fter Nintendo released its company's half-year sales results, the company has a translation interview with Satoru Iwata, Shigeru Miyamoto and Shinji Hatano. With Nintendo often cannibalizing its own systems, particularly handhelds, many guessed that 2008 would be the year Nintendo will launch a new handheld. Not so, said Iwata.
"Whenever we have developed one hardware system, we start to discuss what we should do with our next hardware. In the past, we had a kind of common sense understanding of the video game industry’s platform cycles, like, say, 5 years for home consoles and a little less time for portable devices. I’m quite doubtful that such a notion of platform cycles can be applied in the future." explained Iwata.
Nintendo plans on introducing quite a few new features for the Nintendo DS in the future, and while Iwata wouldn't go to far into depth on possibilities, it may be dependent on where exactly you bring your Nintendo DS. Could this further what Nintendo did at Safeco Field with game attendees being able to order up food and drinks via their Nintendo DS?
"But many people have already suggested such ideas, and if you can just imagine that something interesting might happen whenever you bring your DS to a train station or theme park or museum, you know that there are enormous possibilities here. We are hopeful that we will be able to show you some concrete examples next year." Iwata expressed.
Also, although denying the fact that Nintendo has no plans to have television shows or video programming downloadable via channels, Nintendo has plans to further expand the Wii Channel line-up next year.
"So, we needed to set a specific order to start things. For now, we are trying to enrich the existing Channels, and that is why we would like to increase the number of Channels in November and December. However, in the next year, we are very hopeful of realizing something brand new so that people will be surprised and say, 'I couldn’t imagine that Wii Channels could be used this way.' When we can get to the stage where we can publicly announce specifically what we will do next, we would then like to talk to you," said Iwata.
Further on the subject of Wii Channels, the TV Program Schedule Channel may either be completely revamped for North America, or not be released at all due to the fact that current cable and satellite providers already offer program guides.
"As for overseas development, the gift-giving function is scheduled to be added simultaneously around the world. As for the download of the TV Program Schedule Channel, each country in the world has its own environment. In the U.S., for example, digital cable TV set-top boxes are widespread, so digital TV program guides are already available for households there. So, the service that the local users can appreciate must be different from that in Japan." stated Iwata.
When these new features will trickle out is unknown. The interview also touches on subjects such as the possibility of Nintendo entering the mobile-phone category (nope), selling Wii and DS in China (yes) and more.
Click here to read the entire transcript.