I disagree. Nintendo is its own enemy. I, particularly, enjoy innovation. If you continue to push the envelope and build awesome products, I'll in turn be happy to lay down my cash for your efforts.
I wouldn't count Nintendo out, they have fallen out of favour many times and come back to dominate. They have the money and clout to do it again. I think they may have to break their own mold to do it, like a console that is also a great internet capable device or a handheld that is also a great PMP or even a phone.
Funny, but isn't this the same Nintendo that was telling everyone who would listen (mostly bloggers) that they weren't concerned about Apple?
I guess it finally sunk in that Apple products are already responsible for 25% of the money spent on handheld game software.
They never asked me, but if they did, one of the biggest things they could do to increase profits is fix that lousy excuse for manufacturing. I just bought a Wii a month or two ago and it took forever just to find one in stock. WTF? The product has been out for years without any significant changes and they STILL can't manufacture enough to keep them in stock? It's one thing when it's a brand new product, but after a couple of years, they should have figured out how to make them.
Not only are they losing money on lost sales (some people have chosen other game consoles instead), but it's also an indication of manufacturing inefficiency which is undoubtedly increasing their cost per unit manufactured - probably by quite a bit.
not strictly correct.
ninty has always had a very high profit margin on their consoles their cost per unit has always been very low, hence the huge operating profit they gain from console sales - so IMO the manufacturing process won't effect sales - Perhaps it's a regional thing - they are widely available over here.
The handheld market is somewhat different, while yes the iPhone/Pod/Pad may become a very interesting market for games, they are not what one would typically describe as a 'classic' handheld experience, kids/teens always have lapped up Ninty's handheld offering and will continue to do so.
There is room in the market for both Apple and Ninty to make a very tidy profit.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lemon Bon Bon.
Insightful.
I can see Nintendo going the way of Sega and becoming software only if they're not careful. Personally, I think the writing is on the wall for Nintendo. They got one upped by the usurper Sony with the Playstation I. Their Game Cube took a beating at the hands of the PS2. They repackaged the Game Cube into the Wii with the motion sensor thing. Sure, it was a lucky 'fad' for them. It's been near the top for two Christmas in a row. It's sold plenty and had a good run. The whole family pink purse angle on the Wii and the DS deserves some credit to Nintendo. But where they pioneered casual gaming, Apple is going to trample over their carcass and take casual gaming to the next level. ie the 'eco system' is where Apple have them beat. Plain and simple.
I think Nintento's star or time is on the wane. They can't seem to manufacture the Wii. The iPad costs a little more and offers something far more compelling overall for the whole family. Want a DS or an iPod touch? I found the touch to be far more compelling. Internet browsing and cool, simple fun games. And the iPod touch has a C64 emulator.
DS vs the iPod touch. One looks childish the other is the hot gadget to have.
Wii vs iPad. Sure. A price difference of £250. Buy five Nintendo games at £40 and you could have bought an iPad instead of a Wii. I know which I'd rather have. ...and the iPad is something the whole family can use. Remember the initial price of the PS3? And the iPad offers alot more to the family than mere gaming.
Apple's brand is much more grown up and today's kids like that aspirational sophistication.
iPad/Pod games are fun, cheap or free. And the quality is rising. I find many of the DS games either patronising or to quagmirish. Personal opinion. And the price. DS game for £39-40 vs a legion of free or cheap iPod/Pad games? No contest. No packaging. Want the latest hot game? I don't go down to Gameland. I just download it. For me? Apple have the future and Nintendo's nuts in the palm of their hand.
Nintendo would be better served by joining the gold rush. They have some great game IP.
I don't expect to see them cave in the forseeable future. I don't see how Nintendo can turn their back on Sony thinking they've beaten them. Another price cut will see a PS3 come back on them. If it had been cheaper, it would have mopped up against the 360 and Wii. My opinion.
But they are going to take a beating. No mistake about that. And they're not the only ones.
If the DS+ is the best they've got...they better get medicare insurance.
