Nintendo Bringing Mario and Other Games to Smartphones and Tablets

[JackieInCo]

People, read the article. This is not going to be what people are hoping.

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Macrumores linked to a different article then the one I read this morning. The one I read said that these will not be ports of old games but remakes that will likely be limited in content. The article I read said that they will likely be dummied down somewhat.

 

[oliversl]

I hope they don't stop making hardware, and hell yes I will buy their iOS games for sure!

 

[cassini007]

The end of the DS?

 

[Tubamajuba]

Nintendo is like Apple. They are so stubborn to get with the times.

I wouldn't mind paying a subscription fee to get unlimited access to all of their NES/SNES/Gameboy/DS titles

I wouldn't call the company releasing a laptop with only one USB Type-C port "stubborn to get with the times". The same company that put the first viable fingerprint scanner in a smartphone, the same company that declined to put the once-ubiquitous floppy drive inside their iMac, etc.

If they don't move to other platforms they will be gone within five years, or less.

Current day Nintendo is a joke, overpriced slow hardware, handhelds with jagged graphics, consoles that don't come with controllers, all this mii crap and only a few quality games...

If I buy a PS4 I know I will get to play in excess of twenty or more quality games over it's lifespan, however with a WiiU the only reason I would buy it is for the less than five decent games it holds, at best! And after all that within two or three years the console has lost more than seventy percent of it's value!

Nintendo used to be a legend with their hardware and games, such as the N64 with Goldeneye, they were the industry leaders, now look at them.

It's time Nintendo concentrated on what they do best, a handful of legendary game franchises! Bring them to the platforms people ARE using and leave the hardware side of it behind... If they do this I honestly think they will make more money on just the software than they do now with software and hardware combined...

I would pay in excess of £25 for a decent Mario game on iPad and the average £55 for a decent Mario 3DWorld type game on PS and XB... so would the BILLIONS of people using those platforms!

Hopefully within the next few years Nintendo consoles will be were they belong, in the past.

If Nintendo weren't trying to make money on consoles, they probably would have considered going third party by now. But as it stands, they profit quite significantly on Wii U and 3DS consoles. Add Amiibo to the mix, and you have a very strong deterrent from going third party.

Nintendo won't go third party until they're hanging off a cliff by a pinky finger.

Not to mention, just from my perspective, I don't care about tech specs or graphics when it comes to video games. I just want the best games regardless of what hardware they run on. For me, the Wii U and 3DS are the consoles that have those games.

 

[WinstonRumfoord]

Little late to the party, no?

Regardless, I'll for sure be buying any and all Marios that come out, and I don't yet have a single "game" on any of my iOS devices.

 

[Multiverse223]

It is unfortunate. They have so much invested in the console that they can't see the shifting winds. Console will be around for a while longer but will become niche players.

As the iPad and iPhone become more powerful the masses will continue to move to those platforms and then AirPlay to their tv when at home. I give my prediction two year before it is clear that consoles move to a niche role. Game vendors need to be thinking about this or risk extinction.

You're 100% wrong on this. The PS4 and Xbox One are by far the fastest selling consoles in gaming history. The PS4 is outselling the PS2 by a lot, and that's saying something. Consoles from Sony and Microsoft aren't going anywhere (maybe Microsoft sells it at some point). There have been over 20 million PS4s sold in about 1.5 years, that's a lot. If anything all these pitiful, garbage casual games made more people interested in the real, fun games. Apple would be wise to make both an TV for the masses, and an TV for hardcore gaming masses, as consoles aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

 

[TheAppleFairy]

This is a bad idea. This will eat into hardware profits.

This is a wonderful idea, it will generate new profits for all those people who refuse to buy the hardware but want the software.

Like myself and plenty of others.

 

[Multiverse223]

lol. You're all kidding yourselves if you think you'll be playing real Nintendo games on iOS. They'll use these apps to get you to buy one of their consoles ... which currently are both awesome.

Their consoles are fine, because graphics don't = fun. However, Nintendo are complete morons because they don't release games. The CEO should have been fired the second the Wii U was launched, as they had virtually no games, it was and remains the most embarrassing thing in gaming. They STILL don't have a Zelda out, hahahaha. In fact the Wii U has like 3 games worth playing and it's been out for years. I'd buy the Wii over it any day of the week.

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This is a wonderful idea, it will generate new profits for all those people who refuse to buy the hardware but want the software.

Like myself and plenty of others.

I refuse to buy their hardware because they're too stupid to make software for their hardware. Look at how many games are available for the years old Wii U. It's so laughable.

 

[nia820]

Their consoles are fine, because graphics don't = fun. However, Nintendo are complete morons because they don't release games. The CEO should have been fired the second the Wii U was launched, as they had virtually no games, it was and remains the most embarrassing thing in gaming. They STILL don't have a Zelda out, hahahaha. In fact the Wii U has like 3 games worth playing and it's been out for years. I'd buy the Wii over it any day of the week.

