All of these Apple vs. Nintendo articles are just plain retarded.
The DS is a product aimed at kids and teens, 6-16 year olds, just like the Gameboy was before it. Cheap game system with cheap games that keeps kids out of parents' hair for an hour or two each day, and all the time in the car, on the train, in the airplane, etc.
The iPad, iPhone and iPod are not competitors. There aren't very many parents out there thinking about a video game system to keep their kids busy in the back seat of the car who are going to pick them up an iPhone or iPad. That's just stupid.
And all the doctored up BS about iPods taking away market share from Nintendo and Playstation is a load of crap. That's like saying that there are 200 millions cars in the USA with stereos, which means Toyota, Honda and Chrysler have a 60% market share of mobile music players, therefore beating the iPod.
Nintendo has publicly stated that they consider the iPod touch a threat to their portable gaming console.
No they haven't.
The closest I've found to that anywhere on the net was of course AppleInsider's "report" :
"Satoru Iwata, president of Nintendo, is reportedly an Apple fan who uses an iPhone and Mac laptop. He also denied that there is a rivalry between his company and Apple, noting that attempts to create one makes him "uncomfortable." But Iwata also allegedly sees the iPhone as enough of a threat that Nintendo must work to stand out from it and devices like it.
"If we can't make clear why customers pay a lot of money to play games on Nintendo hardware and Nintendo software and differentiate ourselves from games on the mobile phone or iPhone, then our future is dark," he said."
The third sentence is AI giving the article a slant. Iwata's own quotes seem to say that the DS isn't an iPhone and won't be an iPhone.
Again, saying the $120 DS is competing with the $500 + contract iPhone or iPad is retarded.
Again, do you really think any kids are thinking about buying an iPhone instead of a DS? How about parents shopping for their kids?
The closest I've found to that anywhere on the net was of course AppleInsider's "report" :
"Satoru Iwata, president of Nintendo, is reportedly an Apple fan who uses an iPhone and Mac laptop. He also denied that there is a rivalry between his company and Apple, noting that attempts to create one makes him "uncomfortable." But Iwata also allegedly sees the iPhone as enough of a threat that Nintendo must work to stand out from it and devices like it.
"If we can't make clear why customers pay a lot of money to play games on Nintendo hardware and Nintendo software and differentiate ourselves from games on the mobile phone or iPhone, then our future is dark," he said."
The third sentence is AI giving the article a slant. Iwata's own quotes seem to say that the DS isn't an iPhone and won't be an iPhone.
Again, saying the $120 DS is competing with the $500 + contract iPhone or iPad is retarded.
Again, do you really think any kids are thinking about buying an iPhone instead of a DS? How about parents shopping for their kids?
Yes, they have, repeatedly, and they (and anyone else) would be a total moron not to.
It's not something up for debate. The difference in value between a DS and an iPod touch is a joke (no one should even bother with the current DS) and there is no changing it, unless Nintendo suddenly goes with Open GL and $1 games.
All of these Apple vs. Nintendo articles are just plain retarded.
The DS is a product aimed at kids and teens, 6-16 year olds, just like the Gameboy was before it. Cheap game system with cheap games that keeps kids out of parents' hair for an hour or two each day, and all the time in the car, on the train, in the airplane, etc.
The iPad, iPhone and iPod are not competitors. There aren't very many parents out there thinking about a video game system to keep their kids busy in the back seat of the car who are going to pick them up an iPhone or iPad. That's just stupid.
And all the doctored up BS about iPods taking away market share from Nintendo and Playstation is a load of crap. That's like saying that there are 200 millions cars in the USA with stereos, which means Toyota, Honda and Chrysler have a 60% market share of mobile music players, therefore beating the iPod.
No, it's not stupid. I'm a parent of three -- 11, 8 and 5. I don't really want them playing video games too much. I certainly am not going to expose them to the more expensive and supposedly "better" games they are apparently "missing out on" since we have no "real" gaming console, portable or otherwise.
I do, however, have an iPod Touch, and I can barely get it away from my kids. It's great for travelling. I would never buy three cheaper portable gaming devices, whatever the cost. But they may well have the iPod Touch all to themselves as soon as I get an iPad. Then I will be competing for use of that, too. If I could get 5 iPads, or 4 more iPods, I would. It's true that I won't be "picking one up" for each child, but I would certainly get another one or two before I ever even considered a gaming console. To me, gaming is a waste of money, and that's stupid -- I would save up, or find a second-hand iPod Touch instead of going down that route, every time. Do something right, or don't do it.
