08-11-2011, 12:20 PM

Investors pushing Nintendo to support Apple's iPhone, iPad

Investors believe Nintendo should bring some of its most popular franchises, like Super Mario, to Apple's iOS platform, as the Japanese company's 3DS portable gaming device struggles against the iPhone.

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08-11-2011, 01:21 PM

As a Nintendo-nerd boy...

I say Nintendo should create some sort of mobile gaming device that's similar to a phone (think iPod touch perhaps). If there's one thing Nintendo is about, it's being real stubborn. I for one would love to see Poke'mon or Super Mario on iOS, but right now as it stands, that's only for Japan.

08-11-2011, 01:21 PM

Bwaaahahahahahah! It's a darned shame that a company's investors have more of a clue than the company they are investing in.

08-11-2011, 02:00 PM

Originally Posted by Chris H.

As a Nintendo-nerd boy...

I say Nintendo should create some sort of mobile gaming device that's similar to a phone (think iPod touch perhaps). If there's one thing Nintendo is about, it's being real stubborn. I for one would love to see Poke'mon or Super Mario on iOS, but right now as it stands, that's only for Japan.

I dont understand why it hasnt been made already. Some of those games, Pokemon, YuGiOh, if they were put on an iPod and iPhone and online so people can duel and trade with each other, that would be a guaranteed sale. Oh well, theyre the ones missing out on the free money.

08-11-2011, 02:35 PM

I think Nintendo should learn a thing from Sega and just start focusing on their software franchises and port them over to the xbox and PS3

In my opinion, they should just drop the Wii U. It sounds like they're trying to release something just for the sake of releasing something. Sure there were a lot of skeptical people before they released the Wii and those were wrong ... but what's that saying? Thunder doesn't strike twice?

I for one would be quite happy to be able to play Metroid, Zelda or Super Mario in true HD, as opposed to what will be available on the Wii U

And of course, I'd love to play the original Zelda and Mario games on my iPhone/iPad

08-11-2011, 11:57 PM

Nintendo making an iPhone-like portable gaming system will not work out. The market for a dedicated system like that today is very limited. No one wants to carry around a cellphone, pda, music player, gaming, etc when smartphones do it all. Nintendo will have ZERO success if they try to launch yet another smartphone platform, and limited success if they try to make an Android-based phone that doubles as a Nintendo-exclusive gaming system, much like what Sony did.

08-12-2011, 12:09 AM

Originally Posted by NumberSix

I think Nintendo should learn a thing from Sega and just start focusing on their software franchises and port them over to the xbox and PS3

In my opinion, they should just drop the Wii U. It sounds like they're trying to release something just for the sake of releasing something. Sure there were a lot of skeptical people before they released the Wii and those were wrong ... but what's that saying? Thunder doesn't strike twice?

I for one would be quite happy to be able to play Metroid, Zelda or Super Mario in true HD, as opposed to what will be available on the Wii U

And of course, I'd love to play the original Zelda and Mario games on my iPhone/iPad

The Wii U will have true HD and based on initial hardware specs is at least 50% more powerful than the PS3 and Xbox 360. It will also be the first console powerful enough to run Crysis.

The Wii brought in the funky new controls while the competition focused on HD graphics. Now Microsoft and Sony are focusing on their funky new controls to catch up to the Wii while Nintendo is adding the HD graphics to their repertoire. I don't get where anyone gets the idea that Nintendo is somehow doomed to fail with the home console thing, especially when they're the only company that has consistently turned a profit on each hardware unit sold (and Wii hardware and software cumulative sales utterly crush the PS3's and Xbox's). The 3DS is in a tough spot, but as soon as phones started getting loaded up with powerful processors, handheld consoles had their collective death sentence signed. The Vita will do even more poorly.

As an addendum, I don't think Nintendo games would necessarily sell well on the iPhone. People that buy iPhone and Android games tend to only have the attention span for something like Angry Birds. A full length Zelda, Metroid or Golden Sun simply wouldn't have a market, especially when the competition sells for a dollar. This webcomic put it quite succinctly.

