Nintendo Takes Aim at Apple as 'Enemy of the Future'

[MacRumors]

While a number of indicators have shown that Apple's iPhone OS platform has become a factor in the portable gaming industry, Times Online reports that Nintendo finally appears to have acknowledged the threat it faces from the increasing popularity of the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad and turned its focus to address Apple head-on.

Satoru Iwata, the Nintendo president, is understood to have told his senior executives recently to regard the battle with Sony as a victory already won and to treat Apple, and its iPhone and iPad devices, as the "enemy of the future".

In trying to move away from its background as a platform targeting younger gamers, Nintendo has run up against Apple's devices, which tend to cater to the same demographics as Nintendo's focus.

Two years ago, the company claimed to have permanently altered the demographics of video games by raising the average age and the gender mix of gamers. Unfortunately, the very people it claimed to have converted -- high-school girls and men aged between 30 and 40 -- reported that they would rather have an iPhone than a DS in their pockets or handbags.

While analysts warn that Nintendo should not turn its back on its battle with Sony, the company is reported to be preparing to "unleash the full force of its development and marketing artillery against Apple". It remains unclear, however, exactly what strategy Nintendo is intending to pursue as it seeks to compete with Apple's products that offer a multitude of functions beyond gaming.

Article Link: Nintendo Takes Aim at Apple as 'Enemy of the Future'

 

[iGod 2.0]

Let the battle begin

Apple really has Nintendo shaking in their boots like that?????

 

[ghostface147]

IMHO, Apple really needs to allow a 3rd party peripheral (controller, joystick, whatever you want to call it) to attach to the dock connector for gaming to be taken seriously.

 

[Vol7ron]

I love my DS, but quite frankly, the ipod touch and my soon to be iphone 4G is easier for me to carry around. It is lighter, powerful, and provides great functionality then my DS lite. And the fact that all my games are stored right on the device makes it incredibly easy for me to take around.

 

[JediZenMaster]

IMHO, Apple really needs to allow a 3rd party peripheral (controller, joystick, whatever you want to call it) to attach to the dock connector for gaming to be taken seriously.

Well they do allow access to the 30 pin-connector. So all someone has to do is design one.

 

[stainlessliquid]

The app store is not capable of competing with games found on the DS and PSP. We are never going to see major studios develop million dollar games on the iphone. They need to be big fish in a small pond to have their games be profitable, not big fish in an ocean of garbage.

They are not competitors, the games are in totally different markets.

 

[longball11]

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! are YOU kidding me? this is serious?! I laugh my ass off that apple is video game competitor. They never will outlast anything in the video game industry.
Focus on making the computers better and better gpus. A threat?! hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha, too funny.

 

[ddrueckhammer]

The app store is not capable of competing with games found on the DS and PSP. We are never going to see major studios develop million dollar games on the iphone. They need to be big fish in a small pool to have their games be profitable, not big fish in an ocean of garbage.

They are not competitors, the games are totally different and for different types of people.

Huh? EA is already developing iPhone versions of big games like GTA, Madden, Tiger, Need For Speed etc. Square just developed a iPhone/iPod exclusive RPG (Chaos Rings).

Even though they are in a large pool, these large developers tend to trend to the top of the charts on brand recognition.

 

[koobcamuk]

Apple really has Nintendo shaking in their boots like that?????

Of course they don't.

This is just PR and spin.

 

[godslabrat]

Well they do allow access to the 30 pin-connector. So all someone has to do is design one.

But will that happen, and will anyone use it? Those are the two questions that will make or break Apple as a serious competitor to Nintendo.

I find it interesting that Apple and Nintendo are shaping up to be rivals-- they're also the two electronics manufacturers that interest me the most.

 

[JediZenMaster]

We are never going to see major studios develop million dollar games on the iphone.

Never say never. 50 Years ago when someone wrote about a "Portable Device" in a sci-fi novel that played music. People said that would NEVER happen

And also people said the iphone would NEVER take off when it was first introduced.

 

[stainlessliquid]

Huh? EA is already developing iPhone versions of big games like GTA, Madden, Tiger, Need For Speed etc. Square just developed a iPhone/iPod exclusive RPG (Chaos Rings).

Even though they are in a large pool, these large developers tend to trend to the top of the charts on brand recognition.

The games they make for the iphone are extremely low budget compared to what they make for the DS and PSP. You cant compare them.

 

[iDisk]

BE CAREFUL WHAT COMES OUT OF YOUR MOUTH NINTENDO, or YOU WILL HAVE A BAG OF HURT TO DEAL WITH.

