Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata has told TIME magazine that most Nintendo “smart device” games will be developed in-house, rather than by partner DeNA. The company announced on Tuesday that it would finally start making games for smartphones and tablets.
Development of smart device games will be mainly done by Nintendo […] DeNA has extensive know-how in developing the “service” side of things, and will be primarily responsible for the service-oriented operations. We will be able to greatly leverage strengths of each party.
Iwata also confirmed Jeremy’s view that we’re unlikely to see classic Nintendo games like Mario, Donkey Kong and Zelda come to iOS and Android devices in their original forms …
Iwata said that smartphones and dedicated games devices were different platforms, and he believed people wanted different things from them.
My understanding is that, on smart devices, the main demand is for very accessible games which smart device users can easily start and easily finish. These are not necessarily the characteristics that people demand from games for dedicated video game systems. Actually, this is one of the reasons why we believe that we should not port games for dedicated game systems to smart devices just as they are.
He added that it was not yet possible to say whether Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of many of the classic Nintendo games, would be involved. The company has also not yet decided whether it will take the freemium route, he said, but would be cautious if so.
The free-to-start type of business model is more widely adopted for games on smart devices, and the free-to-start model will naturally be an option for us to consider [but] Nintendo does not intend to choose payment methods that may hurt Nintendo’s brand image [and it’s important that] parents feel comfortable letting their children play.
Iwata said that the company’s planned “online membership service” would operate across devices–Nintendo game systems, smart devices and PCs–from the fall. The service would, he said, be operated by DeNA.
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He is pretty on target. Give us Mario Party. That is a perfect game to port. The root game of Mario Party game is just a bit more involved than say a Candy Crush type game. Then all the mini games are perfect for the “pick up and play quick” form of play.
Also, I am not sure this holds completely true for tablets, but it is at least a start.
(Though I would love Mario Kart and Mario Bros on my iPhone. At least the DS ports)
It’s going to disappoint, for sure. If they ported Super Mario World I’d finally have a reason to go buy one of those MFi controllers.
I really feel Nintendo is out of touch with the market. Who wouldn’t want a classic Mario or Zelda game? Heck, that is all I’ve heard in respects to what people really want. They really need to let go of their proprietary hardware centric thinking.
They are way out of touch. It is in part Japanese arrogance/pride which anyone will tell you borders on delusion.
Their business has tanked as a direct result of the iPhone. No one is buying the 3DS or their $40 game cartridges (what year is it Nintendo!?).
They should have started porting their titles to iOS years ago. But they’d rather go bankrupt than admit their own business model is over.
Nintendo will find it’s way. They did, afterall, start as a playing card company in 1889.
But what they are out of touch with is the level of nostalgia for their characters. They really are the only game developers to get their platform right.
As far as giving up on their hardware business, that may happen, but I liken their desire to make the hardware and software to Apple. I wouldn’t suggest it today. But there have been times in the past that it looked like Apple should do the same.
Who knows what the future holds for Nintendo, but it will figure it out…
No one? I bought a New 3DS last month and absolutely love it.
http://www.polygon.com/2015/3/13/8206887/nintendos-3ds-beats-out-ps4-and-xbox-one-for-february-hardware-sales
Classic Mario, Classic Zelda, Classic Donkey Kong, that’s all the players want. If Nintendo doesn’t understand this simple fact, they will completely fail at Smart Devices. The lovers of Mario & Co are not just kids under 10. They are grown people who played the originals on NES, SNES and so on. This is what the players want. And of course without freemium. I’d love to pay 5, maybe 10 bucks for a REAL Mario adventure on iPad (with MFi-Controller).
Yeah but I think what would really drive AAA games onto these devices would be if Apple made Controller, a fully designed by Apple controller with all normal buttons and functions. They can release it for the new TV, but everyone would buy it for iOS devices as well. Let third parties create the clips, not the controller. The controller is the most vital part of video gaming. Third party controllers will never be widely purchased, and they’re all garbage compared to the PS4 controller for example.
I would prefer iOS-Support for the PS4-/XBox-Controller. These are the best on the market, why invent a know one, who probably nobody won’t like much?
“Iwata also confirmed Jeremy’s view that we’re unlikely to see classic Nintendo games like Mario, Donkey Kong and Zelda come to iOS and Android devices in their original forms …
Iwata said that smartphones and dedicated games devices were different platforms, and he believed people wanted different things from them.”
NO!! That’s exactly the opposite. All I want from Nintendo is classic Mario, Donkey Kong and Zelda. Come on guys!!
The only reason that Nintendo is still alive is because they keep tight control of their characters. You cannot play a Mario game anywhere but a Wii or DS. I expect we may get some 2nd tier characters on iOS, but we won’t get Mario & Luigi, Donkey Kong, Zelda, etc. Probably some Pokemon, some Yoshi, maybe Diddy Kong, that’s what we will get.