08-12-2011, 09:27 AM

Originally Posted by Discerptor

The Wii U will have true HD and based on initial hardware specs is at least 50% more powerful than the PS3 and Xbox 360. It will also be the first console powerful enough to run Crysis.

I'd like to believe that (and I'll also point out that the article you're quoting calls the hardware "not exactly cutting edge", and that quote from Crytek having the engine "pretty much up and running" isn't exactly awe inspiring ), but Nintendo has never been able to deliver hardware that could really compete with whatever competitor they were going up against in the past.

Plus, it seems like a lot of speculation so far, since unless I'm mistaken, all we've seen so far of the Wii U is a clunky controller

Originally Posted by Discerptor

The Wii brought in the funky new controls while the competition focused on HD graphics. Now Microsoft and Sony are focusing on their funky new controls to catch up to the Wii while Nintendo is adding the HD graphics to their repertoire.

Microsoft certainly seems to be trying to catch up to the Wii. And while Sony did also release their own version, they don't seem to be focusing on it quite as much as Microsoft.

Originally Posted by Discerptor

I don't get where anyone gets the idea that Nintendo is somehow doomed to fail with the home console thing, especially when they're the only company that has consistently turned a profit on each hardware unit sold (and Wii hardware and software cumulative sales utterly crush the PS3's and Xbox's). The 3DS is in a tough spot, but as soon as phones started getting loaded up with powerful processors, handheld consoles had their collective death sentence signed. The Vita will do even more poorly.

I don't think they will fail. I do think that they're trying to recreate the Wii and DS successes except that this time they're bringing nothing new or exciting

Originally Posted by Discerptor

As an addendum, I don't think Nintendo games would necessarily sell well on the iPhone. People that buy iPhone and Android games tend to only have the attention span for something like Angry Birds. A full length Zelda, Metroid or Golden Sun simply wouldn't have a market, especially when the competition sells for a dollar. This webcomic put it quite succinctly.

There's a few Final Fantasy titles on the AppStore that seem to be doing well, so I'd have to disagree that there's no market

Anyway, I'm almost making it sound like Nintendo is absolutely terrible with hardware. Obviously, they're not. I just think the others usually are better.

But Nintendo has always been very good in the "fun" factor. In my opinion, they would only stand to win at being less stubborn and bringing their software across more platforms

08-12-2011, 11:05 AM

Not really much of a need to believe, as the 50% more powerful thing is based on statements from developers working with the current incarnation of the hardware, which only stands to get improved over time if anything. Not to mention even a video card from last year would completely blow away the 5-year-old video cards in the 360 and PS3.

The Wii is also the first console Nintendo has made without delivering on the performance front compared to competitors since the original NES, which came out two years before its rival. The GameCube was markedly more powerful than the PS2 and a little behind the original Xbox (and I still think RE4 was the best looking console game from that "generation"). The N64 was more powerful than the original PlayStation. The SNES was capable of far better color and sound quality than the Genesis while sacrificing some processor speed (that was made up for with the in-cartridge FX chip in games like Star Fox). This notion that there's a trend of Nintendo not delivering on hardware performance is simply false.

As for Final Fantasy, I wouldn't call only around 5000 reviews from the iPhone crowd for the most popular one evidence against what I said.

Nintendo does make fun games, but their hardware offerings clearly also still have a great deal of appeal when you consider how popular the Wii is and how popular the DS was before phones killed handheld gaming. Putting Zelda on PS3 wouldn't make any more sense than Apple selling OS X for installation on generic PCs - they're both trying to use exclusive software to sell hardware, and they're both doing a pretty good job of it, 3DS's victimization by Angry Birds aside.