So, get an iPod Touch, use it for your shopping list, synced calendars, contacts, car mileage, email, you name it -- and let the kids wrestle over it while you are driving. Their games and movies and artwork are all on there. Win-win. No contest between that and a gaming console! None whatsoever. I think I know what they will be saving their money for, too.
The games are fine; I don't know what they are missing, and we don't care. Head to head games (even on one iPod) are fun and my five-year-old beats me most of the time. There are also a lot of useful and educational programs for them, too. The five year-old has apps to help him read, art programs, information, etc. What more could I ask for. My kids are not going to be gamers, they are going to be productive, computer literate, web savvy kids.
If there are many other parents like me, and kids like mine, then Nintendo and Sony do have something to worry about.
I don't think it's got anything to do with the games themselves particularly. I buy games for the iPhone but not because I view it as a gaming device, simply because I have one and it has some decent games available. Nintendo will bring out another DS but it will only be a games device, not a phone, not a GPS device, not a music player, not a web browser.
The issue Nintendo will face is if people need and will buy phones and the phones can provide games, what reason do they have to buy a DS too? 3D just won't be enough. Their locked-in franchises will be the main thing that sells the devices but most developers can just as easily make the same games for the iPhone/iPod.
Yep - Nintendo announced this far too early. Strange particularly for them to do this.
Secondly, sometimes I find people (especially in these parts) are a little blinded by Apple.
For example, Nintendo has sold more then 125 million units, 2004-2010
To put this into perspective, the iPod, one of the greatest consumer success stories of all time and cultural icon of the 00's has sold 250 million units, 2001-2010.
To put it bluntly, the DS is an absolute phenomenon, something which is rarely talked about and recognised in the media and generally on sites like this.
Saying that Nintendo are combating Apple's creep into the gaming market is pure sensationalist bs. Sure Nintendo are watching their competition, obviously, but these guys are damn juggernauts, and it will take A LOT more for them to even break a sweat.
eg "After the iPad hits the streets, I feel bad for Nintendo, the aftershocks will be painful for them." Utter nonsense.
The problem for Nintendo is that they make the majority of their profit on the games, not on the hardware. Apple presents the following problem: because the iPhone OS games are so inexpensive and easy to obtain, Apple has pushed the "reset" button on valuation in the industry. Customers are becoming accustomed (again) to paying up for good hardware and being stingy for the software that they get to run on it.
So although Nintendo is moving many units of the portable players, they are scared sh**less of the precedent that Apple is setting. And they should be, because they will be unable to command so high a profit margin on their hardware. Their only hope is that they can get their "app store" equivalent to be as ubiquitous as Apple's. Otherwise they won't sell enough titles to make up for the fact that those titles aren't so profitable anymore.
Honestly, the games on the iPhone suck. I have yet to play one that makes me go "Wow! What a great game."
Nintendo does not have this problem. I have a DS, and although I rarely use it due to a huge lack of time right now (med school), I must say that it's a great portable game system. By far, the best one ever released.
I think the iPhone has actually grown the portable game market more than it's "stolen" market share. What part of Apple's market share is new?
No, it's not stupid. I'm a parent of three -- 11, 8 and 5. I don't really want them playing video games too much. I certainly am not going to expose them to the more expensive and supposedly "better" games they are apparently "missing out on" since we have no "real" gaming console, portable or otherwise.
I do, however, have an iPod Touch, and I can barely get it away from my kids. It's great for travelling. I would never buy three cheaper portable gaming devices, whatever the cost. But they may well have the iPod Touch all to themselves as soon as I get an iPad. Then I will be competing for use of that, too. If I could get 5 iPads, or 4 more iPods, I would. It's true that I won't be "picking one up" for each child, but I would certainly get another one or two before I ever even considered a gaming console. To me, gaming is a waste of money, and that's stupid -- I would save up, or find a second-hand iPod Touch instead of going down that route, every time. Do something right, or don't do it.
So, get an iPod Touch, use it for your shopping list, synced calendars, contacts, car mileage, email, you name it -- and let the kids wrestle over it while you are driving. Their games and movies and artwork are all on there. Win-win. No contest between that and a gaming console! None whatsoever. I think I know what they will be saving their money for, too.
