Nintendo calls Apple "Enemy of the Future"
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata is speaking up about his thoughts on Apple and their potential impact on Nintendo, calling Apple their "enemy of the future".
Anyone who's ever visited the App Store is already aware of the plethora of games available for iPhone/iPod touch and now, iPad. Up until now, the big guys in the physical console business had stayed pretty quiet. But it appears Nintendo is changing their tune. Iwata is believed to have told his senior executives to consider the battle with Sony a victory already won and to switch their focus to something different. That something different would be Apple.
No one can deny Apple's impact on the gaming industry. As of right now, there are over 180,000 apps in the iTunes app store. Around 30,000 of those apps are games. With the addition of the iPad, we can only assume that number will continue to climb upward. As consumers decide on handheld gaming devices, an iPhone/iPod Touch or iPad is just as worthy of a contender as a DS or PSP these days. Nintendo had intended for the DS to capture audiences other than the typical male gamer stereotype, but as Times Online states,
The company’s recent strategy has centred on creating devices aimed not just at children and dedicated — generally male — gamers, but at the whole family. Two years ago, the company claimed to have permanently altered the demographics of video games by raising the average age and the gender mix of gamers. Unfortunately, the very people it claimed to have converted — high-school girls and men aged between 30 and 40 — reported that they would rather have an iPhone than a DS in their pockets or handbags.
Developers are really what make the app store so successful at the end of the day. From a development standpoint, the startup costs aren't insane and most development companies are seeing a large return on those investments. Many larger gaming companies have also developed iPhone OS versions of their games that have done extremely well, such as Gameloft. And for the end consumer, when the average price of an iPhone app is $3 while a console game costs above $20, most people may opt for having more games at a cheaper price.
At this point, it's only wise for Nintendo to consider Apple a valid competitor.
[MacRumors, via Times Online]
Jailbreak, Mod, and DIY editor at iMore, Founder of PXLFIX, Potter pundit, the ninja in your iOS.
| Tweet |
|
|
Leave a Reply
Note: Comments must be civil, respectful, and on-topic. If a comment does not add to the conversation, if it contains spam advertising, or inappropriate language or content, it will be removed. Insulting the topic, author, staff, site, network, or other commenters will result in the comment being marked as spam and potential prevent future comments from appearing on the site. Do not post as a business or your comment will likely be confused with spam. Comments containing links may be held for moderation. Relax, enjoy, and share in the discussion.
Lol @Nintendo
A majority of those games on iPhone/iPad are terrible though, just like consoles. Only a few dozen are worth paying.
APPLE all the way, forget silly DS
Sounds like a sore looser. Just because someone came with a better platform doesn't mean they are the "enemy of the future". He should focus on building even better products and avoid being the "looser of the past"
Face it nintendo, it's a wraaaaaaaaaaaap
Zzz. Those are my two fav companies. Don't fight
. Merge pls. Btw. The tittle it's like missing description.
lol bring it nintendo!
Don't take it personal Nintendo it's only business.. "That's how the cookie crumbles."
@Peter The reason Nintendo is struggling against the iPhone is not because it is a better platform, but because the target demographic already has an iPhone, and sees no need to carry yet another device.
Ubiquity != Superior
China is the real winner. Everything is made there. No matter what device. Back to games, more devices=better price for the customer.
Nintendo should think about that everytime they release a device with 120dpi resolution. Even the kids Wii games can't compete with the xbox graphics. Get with the program.
Huh? Glenn u tripping
Wow, Duh Apple is a major competitor to Nintendo, lol, you know?
Why not release Donkey Kong on the iPad and iPhone and make some money?
Wayne's totally nailed it. If you can't beat em, join em. I completely agree.
The title IS misleading. Those apple koolaid drinkers , calm down. Basically nintendo who knows they already won the handheld battle vs Sega and Sony the last 20 years , changing directions cause there is a competitor worth their while.
Those of you fussing Nintendo calling them sore loser , take a good look at their sales and how they have been the leaders in handheld gaming since 1989 when first gameboy came out.
While apple is giving nintendo a dose of competition , you have to realize that there are MANY garbage titles in the app store. And for true gaming you still need physical buttons.
I say kudos to apple for giving Nintendo the competition needed so nintendo knows they have to stay on top of their game.
@Art VanBurenBoy
The market for casual gaming is bigger than semi hardcore gaming that Nintendo has with the DS. It's a game of who can grow their niche. Physical buttons become much less important in the iPod touch part of the gaming market.
Nintendo sees the writing on the wall. Their $30+ gaming title model is toast. If they don't adjust to have lower cost games, they're marketshare will continue to shrink.
@Wayne, @Alex
Nintendo is too proud for that. A few years ago, everybody wrote off Nintendo as the second victim of the Console Wars, crushed between Microsoft and Sony. Unlike the first victim (Sega), Nintendo did not switch to all software and port their titles, but endured a few lean years before unleashing the Wii and roaring back. They famously called it their "Blue Ocean" strategy -- limping out of a bloody crowded market to create one of their own -- a lot like Apple did in reinventing themselves post-Mac with the iPod/iPhone/iPad.
In fact, in many significant ways, Nintendo is a lot like Apple -- proud, insular, driven by specific visions, and stressing first party software.
