Nintendo to start making mobile games (in Japan)

    http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2015-…or-mobile-games


    Guess it was just a matter of time before their investors had had enough of the WiiU under performing while smartphones are eating a large part of the 3DS's lunch. Apparently it'll be all their IP which are open to be used, but thank fuck it sounds like it won't be ports but rather developed specifically for mobile platforms.


    I know some might see it as admitting defeat from Nintendo's side, but I'm really interested in seeing how this turns out. I really like the 3DS and WiiU, but the idea of having Nintendo quality games designed for smartphones seems pretty great to me, but I guess it'll take a while before any of this sees the rest of the world.

    I don't see how it's admitting defeat. There are always going to be more smartphones than current generation portable nintendo devices, whatever name they come up with next.


    The proprietry hardware model is outdated and it makes sense for them to make games for smartphone ecosystems to make sales to people who else would not buy their hardware. Their hardware really makes me ask "wtf" a lot anyway, the 3DSXL only allows 3 wifi connections to be remembered?


    I had a hypothetical conversation about with this with a die hard nintendo fan a while ago, and he was adamant they wouldn't/shouldn't do this.


    I admit there might be some shortcomings with the controls, but if they're being developed specifically it should hopefully be a smooth process and I for one am excited! (give me a bluetooth controller and super smash for android and you will never see me again... ever)

    Quote from jackophant

    I had a hypothetical conversation about with this with a die hard nintendo fan a while ago, and he was adamant they wouldn't/shouldn't do this.


    Haha yeah, I've had that same conversation with some of my hardcore Nintendo fanboy friends. Nintendo's hardware has in my opinion been their weakest link for a while now, so I've argued for them going 3rd party which has always made them furious . But I didn't grow up with Nintendo (well, I had a Gameboy), so I don't have the deeply ingrained nostalgia.


    I'd rather just have them do what they do best, which is creating some of the best games around. Obviously hardware sales of the Wii begs to differ with them just cutting the ties to hardware entirely, even if that is a while back now, and with the NX announcement then they're still going for that, but I honestly wouldn't be sad if they gave up entirely on their hardware business.

    It sounds like I'm in a similar position to you regarding growing up with nintendo, however opinions aside on the WiiU, I do think a nintendo console has a place. I wouldn't mind at all if they started porting/developing for PC and utilising the steam machine type build, but they do like to be a bit different regarding control interfaces so I think they're ok doing what they do.


    It's the hardware regarding handhelds that I think they need to sort out, which is why I suggested smartphones. The gameboy was a fantastic device, not to mention great value at a time when games were simpler and they pretty much owned the handheld gaming market. These days with smartphones, everyone has a handheld so imo it just makes business sense, and not in a slimy, underhanded way like crippling in app purchases.


    To their success!

    Game press has been hammering the "port Nintendo games to smartphones" since the app store opened.

    They're gonna make a lot of money. I'm most likely not gonna give em any.

    This should hopefully be on final list of top 10 big announcements of 2015. What this ultimately leads is still to be determined but I for one am cautiously optimistic. I haven't touched my Wii in years, my 3DS is in a box and the WiiU barely gets used. I suppose once my kids are old enough I'll start playing with them, but honestly Minecraft is still king with the kids.

    Why do I still think Nintendo doesn't actually know what a smartphone is? Nintendo is still just a bunch of wizards making games out of magic to me. I could watch a Nintendo programmer writing a shader and it just wouldn't process in my brain. I have literally seen a programming guide for the N64, and Mario 64 still seems like video game magic to me.

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