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Nintendo Faces Investor Pressure to Bring Games to iPhone

while i agree with a lot of your points, such as Nintendo needs to stop over simplifying, you cannot compare an $800 ultra-portable tablet laptop to a $170 handheld game machine, in almost any important way. That'd be like me saying, yeah I don't really like my iPhone because my Macbook Pro can do SO much more.
 
When Mario just isn't enough anymore . . .


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aeaglex07 said:
i would gladly pay $40 for an iOS Zelda
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If it was a good port and the controls worked well, so would I!! I've spent €60 or more on some (console) games and they were well worth it.

But I'm starting to learn I'm not a typical gamer, certainly not a typical iOS gamer. I want bigger, longer, more in-depth games. But I think studios are scared off the idea of spending more money to develop bigger games that won't appeal to as many casual gamers and will have a higher price that'll scare people off. I'm hoping *some* iOS gamers get tired of simple, cheap games and a market for bigger, longer games emerges.
 
b_scott said:
why are these two so mutually exclusive for you? Same thing, different wrapper.

I'm a 30 year old professional as well. I do live in the city of Chicago and take public transportation though, so maybe that's a factor.
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I work in the California VFX industry and commute primarily by foot, transit, and bike. I carry two mobile devices - an iPhone and a laptop (or iPad, depending on the day). I simply have no more desire to add a third mobile device who's only function is gaming any more than I have a desire to lug along a portable DVD player.

My iPhone/iPad are capable of doing all of those things and I'm willing to pay for them. I'm not willing to add another single-function device.
 
Stowaway said:
I work in the California VFX industry and commute primarily by foot, transit, and bike. I carry two mobile devices - an iPhone and a laptop (or iPad, depending on the day). I simply have no more desire to add a third mobile device who's only function is gaming any more than I have a desire to lug along a portable DVD player.

My iPhone/iPad are capable of doing all of those things and I'm willing to pay for them. I'm not willing to add another single-function device.
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Excellent point.

This is a perfect encapsulation of the direction in which the industry is moving.
 
b_scott said:
while i agree with a lot of your points, such as Nintendo needs to stop over simplifying, you cannot compare an $800 ultra-portable tablet laptop to a $170 handheld game machine, in almost any important way. That'd be like me saying, yeah I don't really like my iPhone because my Macbook Pro can do SO much more.
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Not that $250 and $170 are a big difference, but it started more expensive and HAD to be adjusted down to try and Stimulate sales.

Normally I would agree with you on the comparison and it is not valid for kids/teens/college folks, but IMO, those that grew up playing Nintendo and now have careers and entertainment (disposable) income and are looking for portable gaming outlets would be looking at either a Nintendo or Sony handheld, or an iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad.


iPhones and iPod touch devices are not that far from Nintendo's 3DS original price point.

The baseline iPad 2 is not much further from what Sony has charged in the past for their devices.

If anything, Apple has a decided advantage when you factor how they've scaled their offering to work on a wider variety of devices, at a wider range of price points.

Add to the fact that I can buy ONE copy (at a lower price point per game which should be factored for a true long term cost analysis) and play on multiple (different) devices, and the iOS/Apple model is all the more appealing.

It wasn't that long ago that you either paid $60 per console game or $25-$40 per handheld game.

The fact that you can pick up high production value games for free to $10 is being lost on many and a major shift in consumer pricing which benefits us all.

Competition is good for everyone...we'd be paying $100 per game if Nintendo/Sony/Microsoft were still dictating the market.
 
wonderspark said:
I need to buy stock in eye correction technology. People staring at their phones is going to make the tech world's eyesight deteriorate faster than it did by staring at computer screens three times farther away.
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Wonderful! Good to see this myth is going on 60 years now! They told people the EXACT same thing when TV's came to the masses in the 50's...mainly perpetuated by the movie theater industry.

They told people sitting too close to the TV will hurt their eyes. Watching TV in a dark room will hurt their eyes. Basically everything you're reading now about how monitors and iPads are bad for your eyes was all said before about TV's. Almost verbatim. Just goes to show you can't keep a good myth down!
 
"high production value" games is subjective. With no physical buttons, it's hard for me to take any iOS game seriously. Sure I play Words with Friends, but I'm not going to be playing something that needs fast analog input on my iPhone. I've tried, and it doesn't work.

Plus, console games are still $60 and handheld are still $25-40. iOS =/= portable handheld, to me. It's a diversion, but not a serious gaming device. Just depends what your interests are I guess.

Disclaimer - the above post comes from a guy with 34,000 gamerscore on Xbox.
 
ksgant said:
This kind of sums it up really:

Image
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repost. and I love Penny Arcade, and it's a funny comic. But iphone games don't touch the best DS games by a mile. Sure, I can download 40 $1 games that are mediocre at best and i might play for 30 minutes each, or I can buy Mariokart with an actual controller and get 100 hours out of it.
 
ksgant said:
This kind of sums it up really:

Image
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That kinds of sums up the mentality of an Apple fanboy who has no idea about video game but rationalize and give opinions about video games, thus sounding foolish. I wonder how many of those 40 one dollar games I would want to play for more than ten minutes, compared to the average 3ds games, which also goes down in price over time.

Perhaps a fanboy who has never played video games in their life would prefer the dollar games, but they aren't the regular games players.
 
The market is not ending it is only changing.

The Nintendo DS, still shows solid sales, mainly do to its price tag. Nintendo grew immensely with it's "touch generation" and "casual gamers" these are people who like short simple games. This is now where Apple is winning people over. The thing is the iPhone and iTouch however great is not a full fledged gaming system. Unlike the 3DS.

