3 and Xbox360 were holding back gaming... 4 years ago.

      I take it you saw the Alienware Alpha? Maximum PC actually said it competes with current-gen consoles. And you can guess what I thought. "Not at that price ($599) with only a dual core and only 4GB of slow RAM"

      The higher end versions are better, of course, but they also cost more.

    4. Re:No they aren't being too pessimistic... by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 1

      Maybe they just figured that they can leverage their brands on ALL platforms, they'll make more $$$. After all, if a console fails, you've got a lot of money tied up in goods that you'll have to severely discount.

      Plus, you need to ship a console at a specific time to make the most bang - the end-of-year holidays - and your competitors are doing the same.

      And of course, they don't even have to ship physical media any more.

      --
      "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
    5. Re:No they aren't being too pessimistic... by geminidomino · · Score: 1

      Beyond Good and Evil was a decent puzzle/TPP game. Not quite sure how it got its cult icon status, but it was decent.

  4. Goodbye, Nintendo. by uCallHimDrJ0NES · · Score: 1, Interesting

    It's been over for a while now. The first Wii was promising, but I don't think they've had an idea since then. Their decisions have seemed poor and unfriendly for years. Their user agreement is one of the worst I've seen, and possibly even illegal given the child's role in interacting with it. Seems like it's time to make money by cannibalizing the brand. People comparing this to what happened to Sega are right on. If you think Sega is still intact, please try getting some Chaos Emeralds on Sonic 2 on your Android, and tell us how the support story goes when it crashes.

    --
    Cloudiot: A person who does not see offsite storage as a way to lose control over access to his or her own data.
    1. Re:Goodbye, Nintendo. by barc0001 · · Score: 4, Informative

      That sounds more than a little harsh, and written like you haven't actually used a Nintendo system in some time. The only two consoles that see regular use in my household are the WiiU and 3DS. XBone and PS4 are just the same old same old with a graphics card upgrade. I have a PC for that stuff and I can upgrade my GPU any time I want.

      Nintendo's games on the other hand are inventive and not just rehashing things like FIFA version 22 with even better grass or Call of Battlefield Hard Lines Front 12 or whatever.

    2. Re:Goodbye, Nintendo. by uCallHimDrJ0NES · · Score: 1

      Yeah, sorry. Bad mood. I take it back.

      --
      Cloudiot: A person who does not see offsite storage as a way to lose control over access to his or her own data.
  5. I've got a theory... by Donaithnen · · Score: 2

    The newly announced hardware is not going to be a new console. It is going to be a new portable. But not just any old regular portable!

    After seeing all the buzz about Oculus VR, Project Morpheus, and SteamVR, Nintendo has decided they want some of that sweet, sweet VR action for themselves.

    That's right, NX is actually a codename for... the Virtual Boy 2!

    DUN-DUN-DUNH!!!!!

    1. Re:I've got a theory... by ArcadeMan · · Score: 1

      I'm a bit disappointed. I thought they were going to build this.

      --
      Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
  6. Seems like they're already dead by StikyPad · · Score: 2

    industry watchers predicting the death of dedicated video game consoles are being too pessimistic.

    I'm not so sure. I've had a PS4 since release, almost a year and a half now, and there's still a dearth of titles. Around the same timeframe with the PSOne, there were more titles than I had time to play, and I had far more free time in those days. It feels like there are a handful of recurring titles dominating the landscape -- the yearly installments of Battlefield, CoD, Madden, Need for Speed, Assassin's Creed, and whatever else I'm forgetting -- and precious little else. Without games, what's the point of owning a console? Streaming media maybe, but I can get that much cheaper elsewhere, and it's even built in to many TVs these days.

    --
    https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere
    1. Re:Seems like they're already dead by barc0001 · · Score: 1

      I've been hearing that consoles are dead for at least a decade. "Industry watchers" are about as reliable as a broken clock. They throw out a hundred predictions and when they get one correct by chance they crow from the rooftops about it like they're bloody Kreskin.

    2. Re:Seems like they're already dead by uCallHimDrJ0NES · · Score: 1

      Agreed. Ease of use + price point + exclusive app = console sales. Nothing has changed but the vendors's ability to produce a compelling package. Someone will step up. Maybe we are looking at the wrong price point for the next big thing in consoles. I predict it's cheaper.

      --
      Cloudiot: A person who does not see offsite storage as a way to lose control over access to his or her own data.
    3. Re: Seems like they're already dead by StikyPad · · Score: 1

      No, that's my point. The AAA titles are repetitive crap. Unfortunately, so is most everything else.

      --
      https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere
    4. Re:Seems like they're already dead by bluefoxlucid · · Score: 1

      Mobile and PC games are just as shitty as all those Steam games you get on XBox One. Welcome to Unity.

