Nintendo President Not Interested in Broadening Software Model to Expanding Mobile Device Market
The mobile market is ripe for game developers to reach in and grab fistfuls of dollars. Just look at Rovio and it's wildly popular Angry Birds franchise. Rovio's revenue last year doubled to $195 million, and it's all because it recognized the potential for casual gaming on smartphones and tablets. Might Nintendo follow suit and start developing Android or iOS apps to beef up its bottom line?
Not a chance. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata made it very clear that what's been working for Nintendo for the past three decades is the same strategy it will continue to employ. Nintendo doesn't develop games for other platforms, plain and simple.
"If I was only concerned about managing Nintendo for this year and next year -- and not about what the company would be like in 10 or 20 years -- then I'd probably say that my point of view is nonsense," Iwata told The Wall Street Journal in an interview. "But if we think 20 years down the line, we may look back at the decision not to supply Nintendo games to smartphones and think that is the reason why the company is still here."
Nintendo's still in good shape with its handful of iconic franchises, including Super Mario, Donkey Kong, Pokemon, and Zelda, though clearly the company is missing out on a mobile cash cow that's there for the waiting, potentially millions if not billions of dollars. Iwata's stance is especially interesting since his company's latest consoles -- Wii U and 3DS -- aren't meeting sales expectations.
What do you think, should Nintendo stick to its guns and only build games for its own hardware, or expand its horizons and develop apps for other platforms too?
Not a chance. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata made it very clear that what's been working for Nintendo for the past three decades is the same strategy it will continue to employ. Nintendo doesn't develop games for other platforms, plain and simple.
"If I was only concerned about managing Nintendo for this year and next year -- and not about what the company would be like in 10 or 20 years -- then I'd probably say that my point of view is nonsense," Iwata told The Wall Street Journal in an interview. "But if we think 20 years down the line, we may look back at the decision not to supply Nintendo games to smartphones and think that is the reason why the company is still here."
Nintendo's still in good shape with its handful of iconic franchises, including Super Mario, Donkey Kong, Pokemon, and Zelda, though clearly the company is missing out on a mobile cash cow that's there for the waiting, potentially millions if not billions of dollars. Iwata's stance is especially interesting since his company's latest consoles -- Wii U and 3DS -- aren't meeting sales expectations.
What do you think, should Nintendo stick to its guns and only build games for its own hardware, or expand its horizons and develop apps for other platforms too?