I did believe the 3DS had a ridiculous price tag, and I have yet to experience even a single 3D TV (sounds like hype to me). But as long as Nintendo continues to focus on complete games, with unique experiences to what they are providing. They should be fine. I like both companies, and one thing I notice is that they would never make intentionally try to compete.

They can however work together. Nintendo can make small app add on's for games exclusively for apple devices. That would be cool, as for Nintendo sharing it's signature trademarks I highly doubt it.
 
whooleytoo said:
If it was a good port and the controls worked well, so would I!! I've spent €60 or more on some (console) games and they were well worth it.

But I'm starting to learn I'm not a typical gamer, certainly not a typical iOS gamer. I want bigger, longer, more in-depth games. But I think studios are scared off the idea of spending more money to develop bigger games that won't appeal to as many casual gamers and will have a higher price that'll scare people off. I'm hoping *some* iOS gamers get tired of simple, cheap games and a market for bigger, longer games emerges.
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The thing is some short-time-fun-casual-game is made relative fast, what you want, what I too want, is as you rightly say a risk. Big studies might have the money, but the iphone has the image of a casual gaming device, so they are only going to make ports, if even that. And indie developers, well they have not the money nor the time to make a in-depth-game.

It is a devil's circle of some sort, the only way to break it would be casual game with in-depth content, at a reasonable price.
 
$40 handheld cartridges won't be dead for a long time. I don't see a Christmas morning where the standard is for a kid to open up a box and find a card good for a free download of Super Mario Brothers.
 
inlovewithi said:
That kinds of sums up the mentality of an Apple fanboy who has no idea about video game but rationalize and give opinions about video games, thus sounding foolish. I wonder how many of those 40 one dollar games I would want to play for more than ten minutes, compared to the average 3ds games, which also goes down in price over time.

Perhaps a fanboy who has never played video games in their life would prefer the dollar games, but they aren't the regular games players.
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Hey dude, it's okay. No one is thinking bad about you spending tons of money on games. Say it loud, say it proud! No need to get all defensive. You're a "serious" gamer, we get it! I'm sure you display l33t skillz bro...sure to impress anyone.

Yer right, fanbois like me see you rollin, we be hatin.

As a side note, anyone calling Penny Arcade "Apple fanboys" is pretty amusing.
 
Lightey said:
I know that all of you at MacRumors are stupid Apple fanboys, but this is ridiculous. Nintendo is doing better than both Sony and Microsoft, and no one wants to play games on a crappy little iPhone. Seriously, Cut the Rope vs. Pokémon. Hmm, I wonder which is better. Fanboys. :mad:
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And yet... if there was a $10 Pokemon game on an iOS device.... they would sell millions in the first HOUR it was on the App Store...

That's right.... digital distribution. That cuts down costs quite a bit. More money for profit.

Plus in-game purchases, etc.

It would be crazy for Nintendo to cancel the 3DS altogether. All we're asking is for some kind of Nintendo game on iOS.

I'm not a big gamer... but I grew up with Nintendo games. But I will NEVER buy a dedicated gaming handheld.

Look at all the people in this forum asking for Nintendo games on iOS. Imagine how many more are out there who don't read MacRumors...
 
I seem to recall investors demanding that Apple do something very similar in the 90's, resulting in the Mac clones that nearly killed the company.
 
ksgant said:
This kind of sums it up really
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It sure does sum it up... I can understand protecting your brand and just plain old fashioned ego, but any idiot like me, can do quick numbers in my head and see Nintendo needs to get on the wagon. It's time to restructure the brand.

First, take your gianormous game catalog and port it to every portable system under the sun including the iPhone. I'm no Nintendo accountant, but I'm guessing there are at least 1000 titles worth porting, that will average to 1 million buys each. So that's 1000 games x 1,000,000 downloads x (at least) $1 profit per game... Yeah that's a [bleeping] billion dollars of pure profit and that's prolly on the low end of what's possible.

Then you bring out a console that makes spending $50+ per game worth it. Of course you through in all the extras for the kids who's cheap parents (like me), won't buy their kid an iPhone. That way they can IM, video chat, and whatever else they'd do on a portable device if they had it.

This isn't rocket science Nintendo, get with the program.
 
Maybe port some "Game and Watch" games...

3DS is not dead yet. Price cut is imminent and the killer time is xmas. If it still doesn't sell then, then it will be in trouble, but come then there'll be some good releases. Pokemon will be the biggie. The DS was a slow burner, it wasn't until a year after it was released it went big and onto one of the most successful consoles ever.

Playing games on the iphone just doesn't feel as complete as playing on a specifically designed console.
 
cvaldes said:
As they have several times. They started 122 years ago as a playing card company.

They must adapt or die.
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That's awesome, I actually didn't know that I'm embarrassed to say. Also, now that they're really cheap I'm pretty likely going to grab a 3DS just for Ocarina of Time 3D if nothing else.
 
Cory Bauer said:
I seem to recall investors demanding that Apple do something very similar in the 90's, resulting in the Mac clones that nearly killed the company.
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True, but look at what happened to Sega. Not sure of their financials currently, but back when they were really struggling, they had to get rid of their (arguably better) hardware division and concentrate solely on software. It saved their company at the time.

Will Nintendo have to do something as radical? Don't know...but they certainly have to do something. As of now, when they come to the plate they need to hit a home-run and they're not doing that at the moment.
 
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