Lemon Bon Bon.
We do need to get some things straight, Nintendo will never be in the same situation as Sega any time in the future, sure they may have never been the hugely popular console in the past, but they have always made a profit on hardware, something that neither sony nor Microsoft can claim - they aren't going anywhere. This will ensure that Ninty will remain in both the handheld market and home consoles for a long, long time
Now for the typical gaming crowd - quantity does not equal quality. Sure there are a vast number of free/cheap games from the app store, but let's be fair the quality of them is mostly suspect. Give any gamer the choice and they will choose the better gameplay, not what's cheap. Sure, I have no doubt that Apple will continue to cannibalise the 'causal' gamer market, but and this is the main issue here, there are always more 'core' gamers that are more than happy to have more in depth and traditional gaming experiences. As it stands right now, the iphone/pad/touch does not offer the typical gamer epic, involved games and to be fair it never will, primarily due to the control scheme - don't get me wrong there are some genres that I see really making a resurgence on the pad/touch/phone - point and click adventures (as seen by sam and max) and rts/strategy games ( I personally can't wait to see a pad version of Command and Conquer)
As for the childish look of each device...well, let's be fair, the DS isn't a mobile device that's designed to be sleek and sexy, it's a game machine, you know, the one that has a control system that actually works well.
I never understand how that a device that is specifically designed for games is ever going to be seriously harmed by a device that just happens to have games on it. But that's just me.
Point is the market is more than sufficient to keep all the platforms profitable.
Except that you're wrong on that. Nintendo has been targeting both the "casual gamer" via Wii Sports and such to expand their user base (and quite successfully) and the "hardcore gamer" with it's first-party franchises like Mario and Zelda. To "hardcore gamers", those titles sell systems (I would know; I got a Nintendo 64 for the specific purpose of playing that generation's Zelda).
Likewise, Nintendo has begun to adapt to the download market with their WiiWare and DSWare games for their systems. And the Wii itself was an adaption since Sony and Microsoft had fairly well locked up the "hardcore gaming" market.
And when they're not kicking someone's a**, they DO resort to put downs and comparisons. And NEVER actually show what a Mac can do (since it's really nothing special compared to a PC). And really, with the iPhone, all they did was leave the comparisons to AT&T handle.
It's my opinion that hardcore gamers today play their hardcore games on computers not gaming consoles.
At this point, everyone should view Apple as an enemy. Suing their own customers, abusing laws to censor criticism, sending special agents to search people's homes? What's next? They're like the Chinese Communist Party of computing. Control, control, control.
Well Bongo, if Apple keeps producing products like the Mac, Mac OS X, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad because it keeps tight control over its hardware/software platforms, and keeps idiots like you and Adobe out in the cold, that is perfectly fine by me. Products like the iPhone and the iPad are absolutely revolutionary in the computer industry and come after decades of anarchy created by Microsoft and the techo geeks who make their living out of selling and supporting crappy products. Apple will decisively win this 'war' simply because they design and sell much, much better products for normal people who just want to get on with their work/play without computer hardware or software getting in their way.
The rabble who call themselves Apple's 'competitors' can choose their own method of extinction for all I care unless they show they have learnt how to design and build good products.
And when they're not kicking someone's a**, they DO resort to put downs and comparisons. And NEVER actually show what a Mac can do (since it's really nothing special compared to a PC). And really, with the iPhone, all they did was leave the comparisons to AT&T handle.
You introduced computers, I specifically didn't. The "I'm a Mac" campaign is clearly different from their approach to phone marketing, which is what I was commenting on. And the AT&T comparisons had more to do with AT&T fighting back against Verizon about network coverage, not about comparing hardware. Bottom line: I'm open to criticism for what I say, not for what I didn't.
In the iPhone campaign it was ALL about what the iPhone could do.
Nintendo knows how to make QUALITY casual gamer games. This won't happen on the iPod or iPod Touch. The Wii has a much stronger following than you know. You can keep calling it a fad but Wii and Wii games do make Nintendo and 3rd parties a lot of money.