The games are fine; I don't know what they are missing, and we don't care. Head to head games (even on one iPod) are fun and my five-year-old beats me most of the time. There are also a lot of useful and educational programs for them, too. The five year-old has apps to help him read, art programs, information, etc. What more could I ask for. My kids are not going to be gamers, they are going to be productive, computer literate, web savvy kids.
If there are many other parents like me, and kids like mine, then Nintendo and Sony do have something to worry about.
Well, you've just helped prove my point. You write in your first paragraph that you have no intention of "exposing" you kids to a dedicated device. Therefore, no gaming devices have gone into your decision making. Your purchase of an iPod does not take away a sale from nintendo or sony, because you never would have purchased their products in the first place. Therefore, in your case, Apple is not competing with Nintendo.
Yes, they have, repeatedly, and they (and anyone else) would be a total moron not to.
It's not something up for debate. The difference in value between a DS and an iPod touch is a joke (no one should even bother with the current DS) and there is no changing it, unless Nintendo suddenly goes with Open GL and $1 games.
Not gonna happen.
We're not talking about value, we're talking about market. What 10 year old cares about syncing his calendar, and what 10 year old prefers an openGL racecar game for $1 to legend of zelda, f-zero or super mario brothers?
Yep - Nintendo announced this far too early. Strange particularly for them to do this.
I agree.
Quote:
Secondly, sometimes I find people (especially in these parts) are a little blinded by Apple.
For example, Nintendo has sold more then 125 million units, 2004-2010
To put this into perspective, the iPod, one of the greatest consumer success stories of all time and cultural icon of the 00's has sold 250 million units, 2001-2010.
I'm not what the point is since it paints Apple better than Nintendo with those stats of twice as many units in less than doubt the double time which means an average higher unit sale per quarter.
Quote:
To put it bluntly, the DS is an absolute phenomenon, something which is rarely talked about and recognised in the media and generally on sites like this.
Saying that Nintendo are combating Apple's creep into the gaming market is pure sensationalist bs. Sure Nintendo are watching their competition, obviously, but these guys are damn juggernauts, and it will take A LOT more for them to even break a sweat.
Not BS in the least. Apple making major headway into the mobile gaming revenue is newsworthy and why Nintendo is concerned, as they've stated.
The DSi was a clear response to the iPhone OS's quick and easy app purchase system. Cartridges are yesterday's tech. Being a juggernaut doesn't mean you can't lose marketshare or profit to a competitor, nor does it mean that you can completely fall out of favour with the public at large. This has happened plenty of times to Nintendo and they've innovated their way back to the top. The 3DS is just the latest attempt at doing so.
But it's not just the iPhone they are worried about, it's every modern smartphone that is fast becoming standard for many buyers, all with powerful GPUs, easy access app stores and rich SDKs being used by the same game developers found on the DS platform. It's a brave new world.
I don't think it's got anything to do with the games themselves particularly. I buy games for the iPhone but not because I view it as a gaming device, simply because I have one and it has some decent games available. Nintendo will bring out another DS but it will only be a games device, not a phone, not a GPS device, not a music player, not a web browser.
The issue Nintendo will face is if people need and will buy phones and the phones can provide games, what reason do they have to buy a DS too? 3D just won't be enough. Their locked-in franchises will be the main thing that sells the devices but most developers can just as easily make the same games for the iPhone/iPod.
Well for one the DS is a completely different market, they hit a much younger crowd here in the states (we're talking 16 and under...only dedicated gamers will buy a DS if older, but in japan its very common to see adults with a DS walking around).
Nintendo has a stronger following and brand recognition than Apple and by a mile, since the Gameboy it has been the definitive mobile gaming experience and kept the company afloat until its Wii/DS were out during the Gamecube era.
The iPhone is just that, a PHONE. It can web browse, GPS, all that good stuff, and game and there are a few good ones out (Sonic, FF2, SF4, NFS, Crystal Defenders, Nazi Zombies, and all my classic SNES/Genesis games) No one buys an iphone for gaming and the gaming experience on the device is mediocre to terrible, Nazi Zombie controls drive this point home. The fact is the gaming experience is subpar and dont hit the the same target audiences.
The 3DS is a gaming device for younger kids but still packs power, Tegra 2 power to be exact, to deliver a rich experience. Simply put, Nintendo isnt going to start slapping in pointless features just so it can compete with the iPhone. Nintendo has shown that it can do a lot with a little and have the most marketshare amongst this console generation (and drives home the point that Nintendo has its audience identified) while others scramble to offer up the same experience.
