Nintendo mulling making games for iOS and Android? No. More of a mobile E-Store/SmartGlass approach?

[Plainview]

I would completely welcome this. Even if it's just a bunch of converts of NES and SNES games. I would play the crap out of NES and Super NES Zeldas and Metroids if they were available for iOS. I've been hoping Nintendo would do this. While it's not a confirmation that it's going to happen, “We are thinking about a new business structure,” Iwata said at a press conference yesterday in Osaka, Japan. “Given the expansion of smart devices, we are naturally studying how smart devices can be used to grow the game-player business. It’s not as simple as enabling Mario to move on a smartphone," it's a far cry from the stance they took a few years ago when the smartphone platform wasn't looked at as competition.

via Bloomberg

Nintendo Co. (7974) President Satoru Iwata said the maker of video-game machines is considering a new business model after forecasting a surprise 25 billion-yen ($240 million) annual loss because of tepid demand for the Wii U.

Nintendo fell the most in more than 12 years in the U.S. yesterday. The company had previously projected profit of 55 billion yen for the year ending March as it counted on Christmas shoppers to revive sales of the Wii U console featuring games with iconic characters Mario and Zelda. Nintendo cut its forecasts for Wii U console sales to 2.8 million units from 9 million and for Wii U game sales to 19 million units from 38 million.
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Looks like it will have nothing to do with porting games and be move focused on a mobile E-Store/SmartGlass type of deal or maybe some form of advertising. We'll see how it all plays out.

​

via Wall Street Journal

“The spread of smart devices does not spell the end of game consoles. It’s not that simple,” President Satoru Iwata said at a news conference Friday. 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, Mr. Iwata said.​

 

[The Wolf King]

Pretty sure they have already said no to this.

 

[Z A C K]

I don't really care to see Nintendo come to mobile, but I do hope the latest sales figures lead to a price drop on the WiiU soon.

 

[Plainview]

Pretty sure they have already said no to this.

They did. They just had their third operating loss in a row. They're exploring other avenues. Whether or not that means games or something like SmartGlass on iOS and Android, we don't know at this point. But I hope it's bringing classics to mobile devices.

 

[TeKPhaN]

Pretty sure they have already said no to this.

Getting stung can change things.
If they go ios only then RIP as I aint going ios.

 

[The Wolf King]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-01-20-iwata-nintendo-losses-wont-mean-mario-on-smartphones

 

[Z A C K]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-01-20-iwata-nintendo-losses-wont-mean-mario-on-smartphones

Nintendo has long-planned to allow users to buy 3DS and Wii U content via an eShop smartphone app - but as of yet there has been no news on when this might appear.

I could definitely see that happening though.

 

[starseeker]

I will buy Zelda if they release it on ipad or windows surface.

 

[Plainview]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-01-20-iwata-nintendo-losses-wont-mean-mario-on-smartphones

Updated.

 

[BDaddyK]

Even if they did bring Nuntendo classics to mobile I'd pass. I hate gaming on my phone, any mobile device actually, however ,there are tons of people that'd eat it up. It would only seem to be a stop gap though, unless they micro-transaction'd the hell outta it.

 

[Andy]

I'd love getting access to Zelda games on other consoles, but I'm not interested in playing games on a smartphone or tablet.

 

[sharkboy1200]

I wonder which platform Nintendo considers to be more competitive. Handheld or consoles.

 

[The Living Tribunal]

I'd love getting access to Zelda games on other consoles, but I'm not interested in playing games on a smartphone or tablet.

Yeah....this.

 

[BDaddyK]

I wonder which platform Nintendo considers to be more competitive. Handheld or consoles.

Prolly at this point consoles...

 

[Viktor]

Please don't drink the Kool-Aid.. Stay away from smartphone/tablet "gaming."

 

[amigaengine]

Don't know what it would hurt by putting games on Android or IOS unless it pulls developers away from doing WiiU or 3DS games. Maybe they should put some games on Virtual Console instead ? It is pretty lacking for the U and 3DS at this point.