08-13-2011, 12:22 PM

I'm just going to say right now that if they were to do this, I would spend insane amounts of money in the App Store. I'm a sucker for 8-bit or 16-bit games; my most recent purchases have *all* been 8-bit platformers. Super Mario Bros. 1+3 on the App Store would sell *millions* of copies. Even at a price point like 4.99, that's one crazy return on investment.

From a more logical standpoint, I'm not sure what to think about this. It's hard to believe that Nintendo would ever make a move similar to the one Sega's made, but I don't know how much longer they'll make it without adapting to the times. iOS is, without a doubt, the most significant 'gaming' platform on the market right now, and the companies will have to either adapt or die.

Digital Darwinism, at its finest. Start moving around a bit in the gene pool, guys.

08-13-2011, 07:46 PM

Originally Posted by NumberSix

I think Nintendo should learn a thing from Sega and just start focusing on their software franchises and port them over to the xbox and PS3

I dont know about all that. I think that there is a bit much. Some things that are Exclusives should stay Exclusives. Next thing you know well have Gears Of War on PS3 and then inFamous on 360 and we just cant have that.

Originally Posted by NumberSix

In my opinion, they should just drop the Wii U. It sounds like they're trying to release something just for the sake of releasing something. Sure there were a lot of skeptical people before they released the Wii and those were wrong ... but what's that saying? Thunder doesn't strike twice?

I dont see it like that at all. IMHO the Kinect kills the Wii easily. I dont even like 360 but I admit its much better than the Wii and that mess they call the Move. Making your body the controller was, obviously, the next step. Its time for Nintendo to step it up and put out a new system.

Originally Posted by NumberSix

I for one would be quite happy to be able to play Metroid, Zelda or Super Mario in true HD, as opposed to what will be available on the Wii U

And of course, I'd love to play the original Zelda and Mario games on my iPhone/iPad

Who knows whatll be on the Wii U? Im sure theyll re-release all the classics all over again as theyve done on countless systems and handhelds before.

Originally Posted by lifeisabeach

Nintendo making an iPhone-like portable gaming system will not work out. The market for a dedicated system like that today is very limited. No one wants to carry around a cellphone, pda, music player, gaming, etc when smartphones do it all. Nintendo will have ZERO success if they try to launch yet another smartphone platform, and limited success if they try to make an Android-based phone that doubles as a Nintendo-exclusive gaming system, much like what Sony did.

I hear that Sony phone is actually pretty good for gaming and as a phone in general but Im skeptical to lock myself into a two year contract with it. But Im confused, who was saying anything about Nintendo making an iPhone like gaming system? I thought this was about Nintendo putting its games on the iPhone.

Originally Posted by Discerptor

The Wii brought in the funky new controls while the competition focused on HD graphics. Now Microsoft and Sony are focusing on their funky new controls to catch up to the Wii while Nintendo is adding the HD graphics to their repertoire. I don't get where anyone gets the idea that Nintendo is somehow doomed to fail with the home console thing, especially when they're the only company that has consistently turned a profit on each hardware unit sold (and Wii hardware and software cumulative sales utterly crush the PS3's and Xbox's). The 3DS is in a tough spot, but as soon as phones started getting loaded up with powerful processors, handheld consoles had their collective death sentence signed. The Vita will do even more poorly.

The 3DS is in a tough spot, IMHO, because its a pile of garbage. I like Nintendo and really enjoy my DS. I wanted a 3DS until I picked it up and played it. That is a horrible excuse for '3D' and so far none of the games really jump out and demand a purchase.

The Vita, I dont even see a reason to buy that. Im fine with my PSP. One thing bothers me about the Vita though. Was it really needed to have a touch screen on the front and back of the system? And do they really think theyre going to get away with that $250 price tag when Nintendo already dropped the price of the 3DS? Im sure that by then the 3DS will have some decent games, Sony may have to seriously reconsider that price tag.

