News
Investors call on Nintendo to consider iOS releases
By Charles Starrett
Contributing Editor
Published: Thursday, August 11, 2011
News Categories: Digital Media, Apps + Games
Some investors in gaming stalwart Nintendo are growing increasingly concerned with its strategy for the future and are calling for the company to consider smartphone platforms such as iOS as an alternative source of revenue, according to a Bloomberg report. The report states that the company’s most recent handheld gaming system, the 3DS, has been a flop thus far, prompting price cuts of 40 percent in Japan and 32 percent in the U.S. and a 82 percent slashing of its profit forecast, and that, combined with the company’s refusal to make titles for any products other than its own, has driven the company’s stock to six-year lows. “Smartphones are the new battlefield for the gaming industry,” said Ohki, a fund manager at Tokyo-based Stats Investment Management Co. “Nintendo should try to either buy its way into this platform or develop something totally new.”
As noted in the report, Nintendo shares jumped the most in nearly four months after former Nintendo unit Pokemon Co. said it was developing a game for iOS devices, only to see the gains slip away after Nintendo denied any change in strategy towards outside platforms. “They just don’t get it,” MF Global FXA Securities Ltd. said in a sales note that day, referring to Nintendo. “Sell the stock, because a management once feted for creative out-of-box thinking have just shown how behind the times they are.” While the company’s next-generation home console, the Wii U, also met with mixed reactions upon its unveiling, the company does have nearly $14 billion in cash, equivalents, and short-term investments, giving it more strategic options than some competitors.
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1
Just imagine the amount of money Nintendo would make if they released Super Mario Bros., Zelda, Metroid and the classic plethora of Game Boy, SNES and N64 classics on iPhones. They’d make a mint. Sega took the bold step and went cross platform. Maybe it’s time Nintendo realised that they’re simply not keeping up with the Western gaming climate. Super Mario Bros. at, say, $3 on the app store would sell by the million.
Posted by JMK on August 11, 2011 at 6:30 AM (PST)
2
I would totally buy Super Mario Bros. and Metroid (METROID!!!) in a heartbeat.
Posted by camembert on August 11, 2011 at 7:49 AM (PST)
3
I agree… I would love to by a few nintendo games… :D
Posted by dennis on August 11, 2011 at 8:06 AM (PST)
4
Nintendo could keep its pride and release new titles for the Wii (or whatever else they’re cooking up), while offering their retro line up on iOS.
The Mario Bros. series, zelda, metroid, and other series would win my heard earned money.
Posted by DP on August 11, 2011 at 8:09 AM (PST)
5
Pokemon could become the new Angry Birds. But alas, at the moment…Nintendo has too much pride to consider this. Again as others have stated…the amount of money that would pour in cannot be ignored.
Posted by HalcyonGT on August 11, 2011 at 4:14 PM (PST)
6
Zelda Ocarina of time on my iPad now that’s something I’d pay good money for.
Posted by johnathan on August 12, 2011 at 1:30 AM (PST)
7
One word sums up my reaction to this - NO.
Mario games are about perfect control. iPhone games have anything but perfect control, due to a lack of real buttons.
Touch screens and Mario do not mix.
Posted by St. McDuck on August 12, 2011 at 9:22 AM (PST)
8
This would be a good time to introduce a gamepad.
Posted by The Dude on August 13, 2011 at 1:28 PM (PST)
9
Unless they were in real dire straits Nintendo would never allow their top tier games on hardware not made by Nintendo. Nintendo (like Apple) understand it’s the combination of hardware and software which allows them to create the innovative games that people love. It reminds me of the calls for Apple to get out of the hardware business before Steve Jobs came back. For people who say that they would buy Nintendo games in a heartbeat, would you buy new Nintendo games for $40, older Nintendo games for $10-20? When most games on the App Store are $.99 I have some serious doubts.
Posted by Joe on August 18, 2011 at 7:36 AM (PST)