Microsofts WP7S with Mobile Xbox Gaming is a bigger threat to Nintendo than Apple is.
We're not talking about value, we're talking about market. What 10 year old cares about syncing his calendar, and what 10 year old prefers an openGL racecar game for $1 to legend of zelda, f-zero or super mario brothers?
Clearly franchises have no place in this convo, even when just one of said IP brings in more revenue than Apples entire "gaming revenue" for the entire year.
Yep - Nintendo announced this far too early. Strange particularly for them to do this.
Secondly, sometimes I find people (especially in these parts) are a little blinded by Apple.
For example, Nintendo has sold more then 125 million units, 2004-2010
To put this into perspective, the iPod, one of the greatest consumer success stories of all time and cultural icon of the 00's has sold 250 million units, 2001-2010.
To put it bluntly, the DS is an absolute phenomenon, something which is rarely talked about and recognised in the media and generally on sites like this.
Saying that Nintendo are combating Apple's creep into the gaming market is pure sensationalist bs. Sure Nintendo are watching their competition, obviously, but these guys are damn juggernauts, and it will take A LOT more for them to even break a sweat.
eg "After the iPad hits the streets, I feel bad for Nintendo, the aftershocks will be painful for them." Utter nonsense.
QFT
When Apple is supposedly putting pressure on Nintendo in the portable gaming category, Nitnendo sold the most DS units in a quarter ever. At this point Nitnedo has noting at all to fear from Apple. The 3DS announcement is not business as usual for Nintendo but the timing is right for a DS successor. Plus there have been rumors and buzzing about a new DS for months now.
Though I'm extremely excited to see what Nitnendo will come up with in the 3DS, I'm stymied by them tipping their hand so early. Typically, they are quite Apple-like and tight lipped about new product.
sweet, i've been waiting for Virtual Boy 2 FOREVER!
Oh God that brings back such funny memories. There was a kid at daycare that would bring that thing and want to play it, and we would walk up and wipe boogers on his cheek as he was playing.
I know it sounds fucked up, but he really was a prick, and he never learned to take his face out of that damn thing to avoid boogers.
Comments
Nintendo has some good research and ideas but they never implement them well.
Apple should just buy them and put them out of their misery. Rape the patent library and send everyone home.
WORD!!! Nintendo games for the Apple TV too!!
and bring all of the development to the states.
All of these Apple vs. Nintendo articles are just plain retarded.
The DS is a product aimed at kids and teens, 6-16 year olds, just like the Gameboy was before it. Cheap game system with cheap games that keeps kids out of parents' hair for an hour or two each day, and all the time in the car, on the train, in the airplane, etc.
The iPad, iPhone and iPod are not competitors. There aren't very many parents out there thinking about a video game system to keep their kids busy in the back seat of the car who are going to pick them up an iPhone or iPad. That's just stupid.
And all the doctored up BS about iPods taking away market share from Nintendo and Playstation is a load of crap. That's like saying that there are 200 millions cars in the USA with stereos, which means Toyota, Honda and Chrysler have a 60% market share of mobile music players, therefore beating the iPod.
You obviously don't have kids.
Nintendo has publicly stated that they consider the iPod touch a threat to their portable gaming console.
No they haven't.
The closest I've found to that anywhere on the net was of course AppleInsider's "report" :
"Satoru Iwata, president of Nintendo, is reportedly an Apple fan who uses an iPhone and Mac laptop. He also denied that there is a rivalry between his company and Apple, noting that attempts to create one makes him "uncomfortable." But Iwata also allegedly sees the iPhone as enough of a threat that Nintendo must work to stand out from it and devices like it.
"If we can't make clear why customers pay a lot of money to play games on Nintendo hardware and Nintendo software and differentiate ourselves from games on the mobile phone or iPhone, then our future is dark," he said."
The third sentence is AI giving the article a slant. Iwata's own quotes seem to say that the DS isn't an iPhone and won't be an iPhone.
Again, saying the $120 DS is competing with the $500 + contract iPhone or iPad is retarded.
Again, do you really think any kids are thinking about buying an iPhone instead of a DS? How about parents shopping for their kids?
Well stated.
No, that is not "well stated" at all. Neither of them has a shadow of a clue
No they haven't.
