Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Iwata: 3DS To Focus On Digital Distribution
In recent months, Nintendo has been more frank about its failures on the online front. While its no secret to anyone who follows the industry that WiiWare and DS downloadable games have struggled to find an audience, Nintendo head Satoru Iwata claims that this will change with the release of the Nintendo 3DS.
After an investor asked about the company's failure to adequately promote its downloadable content, Iwata responded, “We are thinking the release of new hardware should be good timing for a dramatic improvement of this situation."
Iwata went on to reveal that the 3DS will have functionality that alerts consumers to new games and microtransactions. Iwata added, "Nintendo 3DS will have enhanced wireless communication function. Nintendo 3DS will receive various pieces of information automatically if there is a chance of communication while a user carries it even when he or she does not try to start communication proactively by unfolding Nintendo 3DS...by combining Nintendo 3DS with such function, we are now planning to expand our digital-distribution type of business.”
He elaborated that this would work even if the system was in "passive" mode – much like how a cell phone alerts a caller that he or she has just received a voice mail or text message.
While its great that Nintendo is making a serious effort to promote DLC and downloadable games, this seems to have the potential to be extremely annoying – hopefully our 3DSs won't be chirping at us every five seconds with game-related spam. It will be interesting to see what kinds of options are available to owners that want to tailor or opt our of these messages.
via Siliconera
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
