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Nintendo Wants To Leverage Mobile, But Not With Games

by Mike Futter on January 20, 2014 at 12:04 PM

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Last week’s news that Nintendo will miss its sales and overall financial forecasts for the current fiscal year led the company to suggest it will explore different business models moving forward. While mobile seems like the obvious place for a company already dominating the handheld space, anticipation of Mario and friends making the jump to iOS and Android are premature.

Speaking on Friday during a news conference, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata talked about how the company might approach other segments. “The key is to figure out a way to use smartphones to make people aware of Nintendo’s games, and encourage them to try out the console version of the games,” Iwata suggests. "It doesn’t mean that we should put Mario on smartphones.”

In November, Nintendo purchased stock in Dwango, which owns mobile video company Nico Nico Douga. At the time the company wasn’t specific about the motivations behind the purchase, but was clear that it wasn’t to distribute titles via the service.

[Source: Wall Street Journal]

Our Take
Nintendo is smart to approach mobile cautiously. A hasty move could have the negative effect of eroding 3DS hardware and software sales. However, using mobile as a complement to games on 3DS and Wii U could work out well.

An official Pokédex that hooks into the next Pokémon game, a Super Smash Bros. tournament app, and a way to record Mario Kart replays for mobile viewing could all be ways that Nintendo leverages and monetizes a mobile market that’s ripe for second-screen experiences. Nintendo has some room to grow in its approach to online, but with the potential revenue, an investment in infrastructure makes sense.

They aren't developing games for mobile market... for now. It's just a matter of time. Like Michael Pachter said, handheld market is shrinking every year more and more that it will became a point that would be not profitable at all. So right now ,Nintendo home console market is struggling with no signs of recovery.They only rely in the handheld but just to be overshadowed by smartphones and tablets.

Is just unavoidable that they have to release as third party console devss and to the smartphones/tablets market , more sooner than later. And everybody would be benefit from this, who would not be atracted to play a Dr Mario in their smartphone F2P?. Look at Sega they have really good games and they survive to their console manufacturing mistakes, it's the same with Nintendo just in a different period of time.Just remeber my words, we will see Mario in every device in a not very distant future and for the joy of everybody.;)

Comments

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by little phobic idiot Monday, January 20, 2014 at 03:38 PM

Taking a look at mobile integration is a good step. I feel like Nintendo constantly innovates with their technology (SNES inspired shoulder buttons, N64 inspired trigger buttons, Wii inspired motion controls like Kinect and Move, DS and Wii-U inspired second screen integration like SmartGlass) while simultaneously playing catch-up with "gimme" features like HD graphics and online capabilities. Like the article says, mobile integration isn't the same as mobile gaming. It's funny, because I feel like it's Nintendo's way of asking, "What can we do with 3 screens that we can't do with 2?"
by SprodingSeaCreature Monday, January 20, 2014 at 03:42 PM

I'm interested in seeing what nintendo does going forward. I'm a big fan of the big N, and being backed into a corner might actually end up being good for them in the long run (forcing them to do something drastic no one has done before)
by TheArcaneHuntress Monday, January 20, 2014 at 05:01 PM

Pokedex App FTW! :3
by tusunami Monday, January 20, 2014 at 05:49 PM

I like Nintendo's way of thinking, never count them out.
by Commander Shepard Monday, January 20, 2014 at 06:28 PM

They just put Mario and smartphones.
by The_DASHing_RockMan Monday, January 20, 2014 at 06:29 PM

Approaching the mobile market might be a way for Nintendo to gain a better view of how to make a better social experience for gamers, and to take that knowledge and give their own particular style to it, making it something enjoyable and not some dull marketing buzz like with so much of social gaming "features" with modern consoles.
by The_Penultimate_Spaz Monday, January 20, 2014 at 08:45 PM

At a position where if I have time outside and am outside my house then I would rather engage in social activities. Haven't had a handheld since the Genesis Nomad (Sega Genesis in handheld form with a built in screen).
by Slayer of Moblins Monday, January 20, 2014 at 09:07 PM

I still think they should ditch the Wii U. Unless suddenly Gabe says Half-Life 3 is coming on it, I would just scrap it - yes, ditch a console they've spent money on - and make a Super Wii. They made the NES, which pretty much rebirthed the gaming industry and opened horizons - Like the Wii (for our non-gaming parents and Grandmas, anyway) and then vastly improved that with the SNES. Why not do that with the Wii? Just include a regular controller along with the Wiimote, figure out why their online isn't working at all, give it a much beefier RAM, more HD space, etc etc - and make sure most of their Heavy hitters - not all (save some to keep people interested in it) - come out at launch. It's incredibly risky, but if they do it right... They're not a company that takes big risks, though... They're damn good developers and music composers( basis of nostalgia), but they sorta lost a lot of ground when it came to the Wii. Sure, they made tons of cash, but is there a loyal fanbase left?
by joseph86rdub Tuesday, January 21, 2014 at 12:39 PM

nintendo can use game spin offs to make mobile games and also use accessories to games as dream reader is to pokemon black/white 2 use AR to scan real life objects (pets,food,pics of manmade things,picks of nature) to find pokemon and items to use in game,a super toad mobile game, metroid pinball mobile game, so much can be done without making main titles on mobile nintendo can make extra money by investing
by landon bodley Tuesday, January 21, 2014 at 02:27 PM

Nintendo games on smartphones would eventually ruin the franchise. Just look at Sonic. Now if they released a new IP, that might be a different story.
by Dr. TadorSauce Wednesday, January 22, 2014 at 08:30 AM

I guess that's good for them, but Nintendo needs to do something new and stop taking the safe route.
by oneofthewise Thursday, January 23, 2014 at 12:13 AM

They aren't developing games for mobile market... for now. It's just a matter of time. Like Michael Pachter said, handheld market is shrinking every year more and more that it will became a point that would be not profitable at all. So right now ,Nintendo home console market is struggling with no signs of recovery.They only rely in the handheld but just to be overshadowed by smartphones and tablets.

Is just unavoidable that they have to release as third party console devss and to the smartphones/tablets market , more sooner than later. And everybody would be benefit from this, who would not be atracted to play a Dr Mario in their smartphone F2P?. Look at Sega they have really good games and they survive to their console manufacturing mistakes, it's the same with Nintendo just in a different period of time.Just remeber my words, we will see Mario in every device in a not very distant future and for the joy of everybody.;)