The closest I've found to that anywhere on the net was of course AppleInsider's "report" :
"Satoru Iwata, president of Nintendo, is reportedly an Apple fan who uses an iPhone and Mac laptop. He also denied that there is a rivalry between his company and Apple, noting that attempts to create one makes him "uncomfortable." But Iwata also allegedly sees the iPhone as enough of a threat that Nintendo must work to stand out from it and devices like it.
"If we can't make clear why customers pay a lot of money to play games on Nintendo hardware and Nintendo software and differentiate ourselves from games on the mobile phone or iPhone, then our future is dark," he said."
The third sentence is AI giving the article a slant. Iwata's own quotes seem to say that the DS isn't an iPhone and won't be an iPhone.
Again, saying the $120 DS is competing with the $500 + contract iPhone or iPad is retarded.
Again, do you really think any kids are thinking about buying an iPhone instead of a DS? How about parents shopping for their kids?
Yes, they have, repeatedly, and they (and anyone else) would be a total moron not to.
It's not something up for debate. The difference in value between a DS and an iPod touch is a joke (no one should even bother with the current DS) and there is no changing it, unless Nintendo suddenly goes with Open GL and $1 games.
Not gonna happen.
All of these Apple vs. Nintendo articles are just plain retarded.
The DS is a product aimed at kids and teens, 6-16 year olds, just like the Gameboy was before it. Cheap game system with cheap games that keeps kids out of parents' hair for an hour or two each day, and all the time in the car, on the train, in the airplane, etc.
The iPad, iPhone and iPod are not competitors. There aren't very many parents out there thinking about a video game system to keep their kids busy in the back seat of the car who are going to pick them up an iPhone or iPad. That's just stupid.
And all the doctored up BS about iPods taking away market share from Nintendo and Playstation is a load of crap. That's like saying that there are 200 millions cars in the USA with stereos, which means Toyota, Honda and Chrysler have a 60% market share of mobile music players, therefore beating the iPod.
No, it's not stupid. I'm a parent of three -- 11, 8 and 5. I don't really want them playing video games too much. I certainly am not going to expose them to the more expensive and supposedly "better" games they are apparently "missing out on" since we have no "real" gaming console, portable or otherwise.
I do, however, have an iPod Touch, and I can barely get it away from my kids. It's great for travelling. I would never buy three cheaper portable gaming devices, whatever the cost. But they may well have the iPod Touch all to themselves as soon as I get an iPad. Then I will be competing for use of that, too. If I could get 5 iPads, or 4 more iPods, I would. It's true that I won't be "picking one up" for each child, but I would certainly get another one or two before I ever even considered a gaming console. To me, gaming is a waste of money, and that's stupid -- I would save up, or find a second-hand iPod Touch instead of going down that route, every time. Do something right, or don't do it.
So, get an iPod Touch, use it for your shopping list, synced calendars, contacts, car mileage, email, you name it -- and let the kids wrestle over it while you are driving. Their games and movies and artwork are all on there. Win-win. No contest between that and a gaming console! None whatsoever. I think I know what they will be saving their money for, too.
The games are fine; I don't know what they are missing, and we don't care. Head to head games (even on one iPod) are fun and my five-year-old beats me most of the time. There are also a lot of useful and educational programs for them, too. The five year-old has apps to help him read, art programs, information, etc. What more could I ask for. My kids are not going to be gamers, they are going to be productive, computer literate, web savvy kids.
If there are many other parents like me, and kids like mine, then Nintendo and Sony do have something to worry about.
The issue Nintendo will face is if people need and will buy phones and the phones can provide games, what reason do they have to buy a DS too? 3D just won't be enough. Their locked-in franchises will be the main thing that sells the devices but most developers can just as easily make the same games for the iPhone/iPod.
Yep - Nintendo announced this far too early. Strange particularly for them to do this.
Secondly, sometimes I find people (especially in these parts) are a little blinded by Apple.
For example, Nintendo has sold more then 125 million units, 2004-2010
To put this into perspective, the iPod, one of the greatest consumer success stories of all time and cultural icon of the 00's has sold 250 million units, 2001-2010.
To put it bluntly, the DS is an absolute phenomenon, something which is rarely talked about and recognised in the media and generally on sites like this.
Saying that Nintendo are combating Apple's creep into the gaming market is pure sensationalist bs. Sure Nintendo are watching their competition, obviously, but these guys are damn juggernauts, and it will take A LOT more for them to even break a sweat.
eg "After the iPad hits the streets, I feel bad for Nintendo, the aftershocks will be painful for them." Utter nonsense.