Originally Posted by Discerptor

As an addendum, I don't think Nintendo games would necessarily sell well on the iPhone. People that buy iPhone and Android games tend to only have the attention span for something like Angry Birds. A full length Zelda, Metroid or Golden Sun simply wouldn't have a market, especially when the competition sells for a dollar. This webcomic put it quite succinctly.

I must respectfully disagree. I know a few people who have jailbroken and play SNES games on their iPhone. I also know more than a few who were really happy to play the classics on their Droid the minute they got it. Im sure many would be more than happy to be able to play all the classics on their iPhones or iPod Touch without jailbreaking.

Originally Posted by NumberSix

Plus, it seems like a lot of speculation so far, since unless I'm mistaken, all we've seen so far of the Wii U is a clunky controller

I wonder about that. What is the Wii U anyway? Is the controller the whole system?

Originally Posted by NumberSix

Microsoft certainly seems to be trying to catch up to the Wii. And while Sony did also release their own version, they don't seem to be focusing on it quite as much as Microsoft.

I really dont think so. IMHO Microsoft has surpassed the Wii with the Kinect.

Originally Posted by NumberSix

I don't think they will fail. I do think that they're trying to recreate the Wii and DS successes except that this time they're bringing nothing new or exciting

I agree. The 3DS was an epic fail and a massive disappointment all around.

Originally Posted by NumberSix

There's a few Final Fantasy titles on the AppStore that seem to be doing well, so I'd have to disagree that there's no market

I didnt know that but I went to go check them out. It should be known that I never really cared for the old school Final Fantasies but these look great. I was almost ready to buy them until I saw the prices. $9 each for the first two wasnt so bad. But $15 for the third and then $16 for Tactics? Thats a bit much dont you think? Id also like to point out games such as Inotia and Zenonia. I know theyre a different developer but people clearly want RPGs for the iPhone.

Originally Posted by NumberSix

Anyway, I'm almost making it sound like Nintendo is absolutely terrible with hardware. Obviously, they're not. I just think the others usually are better.

But Nintendo has always been very good in the "fun" factor. In my opinion, they would only stand to win at being less stubborn and bringing their software across more platforms

I agree. Again, theyd make a killing if they released that iron grip on Pokemon.

Originally Posted by Discerptor

As for Final Fantasy, I wouldn't call only around 5000 reviews from the iPhone crowd for the most popular one evidence against what I said.

I think that proves that there is a small market for it at least. I remember years ago there were a few Final Fantasy games on cell phones, mainly spin offs of VII, but they were all in Japan and never ported. And IIRC they were for regular old flip phones and they did good. How much better would they be on iPhones? Im sure those wouldve sold then and even now if they ever got ported.

Originally Posted by Discerptor

Nintendo does make fun games, but their hardware offerings clearly also still have a great deal of appeal when you consider how popular the Wii is and how popular the DS was before phones killed handheld gaming. Putting Zelda on PS3 wouldn't make any more sense than Apple selling OS X for installation on generic PCs - they're both trying to use exclusive software to sell hardware, and they're both doing a pretty good job of it, 3DS's victimization by Angry Birds aside.

Angry Birds is slowly taking over the World isnt it?

Originally Posted by @nathanielmott

I'm just going to say right now that if they were to do this, I would spend insane amounts of money in the App Store. I'm a sucker for 8-bit or 16-bit games; my most recent purchases have *all* been 8-bit platformers. Super Mario Bros. 1+3 on the App Store would sell *millions* of copies. Even at a price point like 4.99, that's one crazy return on investment.

I dont know if Id pay $5 apiece but if they sold bundles of the originals Im sure Id pick them up. One bundle that has all three Marios, another with Zelda, Metroid, so on, Im sure those would do really good.

Originally Posted by @nathanielmott

From a more logical standpoint, I'm not sure what to think about this. It's hard to believe that Nintendo would ever make a move similar to the one Sega's made, but I don't know how much longer they'll make it without adapting to the times. iOS is, without a doubt, the most significant 'gaming' platform on the market right now, and the companies will have to either adapt or die.