The mobile arena is the only area where Nintendo will have to start thinking about the future. After the Gamecube had weak game and console sales, the Wii seems to put them in a much better place.
Also, "the enemy of the future" should be replaced with OUR "Enemy of the Future" (as they are quoting the first person).
Nintendo knows how to make QUALITY casual gamer games.
Hmm, perhaps we very different definitions of the word "casual" but I think any device that is designed primarily for games and requires developers to spend a great deal on even get started puts it out of the realm of "casual".
I no longer have a Wii or a GameBoy, have never bought more than a handful of games for a console or handheld I've owned. I'm pretty much the definition of casual gamer, yet I've got dozens of paid iPhone games that I consider to be of high quality.
Just like with a camera, "The best gaming console is the one you have on you." Nintendo has a following has the engineering and has the finances to wait for a proper opportunity, but they will have to find that opportunity and I assure you it will require Nintendo to move into areas it has little to no expertise.
"Enemy" is a strong word, likely because Japanese translations from these guys are occasionally "off".
Calling Nintendo lazy is ridiculous. They're a lot of things, but lazy isn't one of them.
Nintendo is not going to compete with Apple directly; that is not their style. So get it out of your heads now that for one to win the other will suffer and fail. They'll co-exist quite successfully.
Apple is starting to chip into Nintendo's revenue of short and simple casual games. All this means is that their next portable, the 3DS, will have it's own game app store for the casual cheap titles. Along with normal media for the deeper experiences.
Don't get your panties in a bunch over a provocative headline.
That was supposed to add credibility to his conclusion - I think. No research is required, we're all aware that the iBook store is very immature at this stage. Like you implied, though, give the kids in Cupertino time.
Are people really going to use the iBook store? It makes sense with apps, games, movies and music because there isn't really an alternative... but with the Kindle app available it seems kind of crazy to me to use the iBook store.
Are people really going to use the iBook store? It makes sense with apps, games, movies and music because there isn't really an alternative... but with the Kindle app available it seems kind of crazy to me to use the iBook store.
For the following reason, I might use the iBook store. I spend $45 at Costco during their Thanksgiving sale to get $60 worth of iTunes card. I then go to the iBook store to buy books. If the price of the kindle store and the iBook store are the same, I'd just saved $15.
Are people really going to use the iBook store? It makes sense with apps, games, movies and music because there isn't really an alternative... but with the Kindle app available it seems kind of crazy to me to use the iBook store.
It all comes down to convenience and quality. The iBook app and iBookstore both look better than anything I've seen from the Kindle app.
Hmmm where'd the trolls who continue to trumpet that Apple is not a threat to the game market go? Perhaps they need to talk to Nintendo and let them know their findings!
Agreed, including Nit's CEO who said "he didn't see how Apple is serious competition for them" - approx 3 months ago?
Go and play that very small violin with Adobe you petulant infant.
I can't believe I'm saying this - even MS is doing a better job of coping with their mistake of discounting Apple's competition - you don't see them 'crying', they're just trying to catch up.
Lol more like enemy of right here right now. Iphone is killing DS and for a good reason. Who wants a device that can only do one thing? Even traditional game consoles are now Blue Ray players, hulu and windows media hubs.
1. People who would buy a DS or a PSP do so because they want to play games. While the PSP is also a decent media player, I've never heard of anyone buying one for that. People who buy an iPhone buy one because they want a cellphone. I've never heard of someone buying an iPhone for the games it has.
2. Recently games have been gaining momentum in the mobile market, now games for phones (including the iPhone) currently have limitations. Sure the tilt racing game is fun, but do you honestly think that someone will go "Wow I can tilt-a race for $10 on my phone... screw Zelda, screw Mario... ". I think its more the fact that the kind of people who would buy a dsi ware game will not shell $200 - $250 for a DS just to play that Dsiware game and just get a phone. Sure the game that made gameboy (tetris) now has a broader market on an iPhone that as a DS game. However, if you want to play THAT game (Mario, Zelda, Golden Sun) you are going to get a DS, and chances are due to the LCD screen most of the time the playing will be in your home on the couch.