The problem for Nintendo is that they make the majority of their profit on the games, not on the hardware. Apple presents the following problem: because the iPhone OS games are so inexpensive and easy to obtain, Apple has pushed the "reset" button on valuation in the industry. Customers are becoming accustomed (again) to paying up for good hardware and being stingy for the software that they get to run on it.
So although Nintendo is moving many units of the portable players, they are scared sh**less of the precedent that Apple is setting. And they should be, because they will be unable to command so high a profit margin on their hardware. Their only hope is that they can get their "app store" equivalent to be as ubiquitous as Apple's. Otherwise they won't sell enough titles to make up for the fact that those titles aren't so profitable anymore.
Thompson
You obviously don't have kids.
Ok, "Spliff Monkey", you're obviously the expert on raising children...
Nintendo does not have this problem. I have a DS, and although I rarely use it due to a huge lack of time right now (med school), I must say that it's a great portable game system. By far, the best one ever released.
I think the iPhone has actually grown the portable game market more than it's "stolen" market share. What part of Apple's market share is new?
No, it's not stupid. I'm a parent of three -- 11, 8 and 5. I don't really want them playing video games too much. I certainly am not going to expose them to the more expensive and supposedly "better" games they are apparently "missing out on" since we have no "real" gaming console, portable or otherwise.
I do, however, have an iPod Touch, and I can barely get it away from my kids. It's great for travelling. I would never buy three cheaper portable gaming devices, whatever the cost. But they may well have the iPod Touch all to themselves as soon as I get an iPad. Then I will be competing for use of that, too. If I could get 5 iPads, or 4 more iPods, I would. It's true that I won't be "picking one up" for each child, but I would certainly get another one or two before I ever even considered a gaming console. To me, gaming is a waste of money, and that's stupid -- I would save up, or find a second-hand iPod Touch instead of going down that route, every time. Do something right, or don't do it.
So, get an iPod Touch, use it for your shopping list, synced calendars, contacts, car mileage, email, you name it -- and let the kids wrestle over it while you are driving. Their games and movies and artwork are all on there. Win-win. No contest between that and a gaming console! None whatsoever. I think I know what they will be saving their money for, too.
The games are fine; I don't know what they are missing, and we don't care. Head to head games (even on one iPod) are fun and my five-year-old beats me most of the time. There are also a lot of useful and educational programs for them, too. The five year-old has apps to help him read, art programs, information, etc. What more could I ask for. My kids are not going to be gamers, they are going to be productive, computer literate, web savvy kids.
If there are many other parents like me, and kids like mine, then Nintendo and Sony do have something to worry about.
Well, you've just helped prove my point. You write in your first paragraph that you have no intention of "exposing" you kids to a dedicated device. Therefore, no gaming devices have gone into your decision making. Your purchase of an iPod does not take away a sale from nintendo or sony, because you never would have purchased their products in the first place. Therefore, in your case, Apple is not competing with Nintendo.
Yes, they have, repeatedly, and they (and anyone else) would be a total moron not to.
It's not something up for debate. The difference in value between a DS and an iPod touch is a joke (no one should even bother with the current DS) and there is no changing it, unless Nintendo suddenly goes with Open GL and $1 games.
Not gonna happen.
We're not talking about value, we're talking about market. What 10 year old cares about syncing his calendar, and what 10 year old prefers an openGL racecar game for $1 to legend of zelda, f-zero or super mario brothers?
Yep - Nintendo announced this far too early. Strange particularly for them to do this.
I agree.
Secondly, sometimes I find people (especially in these parts) are a little blinded by Apple.
For example, Nintendo has sold more then 125 million units, 2004-2010
To put this into perspective, the iPod, one of the greatest consumer success stories of all time and cultural icon of the 00's has sold 250 million units, 2001-2010.
I'm not what the point is since it paints Apple better than Nintendo with those stats of twice as many units in less than doubt the double time which means an average higher unit sale per quarter.
To put it bluntly, the DS is an absolute phenomenon, something which is rarely talked about and recognised in the media and generally on sites like this.
Saying that Nintendo are combating Apple's creep into the gaming market is pure sensationalist bs. Sure Nintendo are watching their competition, obviously, but these guys are damn juggernauts, and it will take A LOT more for them to even break a sweat.
Not BS in the least. Apple making major headway into the mobile gaming revenue is newsworthy and why Nintendo is concerned, as they've stated.
