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[Medalion]

Doomed again... haven't we heard this tune before?

 

[mugurumakensei]

You're saying that the 3DS did no worse than the DS or GBA and can thus not be called a failure at $250.

But if it wasn't a failure at $250, then why did Nintendo choose to cut the 3DS' price by 33%~ when the other two systems had apparently been in the same boat?

Does that make it clearer? If the GBA, DS, and 3DS were all doing roughly the same at launch, why is it that Nintendo only panicked with the 3DS?

Because the number of shareholders increased between the time of DS launch l since the DS took off in its sexond year, and wii was rising to heaven from the get-go. It certainly wasn't down to sales being lower than DS at launch.

 

[FoneBone]

The bottom line is that Nintendo divorcing its IPs from its hardware - even for 25+ year-old games - is something that I would interpret as a sign that they were (at minimum) seriously considering exiting the hardware market altogether. I'm not the only one, and I don't see Nintendo wanting to send that signal in the foreseeable future.

 

[TheNatural]

It's a horrible move. Nintendo is a hardware company as well as a software company. What sense does it make for them to make software that will appear on another companies hardware? Nintendo software only appears on Nintendo hardware is apart of what makes then Nintendo. It is what makes people buy their hardware because they have content that can not be gotten anywhere else. To put their software on another companies hardware is for them to basically destroy their entire business strategy. For what? To sell $1 games? Why when one game can make them more then the entire iOS market combined?

Who says it has to be $1 games? They could price them the same across all platforms. It's not a horrible move, because they've already used all the value of these games on their own hardware. No one is going to think Nintendo is less Nintendo or their hardware is less Nintendo because someone can go buy Super Mario Bros or Ice Climbers on a phone as well.

There's no arguments outside of "well this is the way it's always been and should always be stuff because I can't imagine it happening so its horrible." That kind of thinking is ridiculous.

 

[Harlock]

WII U FAIL = SUPER MARIO GALAXY WITH TROPHIES! YES!!


Sad. But true.

 

[Fourth Storm]

Perhaps analysts would give up the "Mario on Mobile" wishful thinking if Nintendo give us a more attractive handheld. The fact of the matter is that it's not a very chic platform. In fact, I'd argue the 3DS is downright ugly, with its clamshell design very reminiscent of the bizarro "feature phones" which litter the Japanese market.

If Nintendo designed more sleek hardware and finally get their eShop up to snuff, perhaps this mantra would finally die. Downloads of full retail titles will help. Iwata has already stated interest in this, and adults don't want to have to carry around dozens of game cards to play whatever game they're in the mood for at any given time.

 

[Criminal Upper]

Expect a lot of that, not just from these types either. I think a lot of people are going to be confused by WiiU(unless the name is changed). yes they built a brand with Wii but the message of what its suppose to be does not come through with that name, people are not going to understand its a whole new system, imo. Also WiiU at $350 is a no go for me, in fact its going to take something amazing to get me in a launch line at $300.

Still most of what was said in that article is not very well thought out but what do you expect from people that don't really understand the industry or its consumers.

This argument holds no water.

Why is this a sticking point? Microsoft and Sony can keep re-using "Xbox" and "PS3" and no one bats an eyelash at that. Calling your next console The Xbox 360 is one of the dumbest names ever, because it means you wind up back where you started. And all "PS3" signifies is that Sony is unwillingly to try anything new, and is happy to simply ride off the success that that PS2 had.

Why is "Wii U" any different than those?

 

[HK-47]

Does Reuters hire jellyfish as analysts or something?

 

[TheNatural]

They would lose the same thing Apple would if they licensed iOS for other smartphone makers. An exclusive feature that gets people to buy their hardware and partake in their software ecosystem.

iOS is Apple's current major product, it's not the same AT ALL.

 

[Mama Robotnik]

The only difference is people think it's sacreligious for a Nintendo game to appear on a non Nintendo platform, that's all. Not that it's a bad move.

Wrong.

I don't care about an absurd supposed "sacreligious" perception of the idea of Nintendo abandoning their exclusivity over their vital brands.

I do however assert that such a strategy would be bad bad business, and would dilute their most vital resource: their strong IPs. These franchises sell more Nintendo hardware more than any other criteria you could mention.

Appealing to these analysts would be a short sighted attempt to gain some profit from selling megacheap Nintendo games to make some meagre immedieate profit. The consequence would be diluted IPs, devalued brands, the loss of the most vital selling point of the Wii and DS hardware families, and a considerable risk to the long term profitability of the company.

