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duckrabbit

macrumors member
Jun 21, 2012
54
0
The OP says they lost $355 million in 2013, am I missing something about how well they're doing?

You're right, but that's only because the Wii U is performing way below expectations. The 3ds is doing very well. IMO, releasing mobile games would do more to undermine their success in the handheld market than address their issues in the home console market. They need to rethink their strategy for sure, but mobile games aren't the solution.
 

Urban Joe

Suspended
Mar 19, 2012
506
534
Yeah. I know Nintendo wants to hold on to their hardware biz but I don't see how they are going to stay relevant long term without some mobile presence. For God's sake they need to get creative and launch some brand new mobile games to serve as a bridge to entice people to their other platforms. Come up with something really good and they could charge the hell out of it. Basically, their company has too many old brains calling the shots.
 

koban4max

macrumors 68000
Aug 23, 2011
1,582
0
HAHAH Pretendo is dead!!!

----------

Satoru Iwata, you brought your japanese people to shame...and the original nintendo founder.
 

dec.

Suspended
Apr 15, 2012
1,349
765
Toronto
I'm definitely going to skip the wii U, let's see if they can come up with something good next time.

as for mobile games - no thanks. As far as it goes for the classic Nintendo games, there's no way that they could achieve the fluidity of gameplay control with touch screen controls. And an extra game controller? No thanks. I used a wii controller with a snes emulator when I had my ipad1 or 2 jailbroken, as fun as it was, it's completely inconvenient to carry around another device. For puzzle games and adventures etc. the touch screen controls are great, but for Mario-style? No thanks (one of the reasons I deleted Tomb Raider right after trying it for 10 minutes. Frustrating as ****).
 

whoiare

macrumors regular
Aug 30, 2011
102
14
They're already mobile, and making a ton of money off of it. Why would they want to port their games to the smartphones?

Unlike RIM, the iPhone isn't a direct competitor to their core business. Their business is games. They don't need to go 3rd party to become a success. What they need to do is make the WiiU more of a draw than it currently is.

Until the Apple TV allows for playing games.
 

TechZeke

macrumors 68020
Jul 29, 2012
2,454
2,287
Dallas, TX
Even my favorite hardcore war-games I play are now coming to iOS:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/panzer-campaigns-panzer/id694291341?ls=1&mt=8

http://www.johntillersoftware.com/Apps.html

These are old-school style war simulation games. These games are lucky to sell 5000 units. Yet, I can get it on my iPad but I still have to bootcamp into Windows to play it on my Macs. Go figure.

If hardcore old-school style war-games can make it to iOS, so can nintendo. I must admit though that I see allot of people buying 3DSs anyway, especially after the latest Pokemon game.

Still, iOS/Android is the way to go. I see more and more young kids playing on their siblings/parent's iPod touch/iPhone/iPad than handhelds these days.
 

Tankmaze

macrumors 68000
Mar 7, 2012
1,707
351
just test the waters nintendo, release one of your hit game on the app store and see how it goes. :rolleyes:
 

Dr. McKay

macrumors 6502a
Jan 20, 2010
818
112
Belgium, Europe
The legendary playability of Nintendo's games would be completely lost on touch.
You can't expect people to buy an add-on controller just to play a Mario game.
Nintendo's games are in a league of their own, still unmatched by anything else out there. But they belong on a console with proper controllers.
Most of you may be bored with yet another Mario or Zelda, but their games never cease to amaze me.
Games like Mario Galaxy, Zelda Skyward Sword on the Wii... there's really nothing like it and they're filled to the brim with Nintendo magic.
 

irnchriz

macrumors 65816
May 2, 2005
1,034
2
Scotland
The Wii U is dying, third parties are sliming down future releases if not cancelling them altogether. Nintendo should step back from home consoles and push on with new handhelds or even bring out a 3DS tv product like the vita unit sony have released in Japan. Plenty of titles for the handhelds, lower production costs for games and higher margins too. Their next evolution of handhelds can use the graphic chips used in previous generation smartphones as they are more than powerful enough to run the standard low res displays used by Nintendo and the glorified flash games that roll out on its handhelds.
 