3. The Wii trumped by the iPad? Ok, the iPad is a portable device useable by ONE person. The Wii allows four players, you really think the family sitting down and each pulling out an iPad will trump everyone standing up and playing wii sports? Or how about Secret of Mana, Life Force, Metal Slug?
4. Hardcore gaming depends on which forum you are at. Hell to me a hardcore gamer is someone with Guardian Heroes and 4 controllers. My co worker it would be pwning n00bs in Starcraft, for another it is Nethack on a VAX terminal. And to my mom its a CCG known as A Game of Thrones.
What Apple is doing is providing non gamers and very casual gamers with an eco system to play around with and tinker. They are encroaching on the fringes of the market. The reason wii sales are down is more that the system has achieved peak saturation in the market.
While I'm not really a fanbois of either camp, I do own both Nintendo and Apple stuff. Looking forward to Nintendo's counter as their current efforts are just the same ol same ol.
Its kind of strange why Nintendo should fear Apple. Both make hardware for different market and they have their own space and target audience. It just happen that Apple's iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad hardware has this extra feature/function to play games. Further its not Apple that creates the games for their devices but are the developers. So, why be so fearful! Think out of the box literally and have your labs turn partial to developer games for their devices. Its win-win situation.
Heck, I got that in my first day. If only real bowling were as easy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by icyfog
Is this the same Nintendo talking head who praised Apple a few months ago?
I don't know about praising Apple, but it's the same Nintendo who said Apple wasn't a danger to their mobile business just a short while ago. I guess they're past the 'let's bluff and try to convince investors that everything is OK' and into the 'we have bad financial results, so we need a scapegoat' stage.
Quote:
Originally Posted by herbapou
The wii is getting pretty outdated, you kind of need to expect some kind of slowdown at some point. They need to upgrade the Wii for starters and make the ds multifunction.
Even without upgrading the Wii, they need to fix their manufacturing problems. It's not rocket science. When you have to search 30 or more stores (including online) looking for a Wii and then have to pay over list on eBay in order to get one more than 2 years after product launch, there's a serious problem. They have undoubtedly lost customers who would have picked one up if it had been on the shelf.
Wii is a different kind of game. It doesn't require the fastest processors-at least the games I play. I suppose it would be more attractive if it were faster or had higher resolution, but I'm not sure it would be any more fun to play. There's a little retro charm to it. Still, it IS time to come out with Wii 2 - even if just for marketing reasons.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drow_Swordsman
Nintendo knows how to make QUALITY casual gamer games. This won't happen on the iPod or iPod Touch. The Wii has a much stronger following than you know. You can keep calling it a fad but Wii and Wii games do make Nintendo and 3rd parties a lot of money.
Why are you comparing the Wii to the iPad/iPhone? They're entirely different animals. The iPad is not, in its present form, at least, competing with the Wii. Rather, it's competing with the DS.
As for the rest, what is it about hardcore gamers that makes them think they can define what a quality game is for everyone else? For casual gamers, there are some great games on the iPad/iPhone. They're not the super fast, high resolution shoot-em-up games that drive the PC game market, but there are some really great games - if you define 'great' by 'these are enjoyable to play'.
Comments
I disagree. Nintendo is its own enemy. I, particularly, enjoy innovation. If you continue to push the envelope and build awesome products, I'll in turn be happy to lay down my cash for your efforts.
I wouldn't count Nintendo out, they have fallen out of favour many times and come back to dominate. They have the money and clout to do it again. I think they may have to break their own mold to do it, like a console that is also a great internet capable device or a handheld that is also a great PMP or even a phone.
Funny, but isn't this the same Nintendo that was telling everyone who would listen (mostly bloggers) that they weren't concerned about Apple?