It's just a bad bad idea.

 

[trw]

I certainly wouldn't want Nintendo to release new titles on phones...but would releasing a few NES games hurt them?

Couldn't they use them as a way to rake in some easy cash and as a marketing tool for the new Wii U/3DS games in the franchises? I wouldn't think that would harm their hardware sales.

IP exclusivity.

It would harm their hardware sales and their brand. The only reason Nintendo is such a big player is because they have cultivated their brands carefully and with respect (ignoring mario sport spinoffs ). To sell things on iOS they need to have a low pricepoint and then they have to compete with themselves on virtual console and the e-shop so they would devalue their backcataloge. It makes no sense at all unless you just want to see the stock increase short-term, sell stocks and then ignore the long-term loss.

 

[Fredrik]

well I cannot believe anything from that report after reading $350 for WiiU

Or "Sony's anticipated launch of its PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's updated Xbox at the end of 2013" :/

 

[tuffy]

They've sold Super Mario Bros on a console for years now, and those titles in all likelihood are going to transfer over to Wii U. What revenue stream is going to come then from Wii U with these games? Everyone has had years with the Wii to buy it who wanted it. The novelty has peaked.

The revenue stream comes from selling hardware via software people can't get anywhere else. A Wii U library with X number of Wii U exclusive titles, Y SNES titles, and Z NES titles is more compelling than one with X+Y titles. Those old games make the platform more valuable, and that makes Nintendo more money than the paltry sum of revenue they'd get by selling those titles elsewhere.

 

[FoneBone]

Who says it has to be $1 games? They could price them the same across all platforms. It's not a horrible move, because they've already used all the value of these games on their own hardware. No one is going to think Nintendo is less Nintendo or their hardware is less Nintendo because someone can go buy Super Mario Bros or Ice Climbers on a phone as well.

There's no arguments outside of "well this is the way it's always been and should always be stuff because I can't imagine it happening so its horrible." That kind of thinking is ridiculous.

Yet again: it's far less about the games themselves, and more about the IPs as a whole and their relationship to hardware.

 

[guek]

Nintendo does not need to put any of their games onto mobile platforms.

What they need to do is drastically rethink their current software pricing model.

 

[GCX]

Being able to play Nintendo games only on Nintendo hardware is a principle. Those IPs are the most valuable thing they have and THE reason why people buy their hardware.

Making a few million dollars selling one dollar NES and SNES games on iOS is really not worth risking their appeal as a hardware manufacturer.

 

[TheNatural]

Wrong.

I don't care about an absurd supposed "sacreligious" perception of the idea of Nintendo abandoning their exclusivity over their vital brands.

I do however assert that such a strategy would be bad bad business, and would dilute their most vital resource: their strong IPs. These franchises sell more Nintendo hardware more than any other criteria you could mention.

Appealing to these analysts would be a short sighted attempt to gain some profit from selling megacheap Nintendo games to make some meagre immedieate profit. The consequence would be diluted IPs, devalued brands, the loss of the most vital selling point of the Wii and DS hardware families, and a considerable risk to the long term profitability of the company.

It's just a bad bad idea.

It wouldn't dilute shit, that's ridiculous. You're making a hell of a lot of rash overgeneralizations over a handful of 30 year old games being available elsewhere. No one in their right mind would say "holy shit Mario Wii U just lost it's value because gollee, I can play Super Mario Bros on a whole now!"

 

[boiled goose]

It's a horrible move. Nintendo is a hardware company as well as a software company. What sense does it make for them to make software that will appear on another companies hardware? Nintendo software only appears on Nintendo hardware is apart of what makes then Nintendo. It is what makes people buy their hardware because they have content that can not be gotten anywhere else. To put their software on another companies hardware is for them to basically destroy their entire business strategy. For what? To sell $1 games? Why when one game can make them more then the entire iOS market combined? Regardless of what is said Nintendo is not in any financial trouble which makes talk about then going to be need to put games on the iOS in the future ignorant talk at best (they have not seen or bothered to look at Nintendo's financials and assets) or outright lies by the writers at worse.

.

Nintendo putting games on other platforms equals nintendo going third party.
Their entire business model is based on the synergy between hardware and software.

Investors and analysts wanting nintendo games on mobile platforms are really thinking in the short term.

Do people really want Nintendo to be Sega or Nintendo to be Nintendo?

It wouldn't dilute shit, that's ridiculous. You're making a hell of a lot of rash overgeneralizations over a handful of 30 year old games being available elsewhere. No one in their right mind would say "holy shit Mario Wii U just lost it's value because gollee, I can play Super Mario Bros on a whole now!"