      --
      Support my political activism on Patreon.
  7. It's about time by Powercntrl · · Score: 1

    For the current generation of very young kids, their first taste of video gaming is Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, Candy Crush, Temple Run and the like, played on their parents' mobile devices. They're not going to ask for a Nintendo when they're older; they'll ask for an iOS or Android device. The days of selling "kiddie" handhelds with QVGA screens and $40 games are numbered. I'm just glad Nintendo has finally decided to start rolling with the tide, rather than face being washed under, like Polaroid.

    --

    ---
    DRM is like antifreeze, to the MPAA/RIAA it's sweet, to the consumers it's poison.
    1. Re:It's about time by Schnapple · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The days of selling "kiddie" handhelds with QVGA screens and $40 games are numbered.

      God I hope not. Mobile gaming is nice and all but it's a race to the bottom. Every game has to be $0.99 or free, and IAP tied to gameplay (just 5 more moves for $0.99!). This is why there's nothing of any depth in mobile gaming. No one is going to sink millions into an RPG on an iPhone. Square has tried to charge decent prices for their games (like $15.99 for FF3) and no one buys them.

      A lot of 3DS games are really good and it's because you can charge $40/pop for them and make a profit. Heck, the stupid AR games that come built into the 3DS are better games than 90% of the stuff on the iPhone.

      I agree with your premise that dippy little games on Mobile with Mario will get the kids interested in Nintendo and hopefully pick up a Nintendo system but man I really hope that portable consoles and $40/game pricetags don't go away because otherwise everything is going to be a F2P mess.

      People who think portable gaming on the 3DS is in any way analogous to modern Mobile games has no idea what they're talking about. Hopefully the market is large enough to carry both.

      --

      Schnapple

    2. Re:It's about time by barc0001 · · Score: 1

      I think you vastly underestimate the market. Touchscreen games are like pretzels before dinner. You can only eat so many before you want something more substantial. And with the iOS/Android gaming market heavily F2P-P2W monetized, it feels less like gaming and more like paying rent on something. As those kids gets older they do generally get a handheld, and the numbers break means it's most likely going to be a Nintendo handheld. Most of the kids who won't bother to get a handheld now are the ones who 5-10 years ago wouldn't have bothered then either. Plus, don't underestimate the allure of the handheld crack known as Pokemon, and there's only one way to scratch that itch. Pokemon X and Y sold 12 million copies in the 5 months after launch in 2013, that's not exactly peanuts.

    3. Re:It's about time by rwa2 · · Score: 1

      Eh, I foresee Nintendo staying with their "exclusive" titles on their consoles/handhelds, and just getting into smartphones for silly tie-ins. "Install the COMPANION APP to click on the mini-game to give you VALUABLE ITEMS! Receive CONSTANT NOTIFICATIONS to your phone when your PokeDragon is LONELY and wants to be lot out to PEE". That kind of thing.

      Some observations on my kids:
      * I never subjected them to any consoles at home (OK, well, a PS2 for GT4, but they never took interest in anything beyond a little Burnout).
      * They have plentiful mobile phones and tablet at home. They play some free games on them, but mostly use them for YouTube.
      * I built them a nice multiseat Minecraft rig, and have access to my Windows gaming machine with a half-decent Steam library.

      They still went off and got their grandparents to buy them various DSi / 3DS handhelds. I don't really see them playing on them much, and when the do they always have the 3D dial turned to "flat". And I don't really notice them... until they break a power cable or the entire handheld, and then suddenly it's at the top of their wishlist again for a few months until they can gravel for and save up enough birthday money to buy a new one.

      Marketing, how does it work?

    4. Re:It's about time by Bing+Tsher+E · · Score: 2

      The biggest problem I have with mobile games compared to a nice 3DS is the lack of a physical controller. You can only knead flat glass so long before it gets really really tiring. There are third party controller 'solutions' and even gamer-oriented Android phones and tablet, but not a standard that all game publishers support, and not enough of the install-base has said physical controllers.

      The payment model for F2P and P2Win games are another issue on the mobile platforms. It gets to the point where you search the app stores looking for games that are expensive, because it *might* finally mean a game with substantial content built into it. Which the free and 99 cent wonder games do NOT provide without nickel and diming the players for IAPs.

    5. Re:It's about time by gl4ss · · Score: 1

      decent price? 16 bucks for a re-re-release on a system where you can emulate the original or probably the re-release too.

      what
      are
      you
      smoking? 16 bucks for a TWENTY FIVE YEAR OLD GAME(slightly enhanced, doesn't really matter since potential buyers still view it as final fantasy III.. or vi or whatever the fuck the number is).

      baldurs gate enhanced edition ios is 9.99$.

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    6. Re:It's about time by bluefoxlucid · · Score: 1

      Everybody wants a Dual Screen with half as many screens and only one button!

