R
Rösti
Unconfirmed Member
Just a little food for thought, not meant to be taken seriously.
With the holiday season quickly approaching, Nintendo's focus ought to be on key titles such as Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Pokémon Omega Ruby & Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and of course the NFC-enabled amiboo figurines, together with driving hardware sales. That's fine and dandy, but one has to take into account another thing that Mr. Iwata has spoken about on two separate occasions this year, the QOL (Quality of Life) platform. And also not to forget, Nintendo's plans to introduce a console for emerging markets as early as 2015/16.
At the Corporate Management Policy Briefing in January, Mr. Iwata announced that this new business will be launched during the fiscal year ending March 2016, which begins in April 2015. At the Financial Results Briefing for Fiscal Year Ended March 2014 on May 8, he stated that he would like to disclose more specific information later this year. While not explicitly announced (it usually isn't announced until a few days prior), the Second Quarter Financial Results Briefing for FY 2014 is expected to happen on October 30, following the Second Quarter Earnings Release the day before. This is the last major opportunity for Nintendo to before year's end communicate more finely their QOL plans to analysts and investors alike, unless they decide to host some press conference in which the system is explained more in detail. But having announced QOL in a financial results briefing, I think it makes sense to also unveil it in such.
Before we delve into the receptacle of trying to predict Nintendo's mysterious ways, let's take a quick look back at the current status of QOL and it's initial inception. As mentioned, Mr. Iwata first spoke about this new business at the Corporate Management Policy Briefing/Third Quarter Financial Results Briefing in January this year.
He made clear the following:
- They will attempt to establish a new platform business with which they can leverage their strengths, but which is independent from their video game platform business.
- Mr. Iwata is willing to redefine the meaning of entertainment. As the extension of the definition of video games gave new potential to video games, he thinks now is the time they need to extend the definition of entertainment.
- They have decided to redefine their notion of entertainment as something that improves peoples quality of life in enjoyable ways, and take a step forward in expanding their business areas.
- They'll try to achieve in the next 10 years a platform business that improves peoples QOL in enjoyable ways.
- The theme of "health", with future possibilities being "learning" and "lifestyle".
- QOL will be what Nintendo calls non-wearable technology.
- Nintendo expects it to interact with games and create a synergistic effect.
From there on, more information has come mainly from trademark filings, beginning with them trademarking QOL in Japan, for many kinds of products. In Japan, QOL is featured having many more goods and services connected than in the US and Europe, but it's just common practice to try and cover as many areas as possible. Whether Nintendo will start binging out Donkey Kong themed condoms and magic baby units (see the linked thread) is up for debate, but the major scope appears to be some kind of device. This is better covered in the US filings, via the connected G&S:
Handheld game apparatus is mentioned twice here. That doesn't necessarily mean we will get a new Game Boy like device, but something with a screen on seems reasonable enough.
So, we now have a new business initiative by Nintendo waiting to be launched, and it entails changing the way of entertainment to entail improving the quality of life for the users. And Mr. Iwata has previously said he'd like to share more information about this later this year. It is now later this year, and by the end of the month, Nintendo will have its final financial results briefing before year's end. Unless this project has been scrapped, I think there is a good chance QOL will be unveiled at the briefing (or at least in close connection to it). If not, confusion (primarily among analysts and investors) is likely to ensue.
Also, let's take a look at that console for emerging markets, which Mr. Iwata spoke to Reuters about in May:
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/08/us-nintendo-emergingmarkets-idUSBREA4703U20140508
For a console that could be introduced as early as next year, I would assume they want to start talking quite soon about it, if it's still on the table. The upcoming briefing perhaps doesn't have to feature a full disclosure, but some more details would be nice. It'd certainly appease some investors.
Nintendo is scheduled to publish its Second Quarter Earnings Release for FY 2014 on October 29, with the earnings release briefing anticipated on the 30th (usually 10.00 a.m. JST).
What do you think, will they finally then unveil the mystery that is QOL?