The iPhone is a different challenge for Nintendo, because they can't limp away from the market here -- they are the 800lb gorilla in the field, facing down Apple the hungry upstart out to eat their lunch.
Nintendo publicly claims they see Apple's challenge. While they could just pack it in and port their star titles, fortunately for us that is not in their makeup. Just like Apple in 2004-2006, Nintendo will scheme behind closed doors, and come up with something new to answer that challenge. And Apple will respond. Other players will join in with varying degrees of success. Lather, rinse, repeat.
And it will benefit us all.
Shrike you keep forgetting that the massive sales of DS and it's game around bdays and holidays is to kids who can't afford an iPhone. The $30 games are easily justified as they're ACTUAL games with a case and owners manual , which is still more common to give to kids than an iTunes gift card.
In the end both apple & nintendo will make big bux. Nintendo proved it to both Sony and Microsoft that you don't need high end graphics to sell games.
While I personally enjoy graphics in games like God Of War III or FF XIII , it's always nice to gran the wii to play some Mario galaxy or download the first Zelda game for five bucks.
Just be grateful there IS competition , cause that results in the consumer being the winner !
wow...have you seen this.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMUcXOKv-MI
Nintendo calls Apple “Enemy of the Future”
Apple calls Nintendo "Enemy of the Past"
Good luck catching up with iTunes + App Store + iPod Touch + iPhone + iPad, Nintendo. You could be the next Sega. As in all software, no more hardware.
Koolaid boy ^^^^^
Hmmm, I wonder if the Games for the DS matched that of the iPhone, which would sell more? The games are not that great on the iPhone/touch. Thats what helps sells the games, its their cheap price, and when we do see games going above the 2.99, people scream its expensive. -_-'
Nintendo phone. You heard it here first
@ iMe http://www.mobilemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/image11000largeimagefile.jpg
oh well, no Pokemon on the iPhone then! shame
Shame on those who have a DS in their pocket!
@Art VanBurenBoy
[Shrike you keep forgetting that the massive sales of DS and it’s game around bdays and holidays is to kids who can’t afford an iPhone.]
What's there to forget? Apple already sells more iPhones and iPod touches than Nintendo sells DS devices. If kids can't afford an iPhone, which most kids shouldn't be able to afford, they can get an iPod touch. Currently sells for $199. This Fall, Apple can drive down the price of that to $150 if they want to.
Then add to that iPad sales, Apple will probably sell about 50 million iPhone OS devices in 2010. That'll be twice the number of DS devices Nintendo sold last year.
Nintendo's saving grace is the iPhone OS devices are converged devices. They are really good at casual gaming, and are definitely putting pressure on DS sales.
[The $30 games are easily justified as they’re ACTUAL games with a case and owners manual , which is still more common to give to kids than an iTunes gift card.]
Who cares about what is "justified" or not. The only thing that that matters to consumers is the perceived value for the price. With iPhone OS device games sitting in the $0.99 to $12.99 range or so, the writing is on the wall. The perceived value of a $30 game just got cut in half or more.
Nintendo will be moving to electronic distribution. If they don't, they will fade into irrelevancy.
Hahaha
lay down the koolaid kid. Apple is good at wgat they're going but FAR from knocking nintendo out of the competition. Look it up. Nintendo has been around for over 100 years.
And I personally gladly pay $30 for a quality game than pay $10 for 10 ifart games.
Apple selling apps left and right has a very minimal affect on true games , gaming and gamers world. Plus the fact that nintendo is a top 1st party hardware and software developer , will make it easy for them to survive.
It's rarely one over the other anymore. Solid gamers likely have both $30-$60 game titles on one or more major consoles as well as plenty of casual games on their handhelds. The difference lies in the target demographic: casual gamers who less frequently invest in high end gaming. Apple has captured the full range of consumers and Nintendo is smart to validate that threat to their future revenue.
Nintendo is now seeing Apple as a valid competitor in the gaming scene. LMAO @ everyone that thinks that Nintendo is waving the white flag and turning over. No, it just means that Nintendo recognizes the threat and will be changing the rules yet again for handheld gaming, and Apple should watch the hell out. I mean, I own an iPad and a DS, and there's a critical difference between Apple, and Nintendo… 100% of people buy the DS for gaming, not the case with the iPod Touch/iPad/iPhone. Another difference is this… People WILL pay 35 dollars for a brand new Nintendo produced Mario or Zelda game… but people complain about paying 9.99 for a game on the Apple Market. What killer app does Apple have? Also keep in mind that the DS has been out 4 years longer than the iPhone. When Nintendo releases a new handheld system, with downloadable mini games that are just as cheap as Apple Market games, with 100 times better production value, on top of their killer Apps, do you think the Apple will be able to hang then?
Jobberson , you my friend are spot on !
One could imagine later versions of the iPod Touch being more geared toward game playing. Nintendo will also have to seriously improve their DS product to ever compete with Apple's iPad. Nintendo beware.
sell iPod
Apple VS Nintendo . seems like there will be an epic battle ^^
Hello, i arrived to this weblog although seeking something else, but to my joy i found this internet site. Maintain doing what you are performing, its great.