Lennholm

macrumors 65816
Sep 4, 2010
1,003
210
Nintendo is only focused on the DS family of handhelds. The Wii U was only brought out to appease the masses about HD graphics.

If they were serious about the Wii U, they wouldn't be rehashing 3DS or older games on the system. How can they seriously not have new Brand new Zelda, Mario or Metroid games available yet???

Plus they don't get the concept of DLC yet either here in the west.

They do have a brand new Mario game on the Wii U, a really good one. They're working on a new Zelda game but there's always ~4 years between console Zelda games and the last one was released just little over 2 years ago. It was really unfortunate that Skyward Sword was released so late in the Wii's lifetime and so close to the Wii U launch. They really should've made it forward compatible with the Wii U, HD graphics would've done wonders for it.
I don't know what the hell they're thinking not making a Metroid game, I guess Metroid isn't that big in Japan and Nintendo has always been and still are very focused on the Japanese market, which is their no. 1 mistake.
 

Khaaaaaaaaaan

macrumors member
Aug 15, 2010
32
11
Madision, WI
As a parent of 3 relatively young children (ages 10 to 5)...one of whom has a 3DS, I can tell you right now where the majority of their casual gaming occurs: my "old" iPad 2. With the current 40+ games installed on there, they could each easily burn 1+ hours if allowed. In terms of everyone comparing touch vs "real" controls, I can tell you that this generation doesn't care and can easily jump between both without a second thought. If we're going to compare graphics, most modern mobile devices (both iOS and Android) blow away the 3DS hands down.

Now as a UI designer, the DS has a very unique interface when gaming that is pretty cool and is their signature hands down. That's not to say that it cannot be emulated on say an iPad or Kindle sized device to recreate the DS gaming experience. As another user here commented, release just one game in the App Store and Play Store and see what happens. Just look at the success that ActiVision has had with the Skylanders franchise on mobile devices. Oh, you mean I can leverage my investment on *2* separate gaming consoles?....HERE! TAKE MY MONEY!!

I don't believe that anyone here is suggesting that Nintendo completely dump their HW business (with the exception of the Wii U). What most are asking is why NOT release something for iOS and Android and grow your mobile business even MORE give the immensely strong catalog and gaming experience that Nintendo brings to the table. Let's face it, most people in this forum have played one or more Nintendo game and as such, most children of these folks will to. There comes a tipping point where a device such as the DS is no longer desired (think teens) with the exception of those man-children you see at Pokemon tournaments.

Mobile devices whether they be Android or iOS are only going to increase in adoption. It would be foolish for Nintendo to completely ignore this market space long term. The numbers alone of kids AND adults with these devices significantly outweighs the total DS market. I leave Nintendo to seriously ponder 2 specific words: Angry Birds

From nothing, Rovio created an empire. Just think of what Nintendo could do with their existing offerings.

-K
 

the8thark

macrumors 601
Apr 18, 2011
4,628
1,735
If they were serious about the Wii U, they wouldn't be rehashing 3DS or older games on the system. How can they seriously not have new Brand new Zelda, Mario or Metroid games available yet???
Super Mario 3D Worlds
 

Dr. McKay

macrumors 6502a
Jan 20, 2010
818
112
Belgium, Europe
As a parent of 3 relatively young children (ages 10 to 5)...one of whom has a 3DS, I can tell you right now where the majority of their casual gaming occurs: my "old" iPad 2.

Same here. Although completely different types of games. They love Mario on Wii and 3DS just as much...

In terms of everyone comparing touch vs "real" controls, I can tell you that this generation doesn't care and can easily jump between both without a second thought.