I agree wii u had a rough start but wii u library is pretty solid now.

 

[roadbloc]

This is a wonderful idea, it will generate new profits for all those people who refuse to buy the hardware but want the software.

Like myself and plenty of others.

Using that logic, the Macintosh Clone programme of the 90s should have been a tremendous success for Apple.

 

[macduke]

Wow, this was quite unexpected. Although they're a bit late to the game, I welcome them. If they make decent games I will buy them. It would also be neat if they designed an MFi controller that you could buy for $50-60.

I know people are saying that they're not porting their old games, but considering how poorly the Wii U has been performing, and the fact that they're now bringing new games to smartphones and tablets shows that they're desperate to make some money and change their strategy. The iPad would make a great virtual console for older games—especially if they design an MFi controller. I would totally buy that. Sell NES games for $1 IAP, maybe the better ones for $2. SNES games for $2, the best ones for $4. N64 games for $5, the better ones for $10 and the same for GameCube. Wii games gets tricky because of the motion controls, but they might be able to work it out with the iPhone or perhaps release a limited/reworked selection. Or just stop at GameCube. Most of my favorites are on the first three platforms anyway. Especially SNES! If they properly supported it with controllers and quality games with crisp graphics (I mean pixelated, but not fuzzy upscaled), I could easily see myself spending a couple hundred dollars. It would also be neat to see some graphics and sound upgrades on certain classic titles—especially for N64. I don't mind remakes or HD versions if they also sell the original or include it as an option in the settings. Kind of like the Halo remakes.

 

[Liquorpuki]

You guys should just go buy the new 3DS XL... seriously

 

[TallManNY]

The only real news here is that they have decided on a partner. The decision to make an entry into smartphones was announced half a year ago during a Nintendo Direct Stream.

And no, it is not porting games to smart phones as most people seem to assume - It is just a way to advertize their games from the N3DS and Wii U. Expect small Mii games and video apps that show off games - Nothing more.

Well that is quite dumb of them. But once that fails to create any real traction, they will just release Mario and Zelda for iOS and watch the gobs of revenue come in. They could probably do the port of a Mario game in a week of work (if they haven't done it already), and sell tens of millions of $5 copies a year.

 

[rhoydotp]

It's about time!

Exact same sentence that came out of my mouth!

 

[2457282]

You're 100% wrong on this. The PS4 and Xbox One are by far the fastest selling consoles in gaming history. The PS4 is outselling the PS2 by a lot, and that's saying something. Consoles from Sony and Microsoft aren't going anywhere (maybe Microsoft sells it at some point). There have been over 20 million PS4s sold in about 1.5 years, that's a lot. If anything all these pitiful, garbage casual games made more people interested in the real, fun games. Apple would be wise to make both an TV for the masses, and an TV for hardcore gaming masses, as consoles aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

okay, bookmark this and comeback in 2017. If I am right, that will be when things turn. If I am wrong you can gloat. But 20 million is about how many phones apple sells in a month or less. by the time we are at the A10 chip I still expect that 90 percent of what casual to medium level gamers want can be done without extra hardware. But again come back and two years. Clearly only one of us will be right.

 

[Rayban]

I refuse to buy their hardware because they're too stupid to make software for their hardware. Look at how many games are available for the years old Wii U. It's so laughable.

Nintendo's first party titles beat the crap out of any other first party titles. Mario 3D World, Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze, Pikmin 3, New Mario Bros. U, Bayonetta 2, ect. Xbox or Playstation have no good first party titles on their platform yet.
One thing Nintendo knows how to do is make software. They've had a hard time with getting third party developers to make games for their platform. That is where the Wii U is criticized the most.

 

[rhoydotp]

People, read the article. This is not going to be what people are hoping.

----------

Macrumores linked to a different article then the one I read this morning. The one I read said that these will not be ports of old games but remakes that will likely be limited in content. The article I read said that they will likely be dummied down somewhat.

Still welcomed ... I hope they do version of Mario Kart that can be played together on network of iOS devices.

 

[Asylump]

Nintendo are morons if they don't release their legacy library on the iTunes store. I would buy a 20+ games for $40 a pop if they did - otherwise I'll never be buying another Nintendo console until they are relevant again.

 

[TheAppleFairy]

Using that logic, the Macintosh Clone programme of the 90s should have been a tremendous success for Apple.

That's not even the same thing. People want to play their classic Mario games, but don't want to buy a Nintendo gaming device. This is an opportunity to sell to people who have hardware that will play these game.

An early hackintosh isn't in the same category.