      --
      Support my political activism on Patreon.
    7. Re:It's about time by Schnapple · · Score: 1

      decent price? 16 bucks for a re-re-release on a system where you can emulate the original or probably the re-release too.

      Just because it's old doesn't mean it's worthless. They spent a lot of time and money making a 3D version of the game for the DS, which they released for $30 and sold a ton of. The iOS version has better graphics and a higher resolution and they charged $16, just over half of what the DS version cost. And you're still complaining.

      baldurs gate enhanced edition ios is 9.99$.

      Baldur's Gate is $9.99 on iOS because it's on sale. Its normal price is $19.99. Baldur's Gate II is normally $24.99. I know because I bought both at those prices. Also, they sort of suck on touch devices. And even if I'm wrong and they're both $9.99 because the price has permanently dropped it just proves my point that cheap people like yourself drove the price down to such a level that the only reason the games are profitable is because they're 17 years old and only the porting costs need to be covered. But you can fucking forget about new games of that depth coming out.

      But thanks for proving my point about how mobile gaming drives prices down to the point where the only good RPG's are going to be ports of ancient games. Enjoy your F2P hell you've created.

      --

      Schnapple

    8. Re:It's about time by Sparton · · Score: 1

      decent price? 16 bucks for a re-re-release on a system where you can emulate the original or probably the re-release too.

      It's worth noting that Square Enix has been either making or at least publishing other full-fledged RPGs, and earlier in iOS' lifetime, there was Chaos Rings, which was about as high budget as the platform could hold at the time. From what I understand, it actually was well received, but surprise surprise, no one wanted to pay that much for a game on their phone.

      They're not completely insane, though, so they haven't done anything other than cheaper ports or other kinds of games since (and more recent games are IAP-riddled in hilarious ways).

  8. I can't wait, by ckatko · · Score: 3, Funny

    I can't wait for them to put games on my new Apple watch! It would be great if they made watch games.

  9. Re:The smartphone is changing, not Nintendo by Em+Adespoton · · Score: 1

    Apple's moving to the "Federated Mobile Devices" concept -- taking Internet of Things, and making those "things" be things you carry around with you. I think you're less likely to see a phablet from them, and more likely to see a device that's a phone, plus an IoT hub (uses WiFi when available, Cellular data when not). Then they can sell (or license) watches, earrings, pace makers, glasses, insulin pumps, etc. that all talk via the hub, and host an application environment for people (owners and specialists) to interact with said devices and hub, setting Apple up as the middle man.

    Just watch... this is where things are going next.

  10. The Old Apple by v(*_*)vvvv · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Then Nintendo had a lot in common with Now Apple. Games were simple enough that indie developers could make hit titles that Nintendo would then publish and distribute as cartridges, which is basically what the App eco system is, minus the hardware. But Nintendo was Apple, not an App developer... and to stoop to that level is seppuku harakiri suicide.

    What if Nintendo made an official NES emulator app and publish every NES game ever made... add a gamepad accessory built to legacy standards, and the NES graveyard just became a NES-fan's utopia. Do this for the SNES, Gameboy, N64... whatever an iPhone can handle. Keywords: Every game ever, identical, fingertips. This wouldn't be just another App or just another game. It would be Nintendo via my phone! Can't wait!

    1. Re:The Old Apple by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Maybe officially they don't, however I know there are 'ports' of arcade games and such on the iOS that use emulation at the hardware level to simulate the game on the iPhone. Having said that, if you jailbreak your iOS device you can get emulators for pretty much any console game and many arcade games through MAME. You can also pair a Wii controller to the device for more authentic console like control

  11. It's a decent fit by phorm · · Score: 1

    Smartphones/tablet may be a good fit for Nintendo. People don't buy Nintendo for their console tech (though the wiimote was neat in the beginning), they buy because they make fun games and have a good history of releasing fun games in their key series (Zelda, Metroid, Mario, Donkey Kong Country), as well sometimes coming up with new fun stuff.

    They're more of a games company than a console company, but they're also control freaks. Hopefully this is a sign of positive change.

    1. Re:It's a decent fit by bluefoxlucid · · Score: 1

      Too many buttons on the DS. They need that positive change of moving to a platform with only one button.

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      Support my political activism on Patreon.
  12. Re:The smartphone is changing, not Nintendo by darkwing_bmf · · Score: 1

    If history is any guide, people will just call them phones. PDA is too many syllables.

  13. Not everyone wants to play mobile games... by HalAtWork · · Score: 1

    ...but a ton of people do, so they're just expanding their reach. It doesn't mean Nintendo's traditional console/portable games will go away by any means, especially if they are able to offer unique experiences through specialized hardware. Even then, the experience they offer with traditional game controllers is enough to draw a dedicated following.

    --
    Twinstiq, game news
  14. I hope they don't do like Capcom... by shigutso · · Score: 1

    ... that releases games for iOS only. **** that. There are millions using Android.