The DSi was a clear response to the iPhone OS's quick and easy app purchase system. Cartridges are yesterday's tech. Being a juggernaut doesn't mean you can't lose marketshare or profit to a competitor, nor does it mean that you can completely fall out of favour with the public at large. This has happened plenty of times to Nintendo and they've innovated their way back to the top. The 3DS is just the latest attempt at doing so.
But it's not just the iPhone they are worried about, it's every modern smartphone that is fast becoming standard for many buyers, all with powerful GPUs, easy access app stores and rich SDKs being used by the same game developers found on the DS platform. It's a brave new world.
I don't think it's got anything to do with the games themselves particularly. I buy games for the iPhone but not because I view it as a gaming device, simply because I have one and it has some decent games available. Nintendo will bring out another DS but it will only be a games device, not a phone, not a GPS device, not a music player, not a web browser.
The issue Nintendo will face is if people need and will buy phones and the phones can provide games, what reason do they have to buy a DS too? 3D just won't be enough. Their locked-in franchises will be the main thing that sells the devices but most developers can just as easily make the same games for the iPhone/iPod.
Well for one the DS is a completely different market, they hit a much younger crowd here in the states (we're talking 16 and under...only dedicated gamers will buy a DS if older, but in japan its very common to see adults with a DS walking around).
Nintendo has a stronger following and brand recognition than Apple and by a mile, since the Gameboy it has been the definitive mobile gaming experience and kept the company afloat until its Wii/DS were out during the Gamecube era.
The iPhone is just that, a PHONE. It can web browse, GPS, all that good stuff, and game and there are a few good ones out (Sonic, FF2, SF4, NFS, Crystal Defenders, Nazi Zombies, and all my classic SNES/Genesis games) No one buys an iphone for gaming and the gaming experience on the device is mediocre to terrible, Nazi Zombie controls drive this point home. The fact is the gaming experience is subpar and dont hit the the same target audiences.
The 3DS is a gaming device for younger kids but still packs power, Tegra 2 power to be exact, to deliver a rich experience. Simply put, Nintendo isnt going to start slapping in pointless features just so it can compete with the iPhone. Nintendo has shown that it can do a lot with a little and have the most marketshare amongst this console generation (and drives home the point that Nintendo has its audience identified) while others scramble to offer up the same experience.
Microsofts WP7S with Mobile Xbox Gaming is a bigger threat to Nintendo than Apple is.
We're not talking about value, we're talking about market. What 10 year old cares about syncing his calendar, and what 10 year old prefers an openGL racecar game for $1 to legend of zelda, f-zero or super mario brothers?
Clearly franchises have no place in this convo, even when just one of said IP brings in more revenue than Apples entire "gaming revenue" for the entire year.
Yep - Nintendo announced this far too early. Strange particularly for them to do this.
Secondly, sometimes I find people (especially in these parts) are a little blinded by Apple.
For example, Nintendo has sold more then 125 million units, 2004-2010
To put this into perspective, the iPod, one of the greatest consumer success stories of all time and cultural icon of the 00's has sold 250 million units, 2001-2010.
To put it bluntly, the DS is an absolute phenomenon, something which is rarely talked about and recognised in the media and generally on sites like this.
Saying that Nintendo are combating Apple's creep into the gaming market is pure sensationalist bs. Sure Nintendo are watching their competition, obviously, but these guys are damn juggernauts, and it will take A LOT more for them to even break a sweat.
eg "After the iPad hits the streets, I feel bad for Nintendo, the aftershocks will be painful for them." Utter nonsense.
QFT
When Apple is supposedly putting pressure on Nintendo in the portable gaming category, Nitnendo sold the most DS units in a quarter ever. At this point Nitnedo has noting at all to fear from Apple. The 3DS announcement is not business as usual for Nintendo but the timing is right for a DS successor. Plus there have been rumors and buzzing about a new DS for months now.
Though I'm extremely excited to see what Nitnendo will come up with in the 3DS, I'm stymied by them tipping their hand so early. Typically, they are quite Apple-like and tight lipped about new product.
sweet, i've been waiting for Virtual Boy 2 FOREVER!
Oh God that brings back such funny memories. There was a kid at daycare that would bring that thing and want to play it, and we would walk up and wipe boogers on his cheek as he was playing.
I know it sounds fucked up, but he really was a prick, and he never learned to take his face out of that damn thing to avoid boogers.