They would.
Playing Mario = playing on nintendo.

The moment that stops being the case nintendo has a much harder case convincing people to invest in their hardware.

 

[Cipherr]

iOS is Apple's current major product, it's not the same AT ALL.

Yes it IS. Its exactly the same. Nintendos IP's are everything. Its what sells their hardware and makes them money. By far its the leading money maker alongside their hardware, and their IP's and hardware work in tandem to pull their earnings. Same with iOS and Apple Hardware. Lol, everytime you are given a good reason you put your fingers in your ears.

 

[digita1alchemy]

Anyone who knows anything about Nintendo knows that they will fall on their own sword before they make games for other company's hardware.

 

[Somnid]

Who says it has to be $1 games? They could price them the same across all platforms. It's not a horrible move, because they've already used all the value of these games on their own hardware. No one is going to think Nintendo is less Nintendo or their hardware is less Nintendo because someone can go buy Super Mario Bros or Ice Climbers on a phone as well.

There's no arguments outside of "well this is the way it's always been and should always be stuff because I can't imagine it happening so its horrible." That kind of thinking is ridiculous.

What? So they can give up their competitive advantage and hand over 30% to Apple and Google? VC is distinctive feature of Nintendo platforms and of their DD platform. No platform has that same retro library and in fact none could be very competitive in that arena without Nintendo.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

so who is paying for this agenda you guys are talking about? I mean I can see the bias but not sure who is leading this?

Is it just pro-USA company vs a Japanese company?

I don't think anyone is paying for it. It's not about pro-USA or anti-Japanese--there are plenty of Japanese economic analysts singing the same tune. Personally, I think it's the desire to stir up controversy and to be on the "winning team". Right now Apple is selling insane amounts of smartphones and tablets and raking in unreasonable profits every quarter. It's all still very new, and thus a lot of uninformed people come to the conclusion that smartphones and tablets are the only possible future and that it's inevitable that they will replace everything else--traditional computers, laptops, gaming consoles, portables, magazines, books, televisions, cameras, and more.

Tablets and smartphones are the future. They make up a much larger market than just about all of the things I listed above, with the possible exception of televisions. However, what these guys fail to realize is that smartphones and tablets don't necessarily have to replace any of those categories. They can, and will coexist. Smartphones and tablets are great generalist consumer devices and compliment any of the above categories very well. However, there will always be sizable markets for more specialized devices.

 

[Fou-Lu]

Being able to play Nintendo games only on Nintendo hardware is a principle. Those IPs are the most valuable thing they have and THE reason why people buy their hardware.

Making a few million dollars selling one dollar NES and SNES games on iOS is really not worth risking their hardware appeal.

Exactly, I buy each new Nintendo console at launch for one reason, and that is Nintendo IP exclusivity.

 

[TheNatural]

Yes it IS. Its exactly the same.

The fuck it is. Stop making ridiculous comparisons.

 

[M3d10n]

Who says it has to be $1 games? They could price them the same across all platforms. It's not a horrible move, because they've already used all the value of these games on their own hardware. No one is going to think Nintendo is less Nintendo or their hardware is less Nintendo because someone can go buy Super Mario Bros or Ice Climbers on a phone as well.

There's no arguments outside of "well this is the way it's always been and should always be stuff because I can't imagine it happening so its horrible." That kind of thinking is ridiculous.

Nintendo sells hardware too. The less exclusive software they have, the less reason people have to buy their hardware.

Want to use iOS or OSX? Buy Apple hardware! Want Nintendo games? Buy Nintendo hardware!

 

[guek]

The fuck it is. Stop making ridiculous comparisons.

He's right. You're wrong.

 

[Cipherr]

The fuck it is. Stop making ridiculous comparisons.

No, it is. iOS as a major product pulls the weight of Apples earnings, it works in tandem with Apples hardware, and those iOS devices on Apples hardware earn the bulk of Apples money.

Nintendos IPs and Nintendos hardware line up with the above 100%. Theres literally no argument here.

 

[TheBanditKing]

It's a horrible move. Nintendo is a hardware company as well as a software company.

I agree a lot of the charm their games have come from the fact that the games and hardware are designed for each other, make them multiplat and that goes away, especially if you move their portable titles over to the mess (imo of course) that is iOS and Android gaming. Sega is the best example of this their games were better when they designed them for their own hardware and now look at them.

 

[east of eastside]

Anyone who knows anything about Nintendo knows that they will fall on their own sword before they make games for other company's hardware.