I guess it finally sunk in that Apple products are already responsible for 25% of the money spent on handheld game software.
They never asked me, but if they did, one of the biggest things they could do to increase profits is fix that lousy excuse for manufacturing. I just bought a Wii a month or two ago and it took forever just to find one in stock. WTF? The product has been out for years without any significant changes and they STILL can't manufacture enough to keep them in stock? It's one thing when it's a brand new product, but after a couple of years, they should have figured out how to make them.
Not only are they losing money on lost sales (some people have chosen other game consoles instead), but it's also an indication of manufacturing inefficiency which is undoubtedly increasing their cost per unit manufactured - probably by quite a bit.
not strictly correct.
ninty has always had a very high profit margin on their consoles their cost per unit has always been very low, hence the huge operating profit they gain from console sales - so IMO the manufacturing process won't effect sales - Perhaps it's a regional thing - they are widely available over here.
The handheld market is somewhat different, while yes the iPhone/Pod/Pad may become a very interesting market for games, they are not what one would typically describe as a 'classic' handheld experience, kids/teens always have lapped up Ninty's handheld offering and will continue to do so.
There is room in the market for both Apple and Ninty to make a very tidy profit.
Insightful.
I can see Nintendo going the way of Sega and becoming software only if they're not careful. Personally, I think the writing is on the wall for Nintendo. They got one upped by the usurper Sony with the Playstation I. Their Game Cube took a beating at the hands of the PS2. They repackaged the Game Cube into the Wii with the motion sensor thing. Sure, it was a lucky 'fad' for them. It's been near the top for two Christmas in a row. It's sold plenty and had a good run. The whole family pink purse angle on the Wii and the DS deserves some credit to Nintendo. But where they pioneered casual gaming, Apple is going to trample over their carcass and take casual gaming to the next level. ie the 'eco system' is where Apple have them beat. Plain and simple.
I think Nintento's star or time is on the wane. They can't seem to manufacture the Wii. The iPad costs a little more and offers something far more compelling overall for the whole family. Want a DS or an iPod touch? I found the touch to be far more compelling. Internet browsing and cool, simple fun games. And the iPod touch has a C64 emulator.
DS vs the iPod touch. One looks childish the other is the hot gadget to have.
Wii vs iPad. Sure. A price difference of £250. Buy five Nintendo games at £40 and you could have bought an iPad instead of a Wii. I know which I'd rather have. ...and the iPad is something the whole family can use. Remember the initial price of the PS3? And the iPad offers alot more to the family than mere gaming.
Apple's brand is much more grown up and today's kids like that aspirational sophistication.
iPad/Pod games are fun, cheap or free. And the quality is rising. I find many of the DS games either patronising or to quagmirish. Personal opinion. And the price. DS game for £39-40 vs a legion of free or cheap iPod/Pad games? No contest. No packaging. Want the latest hot game? I don't go down to Gameland. I just download it. For me? Apple have the future and Nintendo's nuts in the palm of their hand.
Nintendo would be better served by joining the gold rush. They have some great game IP.
I don't expect to see them cave in the forseeable future. I don't see how Nintendo can turn their back on Sony thinking they've beaten them. Another price cut will see a PS3 come back on them. If it had been cheaper, it would have mopped up against the 360 and Wii. My opinion.
But they are going to take a beating. No mistake about that. And they're not the only ones.
If the DS+ is the best they've got...they better get medicare insurance.
Lemon Bon Bon.