Digital Darwinism, at its finest. Start moving around a bit in the gene pool, guys.

Anyone know how Sonic 4 did on the iPhone?

And this is just an idea but Nintendo might also to go dig up some of its older games that were never translated into English and some that never made it past Japan. Earthbound/Mother Im looking at you. Put that and games like it, especially some of those older classics on SNES that were never translated into English on DS, iPhone, Wii, wherever, Im sure that those gamesll sell really quick. Honestly I dont know why they havent already, they just keep re-releasing the same games over and over again.

08-14-2011, 07:07 AM

Originally Posted by NVash

I hear that Sony phone is actually pretty good for gaming and as a phone in general but Im skeptical to lock myself into a two year contract with it.

I've read the same, and have also read it isn't selling well. In buying that for Sony exclusives, you are locking yourself out of exclusives on other phones, or eliminating your preference for other phones (i.e. the iPhone).

But Im confused, who was saying anything about Nintendo making an iPhone like gaming system? I thought this was about Nintendo putting its games on the iPhone.

Second post in thread, by Chris H. Well actually on reading it, he meant something like an iPod touch, but my point stands. No one wants to carry that and a phone around. And if every gaming company starts getting proprietary like that with their games and hardware, you will start needing a Sega handheld, Nintendo handheld, Sony handheld, and so on.

08-14-2011, 04:41 PM

Porting games, especially older/intentionally portable ones, to the iOS platform would be a huge move on Nintendo's part, and one that would both hurt them and cost them a product (the 3DS).

The issue at stake is the changing demographic of the portable gaming market. Nintendo was a pioneer in portable gaming with the Game Boy, which gave way to successors and competitors. The Game Boy came out in 1989, and those who grew up with them are likely no longer purchasing portable gaming systems, or even playing console games. However, they are still likely to have a few games on an iOS device, given the low price, portability, and appeal to casual gamers.

Likewise, the current children (who would have bought Game Boys had they grown up 10-20 years ago) are now using iOS devices, either their own or their parents', to play games. If I were buying an eight year old a small portable today, it would be an iPod Touch or an iPad (depending on budget). Both have infinitely more uses, offer more educational possibilities, and wouldn't have those pesky cartridges to lose. (I do not own a DS, but am aware of the small size of the game cartridges; children of the 1990s had enough problems losing larger Game Boy cartridges in their minivans).

The 3DS will fail, as more people are probably thinking along my lines. Nintendo, meanwhile, has a lot of long-running franchises like Mario, popular for decades and still going strong. This would be an ideal series to release on the iOS platform--it would generate a lot of interest, not only from the younger crowd, but probably from older gamers or ex-gamers who shelved their systems after college and haven't bought a portable system since it was still called Game Boy. I'm guessing the controller buttons would be virtualized on the touch screen, much like keyboards are.

Moving to be a software company isn't a bad idea, especially in the modern portable market. They won't capture everyone, but it would work to go after the aforementioned market and would prevent the inevitable slow sales on the doomed 3DS platform. They'll still have their niche Wii market, which captured a lot of non-traditional markets, but they need to realize the direction the industry is headed in if they want to still be a player in the portable market.

08-15-2011, 09:09 AM

Originally Posted by NVash

I must respectfully disagree. I know a few people who have jailbroken and play SNES games on their iPhone. I also know more than a few who were really happy to play the classics on their Droid the minute they got it. Im sure many would be more than happy to be able to play all the classics on their iPhones or iPod Touch without jailbreaking.

You inadvertently touched on a more nuanced point here that I didn't want to get into on a forum as "wholesome" as ours: the kinds of people that have shown interest in this are mostly the same people that don't pay like to pay for games, and definitely won't if they already have emulators running. The sales numbers for the legitimate Square games certainly aren't awe-inspiring, and this is a large part of why (the other part being that there just aren't that many interested people as a percentage of the total mobile phone gamer userbase).