Nintendo should be glad that their forced to innovate and become creative to stay relevant in there respective market.

They should be welcoming Apple and encouraging their growth.


If Nintendo keeps this sort of talk, going they WILL regret it.

MAKE NO MISTAKE, STEVE WILL LAUNCH AN ASSAULT THAT WILL MAKE THEM EAT THESE WORDS.


NINTENDO YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!

 

[spyinthesky]

Lusion and delusion.

Ooooh are we going to get a Nintendo phone, that should be a laugh.


As for the DS I presume it is fantastically better than the naffness it portrays in the adverts then? Just looks totally childish and unimaginative to me.

 

[ddrueckhammer]

The games they make for the iphone are extremely low budget compared to what they make for the DS and PSP. You cant compare them.

I don't think I agree with that. Go play some of the games I listed on DS and then go play them on iPhone. They are just as good or better at a fraction of the cost.

I barely play my DS since I have an iPhone. In the last six months, I've only purchased Zelda, Warioware, and Shin Megami Tensei on DS, but has purchased twice as many iPhone games. There are tons of good games on iPhone (see Peggle, iBlast Moki, Space Invaders Infinity Gene, N.O.V.A., Blimp, Wolfenstein RPG, etc.). If you need help finding some good iPhone games, read reviews. IGN has a pretty good iPhone reviews section.

 

[Friscohoya]

Why announce it? Why not just do it? Its like th ebad guy who gives a speech before killing the hero only to have the hero rise again and win the battle. Yawn...I have seen this movie before.

 

[Nebulance]

OK, so since when has Nintendo won the battle against Sony? I have a PS3, and to me, I think it blows the Wii completely out of the water. No question about it. Graphics alone, PS3 is far better. I've used the Wii, and frankly, it's a bit boring after a while. The only game I really love on the Wii is Super Mario Brothers... which doesn't even utilize the whole concept of the Wii, being interactive with the joystick/controller.


Whatevs.

 

[*LTD*]

This is what I've been talking about for months. It's coming to pass.

 

[dogzilla]

Hopefully

It will kick Nintendo out of coast mode and have them develop something actually new and interesting. Unless they know something we don't (eg: future apple products) then it seems a bit silly for them to think that they're competing with Apple - Nintendo simply hasn't done anything serious in the adult market of late.

Seems to me they're facing a much more significant threat from Project Natal and Sony's equivalent. Without the Wii, there really isn't much interesting about Nintendo.

 

[TaylorAudio]

 

[ikir]

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! are YOU kidding me? this is serious?! I laugh my ass off that apple is video game competitor. They never will outlast anything in the video game industry.
Focus on making the computers better and better gpus. A threat?! hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha, too funny.

I play more with my iPhone than any other console i had in my life. And the same applies to all my friends who have an iPhone. Sure, some games plays better with a real gamepad, but others are better with touch.
I can live with, for example, Alive 4 Ever Return digital pads, it takes little to get used to it.

 

[mono1980]

I'm impressed

Nintendo actually admitted who their enemy is. That is the first step in defeating them! Apple and Nintendo are both very stubborn and fiscally conservative companies though, I don't see either of them losing, more likely their markets will diverge and they will both remain strong.

 

[JLatte]

Nintendo should just make some quality games for the iPhone.

 

[ikir]

OK, so since when has Nintendo won the battle against Sony? I have a PS3, and to me, I think it blows the Wii completely out of the water. No question about it. Graphics alone, PS3 is far better. I've used the Wii, and frankly, it's a bit boring after a while. The only game I really love on the Wii is Super Mario Brothers... which doesn't even utilize the whole concept of the Wii, being interactive with the joystick/controller.


Whatevs.

Yes, sadly to tell you but Wii won "the war". Far more unit and fun. It doesn't matter if PS3 have better graphics and cpu. Don't get me wrong, PS3 is cool hardware!

 

[jaw04005]

Nintendo owns 10 or so of the greatest game franchises in history including Mario, Zelda, Smash Bros, Star Fox, Kirby, Metroid, Donkey Kong, etc.

If need be, they can coast on those forever. So they shouldn’t be too worried.

If the DSi needs a boost in sales, all they would have to do is launch a Virtual Console store that would offer Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance games to purchase. That’ll give those of use with just a DS Lite an incentive to upgrade.

Current iPhone games aren’t up to the same quality and depth as DS games (although they’re much closer than cell phone games of just a few years ago). However, I suppose that could change in the future.