 

[teslo]

I'm sorry. What rock have you been living under? Not a single iOS game can match what Nintendo has done with Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Super Mario 3D World, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, Animal Crossing, Pokemon series. The list goes on and on.

I don't know how they do it, but Nintendo games are full, high quality, emersive, quirky, charming elements that break the mold and switch things up continuously, nothing of which has come close on iOS. I'd say my favorite game on iOS has been Plants vs Zombies but look how that has been decimated by EA. World of Goo was pretty good but lost my attention after a few levels. Limbo was good as well. I'd say those 3 are my top picks for iOS but I still feel what Nintendo does with Mario, Metroid, and Zelda far outshines any of those.

Maybe just my opinion. End rant.

that's why all you need on iOS is GTA. and maybe some doodle jump and ruzzle every now and again.

 

[Gary03mw]

I posted this a while back in another thread. It's still advice that I believe Nintendo should take immediately:


Seems the vast majority believe that it's in Nintendos best interest to develop their titles for iOS and Android. I think that's very short term thinking and that would be an awful decision and direction for the company. In fact, Nintendo needs to do the exact opposite of what most of you want. They need to keep control and not diminish the value of their franchises. This 4 step process would fix all the issues that plague Nintendo. The best part about it is that even if it doesn't work they could still go the very unambitious route of simply making their games for iOS and Android. So how do they do it?



1. Scrap any game or crap that isn't necessary to support the Wii U until they get to step 2.

2. They need to create a legitimate console that will appeal to the hardcore gamer. What is a console that appeals to the everyday gamer need to consist of?

- Up to date specs that are comparable to their competition.
- A worthwhile input method that doesn't work on a gimmick. No more wii motes, giant touchscreen controllers, and no Kinect like motion sensing. Think xbox controller.
- A good online interface that allows gamers to easily get online and play with friends. The UI should be simple and allow players to easily get in groups, chat, play, and bounce from game to game.

An added benefit to this is that Nintendo could finally get some solid 3rd party support back. Nintendo franchises are great, but I'm sure everyone misses the days when Nintendo really cultivated relationships with 3rd party developers.

3. Simply transition their titles to this current generation of gaming and include robust online compatibility. Examples of this:

- Turn Metroid into a top notch FPS.
- Turn Pokemon into a console MMORPG.
- Turn Pikmin into a good online RTS.
- Turn Mario Kart, F-Zero, Smash Bros, and Mario Sports (golf, soccer, tennis) into competitive online games.

The point isn't in the specific ideas I have above. If you don't agree with a particular idea, please don't start arguing semantics with me. Of course there are a lot of directions a particular title could take. Just try to understand that Nintendo has a multitude of great multiplayer titles that could easily transition to great online titles. It's an opportunity that Nintendo hasn't embraced at all but really needs to. They've spent a decade basically denying that the internet exists when we should have been playing great online Nintendo titles at the same time I was playing Halo 2. They will need to similarly bring Star Fox, Donkey Kong, Mario, Zelda, etc all into the future.

4. Support these games beyond launch and release DLC to pad the bottom line. Also create low cost iOS and Android apps that accompany these games. This could be anything from a pokedex, to leaderboards, to minigames. These apps are not entire games. They are just there to help Nintendos bottom line and extend the reach of the title.




Hopefully this is what Nintendo plans to do. Seriously though this kinda reminds me of people telling Apple to lower prices and work on cheap stuff. Wanting them to make a netbook or a cheap iPhone when in reality the need to be making a great product.

 

[roadbloc]

That's not even the same thing. People want to play their classic Mario games, but don't want to buy a Nintendo gaming device. This is an opportunity to sell to people who have hardware that will play these game.

Um... it's exactly the same. Its the unrestriction of software onto third party alternatives that would otherwise be tied to their own hardware. People wanted to use Mac OS 7, but didn't want to by a Macintosh.

 

[teslo]

I agree wii u had a rough start but wii u library is pretty solid now.

is it? the wii had an abysmal start. it was a beta console with beta software for years of its existence, and then they released the POS kinect and blew everyone's minds (in a bad way). about 1/3 of everyone i know has 2 wii controllers collecting dust bunnies under their couch.

edit: just noticed you're talking about the wii u, which i'd never heard of until now.

 

[HenryDJP]

Um... it's exactly the same. Its the unrestriction of software onto third party alternatives that would otherwise be tied to their own hardware. People wanted to use Mac OS 7, but didn't want to by a Macintosh.

That happens today too with some people. They want to use OS X but don't wanna buy a Macintosh. But in this respect it's not the same thing. Your example stretches it pretty far. We're just talking about Nintendo games, not their OS.

 

[nfl46]

YES! Mario in landscape mode on my iPhone 6 Plus! YESSSS, please! I don't game on my phone, but for Mario games its an exception.