Like they did in 82 for Atari?

1.5 billion smartphones and tablet are projected to be sold in the year 2015. Nintendo on mobile platforms is a total inevitability.

 

[boiled goose]

The fuck it is. Stop making ridiculous comparisons.

It is.

I want iOS and on my droid.
Surely that would expand the market for iOS. Why does apple not allow its beloved operating system to be on other hardware?

 

[ScreenSplitter]

Yeah people buy Nintendo handhelds/consoles because of the IPs. You think the DS would've sold so well if you could've got Animal Crossing/Pokemon/Mario Kart elsewhere? No.

Selling out their IPs would be financial suicide for Nintendo, a last ditch attempt to make a quick buck.

 

[TheNatural]

Nintendo sells hardware too. The less exclusive software they have, the less reason people have to buy their hardware.

Want to use iOS or OSX? Buy Apple hardware! Want Nintendo games? Buy Nintendo hardware!

Yup that's why these games have been available on emulators for years. Wouldn't want to sacrifice the "sacredness" of an old ass Nintendo game being available only on a Nintendo platform. That ship sailed long ago.

 

[Cipherr]

Like they did in 82 for Atari?

Like Apple did back in the 1990's with Power Computing?


How likely do you think they are to repeat that now? /laugh

 

[Father_Brain]

Nintendo does not need to put any of their games onto mobile platforms.

What they need to do is drastically rethink their current software pricing model.

That they certainly do. Not allowing eShop sales or DLC bundling is completely absurd, and the "no price drops on first-party software EVER" policy, which Nintendo only began to relent on for a few Wii titles a year ago, is one of the things that Iwata has been unequivocally wrong about.

And Nintendo should never have even considered releasing titles with as little content as Steel Diver or Spirit Camera for more than $20, let alone $40.

 

[Stumpokapow]

I want iOS and on my droid.
Surely that would expand the market for iOS. Why does apple not allow its beloved operating system to be on other hardware?

Because they are not and have never been interested in licensing their hardware. They make their money through the synergy between their software and their hardware. On an ideological level, it's also pretty clear that they view control as the primary means by which they ensure quality for end-users.

 

[FoneBone]

It wouldn't dilute shit, that's ridiculous. You're making a hell of a lot of rash overgeneralizations over a handful of 30 year old games being available elsewhere. No one in their right mind would say "holy shit Mario Wii U just lost it's value because gollee, I can play Super Mario Bros on a whole now!"

What if they start expecting the next New SMB game to be on iOS? I think you're drastically underestimating the impact that divorcing Nintendo software from Nintendo hardware would have.

 

[TheNatural]

It is.

I want iOS and on my droid.
Surely that would expand the market for iOS. Why does apple not allow its beloved operating system to be on other hardware?

Because the iOS is CURRENT. If Apple had something they developed 30 years ago worth value they've exhausted all revenue streams for on their own hardware platforms, that would make them money on something else, then hell yeah it would be worth it.

You're talking about the equivalent of making Super Mario 3D Land available on phones, when I'm arguing the equivalent of making Marathon or Oregon Trail available. Big difference.

 

[ScreenSplitter]

Yup that's why these games have been available on emulators for years. Wouldn't want to sacrifice the "sacredness" of an old ass Nintendo game being available only on a Nintendo platform. That ship sailed long ago.

Emulators or not, old Nintendo games are still worth a pretty penny.

You think if Nintendo released Pokemon Red/Blue on the eShop they wouldn't make any money?

 

[Souldriver]

Any drastic strategy shift that would dispatch the Mario brothers into the realm of Android and Apple's iOS operating system would likely require a change at the top of Nintendo, said Macquarie's Gibson. And that likely won't happen for a couple of years until the Wii U is shown to be a clear failure, he added.

This is just so hilariously sad.


Why won't you just make my predictions be right already and release your shit on iOS, Nintendo?! Whyyyy! The WiiU better fail!

 

[TheNatural]

What if they start expecting the next New SMB game to be on iOS? I think you're drastically underestimating the impact that divorcing Nintendo software from Nintendo hardware would have.

Does anyone expect GTA V to be available on iOS? And we're talking here about Rockstar releasing a game about ten years old recently on iOS in GTA III. No one expects GTA V there.

 

[TheNatural]

Emulators or not, old Nintendo games are still worth a pretty penny.

You think if Nintendo released Pokemon Red/Blue on the eShop they wouldn't make any money?