  15. DeNA is terrible. by Aereus · · Score: 1
    If their smartphone app manga service is any indication, they're incompetent and Nintendo will be worse off for working with them. Their UX is so horrible that I found the app to be literally unusable. No search function, no info pages for titles, no listings of what titles are in each what they call "Issue", etc. One must manually delve each "Issue" page and scroll through the 30 picture icons looking for the series you want and see if its in color (updated) or b/w (not out yet in that "issue"). Some series are flat-out missing from the app that can be found via the desktop version. No way to leave feedback about titles, their only contact info is a generic Twitter address, etc.

    I've also heard from several people they're one of those smartphone game companies that does shovelware apps that just look to nickel and dime people to death.

  16. Cannibalizing their market? by xlsior · · Score: 1

    One issue they will have to face is that on mobile platforms, the going rate for most games seems to be anywhere from "free" to $2.99 or so, with VERY few games charging more than that..

    The cheapest Nintendo game you'll currently find on either the wii or DS / 3DS at this point in time is $19.99, which many of their bigger titles selling for $49.99 or even $59.99 on the wii u

    In order to make any significant headway into the mobile market, more than likely they'll need to put the price-point of the game significantly below their current console & handheld levels in order to even remotely compete with existing mobile games..

    That means that either:
    1) They'll try to sell some Mario/Kirby/Whatever game for Android and ask an almost absurd $19.99 for it in an attempt to keep the status quo that is likely doomed to fail.
    or
    2) They'll be forced try to sell it for $2.99 or less to compete with other mobile apps, destroying their DS ecosystem from the inside out by directly competing with themselves at much lower profit margins.

    Modern tablets and smart phones really flipped the entire gaming ecosystem upside down, and at this point in time Nintendo is either damned if they ignore that, and damned if they go along with it. They need to be careful or they'll be reduced to another Sega in the long run.

  17. not only.... by SuperDre · · Score: 1

    They should just go multiplatform, their top games would sell so much more units if they went multiplatform (not that I'm a fan of their games, far from it, I find them mostly boring), it would propably easily make up for not having to invest money in developing their own hardware..

  18. The PC has no trouble getting great games by Piata · · Score: 1

    The PC doesn't need AAA games, it's doing plenty fine with kickstarter and indie games completely dominating the platform. Wasteland 2, Shadowrun Returns, RimWorld, Minecraft, Broken Age, Prison Architect, Cities: Skylines, Satellite Reign, Hyper Light Drifter, Star Citizen, Elite: Dangerous... the list goes on and on.

    Steam machines don't need to take over either, they're just an alternative to the ever growing platform of choice for gaming. Steam hit 9+ million concurrent users this month and there's no sign of it slowing. If I was Sony, Microsoft and especially Nintendo, I'd be really worried about this. The hardware is becoming irrelevant. What matters is the games and the platform you provide for gaming.

  19. Here's their real plan by Alzheimers · · Score: 1

    Here's the real plan that Nintendo has for mobile:

    First off, forget re-releases of old games on cell phones. They won't be doing a Virtual Console, selling old emulated versions of their games, and if any classic games appear they'll be "Remastered" versions specially designed for the device. There may be a marketplace that will (finally!) be tied in to your Nintendo account, and probably transfer in some way to your 3DS and other marketplaces, but it'll sell new titles featuring familiar characters and settings.

    They see and understand the market they're entering, and will be making games specifically for it, like "Freemium" Dr. Marios with 5-plays per day energy metering with the option to buy tokens to get more plays. If you've played Pokemon Shuffle or Puzzle and Dragons, you get the idea.

    Their new "Console" will probably lean more in this direction, tying their existing IP into the mobile game experience in some way. Remember the Chao idea from the Sonic Adventure games? You'll probably see more Tamogachi style mobile gaming featuring Pokemon and other Nintendo fauna and flora, with options to "feed" them with real-life cash.

    Eventually it'll either flop and Iwata will say "I told you so!" or it'll be so successful that investors will want to know why they're even bothering with a console at all. Why spend three years making a new Legend of Zelda when they can push out a new "Link's Candy Crush" every six months.

    Moral of the story - be careful what you wish for. Getting the Nintendo experience in your pocket might just be at the cost of having a Nintendo console in your living room.

  20. what nintendo should do.... by spaceholes · · Score: 1

    what nintendo should do is put a 4g lte or whatever 5g chip is coming soon into the 3ds. the 3ds already has most of the necessary features of a smartphone, and a great library of games, if it could make calls and send texts then it would be the only device in my pocket. a 3ds 4g for $250 off contract would be one of the best smartphone bangs for the buck, and i'll bet companies would actually be interested in making apps for it. bonus points if it could trade pokemon (or other game stuff) while in a call to someone also using a 3dsphone, but i doubt they could pull that off