That's not what I meant. Sure Nintendo could release other type of games for touch, but Mario as we know it wouldn't work on an iPad.
Games like Mario Galaxy simply wouldn't work with touch controls (and without frustration)...
 

Smartass

macrumors 65816
Dec 18, 2012
1,450
1,701
Nintendo's board of executives

the3monkeys.jpg
 

thekeyring

macrumors 68040
Jan 5, 2012
3,485
2,147
London
Shame. I'd have happily bought a ton of Mario games for my iPhone, played them constantly and bought the sequels.

If Nintendo wants to survive as a game making company, what's wrong with ditching building hardware and instead releasing all their excellent games across a couple of platforms?
 

DEXTERITY

macrumors 6502a
Aug 14, 2004
678
357
As an ex nintendo employee, they are very stubborn. I haven't worked there since right before the wii was launched, but seems like things haven't changed. They have one hit system and always fail to capitalize on momentum.

People have been almost begging for games on the iphone and they simply are way too protective of their "properties."

I remember when they were adamantly against online gaming and the ability to chat while playing games. They some how found a way to mess that up as well.
 

VI™

macrumors 6502a
Aug 27, 2010
636
1
Shepherdsturd, WV
To sum up most quotes here:

"Cuz I like Apple, I'd really love them to release stuff on my iPhone. But since they won't, I'm gonna say they're dumb and don't know what they're doing then make an off the cuff reference to RIM cuz apparently these two almost entirely unrelated companies working in entirely different markets are somehow related in some way".

It's not about iPhone devices, it's about mobile devices. How many iPhones, iPads, Android, and Windows Mobile devices are out there compared to current gen Nintendo consoles (3DS & Wii U)?

The problem is that Nintendo has been going their own way which has put off 3rd party developers of AAA titles. Sure the Wii had a massive collection of games, but how many must have titles were on it? Of those, how many must have titles reviewed worse than their Xbox 360 and PS3 counterparts because of worse controls and graphics?

If Nintendo had more Marios, Zeldas, etc... that you couldn't get anywhere else, then it would help sell systems. the current Nintendo is nothing like the SNES nintendo. Where are the Secret of Manas, Final Fantasys, F Zeros, and other killer apps you couldn't get anywhere else?

And with Nintendo's current financial predicament and their unwillingness to release games on other platforms, it's going to hurt them even more. Just a quick question here: If you can sell 5 million more copies of a game by releasing it on mobile devices vs. only releasing it on your proprietary hardware when the people purchasing those copies of that game would not otherwise be purchasing a Nintendo console, why wouldn't you do it? It's not like there's a huge production cost to port a game. It's not like you're losing money on every license of that game that's sold.
 

Khaaaaaaaaaan

macrumors member
Aug 15, 2010
32
11
Madision, WI
Same here. Although completely different types of games. They love Mario on Wii and 3DS just as much....

Don't get me wrong, the oldest one loves Pokemon X & Y on the 3DS (for now) and we have a PS3. I never saw the desire in the Wii so we didn't go down that rabbit hole. I'm saying they easily can burn equal or more time on the pad due to the options in both games and graphics. And while games on the pad and DS are completely different animals, my point is that this generation easily floats between both. Unlike like other gamers.

That's not what I meant. Sure Nintendo could release other type of games for touch, but Mario as we know it wouldn't work on an iPad.
Games like Mario Galaxy simply wouldn't work with touch controls (and without frustration)...

Well right...they would have to modify or produce something NEW for touch gaming...but they are almost there with the DS systems. IMO, it wouldn't be a huge leap for them to either update an existing for touch or create a new one within an existing franchise. Look at last year's "Year of Luigi" titles. They could have easily included one for Android and iOS systems that tied into that plan. I'm saying they need to think really BIG picture if they want to compete in this market any more.
 

Wardenski

macrumors 6502
Jan 22, 2012
464
5
To be honest, I don't see how they can make the Wii U successful. No developer support, poor online support, same old games*.

*which may be good but are still essentially the same as before.
 
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