We're not talking about Pokemon Red/Blue. We're talking about 30 year old games, some of which were actually available on other platforms LONG ago at that! Hell, you can play Donkey Kong in the arcades for God's sake, I did just a few weeks ago.

 

[USC-fan]

You don't notice how everyone wants Apple to "win" in gaming? They blatantly ignore facts to put a negative spin on a story to make it seem like everyone's doomed if they don't pump out games on ios.

Well apple just blew out their earnings. Apple is just killing it.

 

[Aaron Strife]

Mario on iPhone is their trump card if their situation ever gets really, really dire. They're not even close to that.

3DS is shredding the DS' LTD sales at its current rate and Nintendo is building a good ecosystem for the platform, something they didn't do with the DS and Wii. NSMB2 and B2W2 in particular are going to see 3DS sales skyrocket. The apparent success of Kid Icarus is also something worth noting, given its status as a "new" IP.

You think if Nintendo released Pokemon Red/Blue on the eShop they wouldn't make any money?

This on the other hand is something they should do. Release one of the older Pokemon games on the eShop and hack in Wi-Fi. They would make a killing off it, and it wouldn't take away a single cent from the new releases.

 

[ScreenSplitter]

We're not talking about Pokemon Red/Blue. We're talking about 30 year old games, some of which were actually available on other platforms LONG ago at that! Hell, you can play Donkey Kong in the arcades for God's sake, I did just a few weeks ago.

If you're saying it wouldn't be a big deal, and Nintendo can stand to give them up to Apple, then what's the point of putting them on there in the first place?

Would the millions that buy Angry Birds even recognise the first Zelda? Would Nintendo, after Apple takes a nice juicy bite out of their ass, even make that much money?

 

[GCX]

Because the iOS is CURRENT. If Apple had something they developed 30 years ago worth value they've exhausted all revenue streams for on their own hardware platforms, that would make them money on something else, then hell yeah it would be worth it.

You're talking about the equivalent of making Super Mario 3D Land available on phones, when I'm arguing the equivalent of making Marathon or Oregon Trail available. Big difference.

You think all the "Nintendo starts releasing games on iPhone!" headlines wouldn't have any potential effects on people's thoughts about Nintendo hardware? Remember that masses only see the headlines.

Is it really worth taking that risk for some pocket money?

 

[Cipherr]

Because the iOS is CURRENT. If Apple had something they developed 30 years ago worth value they've exhausted all revenue streams for on their own hardware platforms

Where is your proof that said old titles hold zero value in both monetary and ideological form, let alone risk. If you are going to hinge the entirety of this weak argument on that, I would hope that you have something to back that up.

 

[guek]

Yup that's why these games have been available on emulators for years. Wouldn't want to sacrifice the "sacredness" of an old ass Nintendo game being available only on a Nintendo platform. That ship sailed long ago.

What a dumb argument. Piracy will always be an issue but it makes up a minuscule part of the consumer marker we're talking about. This point also runs contrary to the appeal of nintendo games on iOS. By your line of thinking, why bother putting old nintendo games on iOS at all when everyone can already play them on EMULATORSLOLOLOL

 

[Dr. Zoidberg]

so who is paying for this agenda you guys are talking about? I mean I can see the bias but not sure who is leading this?

Is it just pro-USA company vs a Japanese company?

Nah. A lot of people now are totally in the Apple camp. Especially in the media where Macs have always been viable. Now that they are so successful it seems like common sense to these folks to jump on the iOS bandwagon.

In addition, there is the feeling among people who don't have gaming portables that they would really like to play Nintendo/Sony games but they just refuse to buy a 3DS/Vita when they already carry around a perfectly good smartphone that has the great side-effect of being socially acceptable. They can't justify a dedicated portable. So the only way for them to get the games they want is to try to sink the dedicated handheld market. This type of thinking leads to a lot of fanboyism.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Like they did in 82 for Atari?

1.5 billion smartphones and tablet are projected to be sold in the year 2015. Nintendo on mobile platforms is a total inevitability.

Please note that Nintendo did not have its own hardware in '82, so you have no point there at all.

Like I said, smartphones and tablets are only going to continue growing and becoming more ubiquitous. I still fail to see what that has to do with video games consoles which are still selling. Apple is selling more laptops than ever, but those sales only represent a tiny portion of their business, which is now dominated by iPhone and iPad. Should Apple stop selling laptops and traditional computers?

 

[Criminal Upper]

Can someone name an iOS port of a console game, that's better than the console original?

RE4?
MGS4?
Mega Man X?
Street Fighter IV?
Devil May Cry?
King of Fighters?