Right now only DKCTF has release date

 

[TeKPhaN]

smart glass aint happening

 

[Z A C K]

Please don't drink the Kool-Aid.. Stay away from smartphone/tablet "gaming."

Smartphone/tablets are a great platform for gaming, but like you stated, that gaming should be in quotes. There are great games on mobile platforms that are played by hundreds of thousands if not millions of people a day, but that is very different than the gaming that we discuss in these forums. That's why I don't believe Mario/Zelda belongs on phones.

 

[BDaddyK]

Please don't drink the Kool-Aid.. Stay away from smartphone/tablet "gaming."

That right there, stay away from the mobile diversions. It'll prolly do nothing more for the big N in the long run than to sully the games...

 

[Mr Bigglesworth]

they are going out of console hardware and will produce games for pc, consoles and mobile

 

[Tazz3]

Nintendo would make a killing Mario on iPad and iPhone that would be awesome.lets hope it happens

 

[Z A C K]

Probably safe to say that if they ever did bring games to Mobile it'd be just iOS and Android. Windows Phones would probably be left out.

 

[Li Tan]

Unless they can leverage smartphone classics into additional console sales, it won't really be plugging the hole, it'll be just throwing more water in the bucket.

 

[Li Tan]

I think come Nintendo titles could work on smartphones or tablets, just not twitchy kinds of games like Mario.

The old Zeldas could be reworked to play fine with touch controls, as could Earthbound, Advance Wars, Fire Emblem or Lolo.

 

[Mcmasters]

Smartglass, ios, not so much. But bring Mario and the crew over to the Xbox One and Ps4 and you have a deal!

 

[TeKPhaN]

http://tabtimes.com/news/tablet-gam...paper-says-nintendo-about-unveil-its-approach

Nintendo may soon launch game demos and advertising efforts on smartphones and tablets.

That's according to the Japanese business paper Nikkei (via Dr. Serkan Toto), which reports this week that all the chatter about Nintendo branching out to mobile platforms is about to culminate in an announcement that will take place on Thursday.

Late in 2013 Nintendo executives revealed that the Mario maker was "experimenting" with smartphones and tablets, though it will likely never publish full Nintendo games on mobile platforms. But Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime said Nintendo was considering launching apps and smaller games that would aim to drive consumers to Nintendo's hardware.

 

[Mua'dib]

http://kotaku.com/report-nintendo-will-be-releasing-free-mini-games-on-1510204063

This year looks to be Nintendo's toughest. Nintendo, however, is looking to change that. Respected Japanese newspaper Nikkeireports that within this year, Nintendo apparently plans to use smartphones to win back gamers. Well, kind of. P

According to an unconfirmed Nikkei report, Nintendo plans to release trailers for new games on smartphones (presumably Android and iOS) as well as "free mini-games." Until now, Nintendo hasn't made any gaming content available on smartphones.2P

Note that the Nikkei does not use the Japanese word for "demo," which is either "taikenban" (体験版) or "demo" (デモ). It explicitly states "muryou no mini geemu" (無料のミニゲーム) or "free mini-game." Nikkei reports that the idea is that if players enjoy the mini-games, they can purchase the actual software for their Nintendo hardware. That sounds awfully like a demo!P

Nintendo will apparently make a wide swath of information about its games available via smartphones—such as introducing the game's story and characters as well as the release date and price.

Things that make you go "Hmm"...

 

[pravus]

That sounds like another terrible idea.

 

[Z A C K]

I just don't understand how this is going to help.

 

[Li Tan]

I just don't understand how this is going to help.

Awareness, I guess.
The thing is, the app/mini games need to be cool enough and fun enough that people go nuts for them, like Candy Crush, rather than ignore them like most apps.
Optimistically, it might give Nintendo a way to publicise new or lesser known characters, so that they get their own games and Mario gets leaned on less.