We do need to get some things straight, Nintendo will never be in the same situation as Sega any time in the future, sure they may have never been the hugely popular console in the past, but they have always made a profit on hardware, something that neither sony nor Microsoft can claim - they aren't going anywhere. This will ensure that Ninty will remain in both the handheld market and home consoles for a long, long time
Now for the typical gaming crowd - quantity does not equal quality. Sure there are a vast number of free/cheap games from the app store, but let's be fair the quality of them is mostly suspect. Give any gamer the choice and they will choose the better gameplay, not what's cheap. Sure, I have no doubt that Apple will continue to cannibalise the 'causal' gamer market, but and this is the main issue here, there are always more 'core' gamers that are more than happy to have more in depth and traditional gaming experiences. As it stands right now, the iphone/pad/touch does not offer the typical gamer epic, involved games and to be fair it never will, primarily due to the control scheme - don't get me wrong there are some genres that I see really making a resurgence on the pad/touch/phone - point and click adventures (as seen by sam and max) and rts/strategy games ( I personally can't wait to see a pad version of Command and Conquer)
As for the childish look of each device...well, let's be fair, the DS isn't a mobile device that's designed to be sleek and sexy, it's a game machine, you know, the one that has a control system that actually works well.
I never understand how that a device that is specifically designed for games is ever going to be seriously harmed by a device that just happens to have games on it. But that's just me.
Point is the market is more than sufficient to keep all the platforms profitable.
Except that you're wrong on that. Nintendo has been targeting both the "casual gamer" via Wii Sports and such to expand their user base (and quite successfully) and the "hardcore gamer" with it's first-party franchises like Mario and Zelda. To "hardcore gamers", those titles sell systems (I would know; I got a Nintendo 64 for the specific purpose of playing that generation's Zelda).
Likewise, Nintendo has begun to adapt to the download market with their WiiWare and DSWare games for their systems. And the Wii itself was an adaption since Sony and Microsoft had fairly well locked up the "hardcore gaming" market.
And when they're not kicking someone's a**, they DO resort to put downs and comparisons. And NEVER actually show what a Mac can do (since it's really nothing special compared to a PC). And really, with the iPhone, all they did was leave the comparisons to AT&T handle.
It's my opinion that hardcore gamers today play their hardcore games on computers not gaming consoles.
At this point, everyone should view Apple as an enemy. Suing their own customers, abusing laws to censor criticism, sending special agents to search people's homes? What's next? They're like the Chinese Communist Party of computing. Control, control, control.
Well Bongo, if Apple keeps producing products like the Mac, Mac OS X, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad because it keeps tight control over its hardware/software platforms, and keeps idiots like you and Adobe out in the cold, that is perfectly fine by me. Products like the iPhone and the iPad are absolutely revolutionary in the computer industry and come after decades of anarchy created by Microsoft and the techo geeks who make their living out of selling and supporting crappy products. Apple will decisively win this 'war' simply because they design and sell much, much better products for normal people who just want to get on with their work/play without computer hardware or software getting in their way.
The rabble who call themselves Apple's 'competitors' can choose their own method of extinction for all I care unless they show they have learnt how to design and build good products.
And when they're not kicking someone's a**, they DO resort to put downs and comparisons. And NEVER actually show what a Mac can do (since it's really nothing special compared to a PC). And really, with the iPhone, all they did was leave the comparisons to AT&T handle.
You introduced computers, I specifically didn't. The "I'm a Mac" campaign is clearly different from their approach to phone marketing, which is what I was commenting on. And the AT&T comparisons had more to do with AT&T fighting back against Verizon about network coverage, not about comparing hardware. Bottom line: I'm open to criticism for what I say, not for what I didn't.
In the iPhone campaign it was ALL about what the iPhone could do.
The mobile arena is the only area where Nintendo will have to start thinking about the future. After the Gamecube had weak game and console sales, the Wii seems to put them in a much better place.
Also, "the enemy of the future" should be replaced with OUR "Enemy of the Future" (as they are quoting the first person).
Nintendo knows how to make QUALITY casual gamer games.
Hmm, perhaps we very different definitions of the word "casual" but I think any device that is designed primarily for games and requires developers to spend a great deal on even get started puts it out of the realm of "casual".
I no longer have a Wii or a GameBoy, have never bought more than a handful of games for a console or handheld I've owned. I'm pretty much the definition of casual gamer, yet I've got dozens of paid iPhone games that I consider to be of high quality.
Just like with a camera, "The best gaming console is the one you have on you." Nintendo has a following has the engineering and has the finances to wait for a proper opportunity, but they will have to find that opportunity and I assure you it will require Nintendo to move into areas it has little to no expertise.
Calling Nintendo lazy is ridiculous. They're a lot of things, but lazy isn't one of them.
Nintendo is not going to compete with Apple directly; that is not their style. So get it out of your heads now that for one to win the other will suffer and fail. They'll co-exist quite successfully.
Apple is starting to chip into Nintendo's revenue of short and simple casual games. All this means is that their next portable, the 3DS, will have it's own game app store for the casual cheap titles. Along with normal media for the deeper experiences.
Don't get your panties in a bunch over a provocative headline.
That was supposed to add credibility to his conclusion - I think. No research is required, we're all aware that the iBook store is very immature at this stage. Like you implied, though, give the kids in Cupertino time.
Are people really going to use the iBook store? It makes sense with apps, games, movies and music because there isn't really an alternative... but with the Kindle app available it seems kind of crazy to me to use the iBook store.
Are people really going to use the iBook store? It makes sense with apps, games, movies and music because there isn't really an alternative... but with the Kindle app available it seems kind of crazy to me to use the iBook store.
For the following reason, I might use the iBook store. I spend $45 at Costco during their Thanksgiving sale to get $60 worth of iTunes card. I then go to the iBook store to buy books. If the price of the kindle store and the iBook store are the same, I'd just saved $15.
Are people really going to use the iBook store? It makes sense with apps, games, movies and music because there isn't really an alternative... but with the Kindle app available it seems kind of crazy to me to use the iBook store.
It all comes down to convenience and quality. The iBook app and iBookstore both look better than anything I've seen from the Kindle app.
Grammar!
Call your grammar and your grampar too, it won't help.
Hmmm where'd the trolls who continue to trumpet that Apple is not a threat to the game market go? Perhaps they need to talk to Nintendo and let them know their findings!
Agreed, including Nit's CEO who said "he didn't see how Apple is serious competition for them" - approx 3 months ago?
Go and play that very small violin with Adobe you petulant infant.
I can't believe I'm saying this - even MS is doing a better job of coping with their mistake of discounting Apple's competition - you don't see them 'crying', they're just trying to catch up.
1. People who would buy a DS or a PSP do so because they want to play games. While the PSP is also a decent media player, I've never heard of anyone buying one for that. People who buy an iPhone buy one because they want a cellphone. I've never heard of someone buying an iPhone for the games it has.
2. Recently games have been gaining momentum in the mobile market, now games for phones (including the iPhone) currently have limitations. Sure the tilt racing game is fun, but do you honestly think that someone will go "Wow I can tilt-a race for $10 on my phone... screw Zelda, screw Mario... ". I think its more the fact that the kind of people who would buy a dsi ware game will not shell $200 - $250 for a DS just to play that Dsiware game and just get a phone. Sure the game that made gameboy (tetris) now has a broader market on an iPhone that as a DS game. However, if you want to play THAT game (Mario, Zelda, Golden Sun) you are going to get a DS, and chances are due to the LCD screen most of the time the playing will be in your home on the couch.
3. The Wii trumped by the iPad? Ok, the iPad is a portable device useable by ONE person. The Wii allows four players, you really think the family sitting down and each pulling out an iPad will trump everyone standing up and playing wii sports? Or how about Secret of Mana, Life Force, Metal Slug?
4. Hardcore gaming depends on which forum you are at. Hell to me a hardcore gamer is someone with Guardian Heroes and 4 controllers. My co worker it would be pwning n00bs in Starcraft, for another it is Nethack on a VAX terminal. And to my mom its a CCG known as A Game of Thrones.
What Apple is doing is providing non gamers and very casual gamers with an eco system to play around with and tinker. They are encroaching on the fringes of the market. The reason wii sales are down is more that the system has achieved peak saturation in the market.
I bowled a 266 in wii bowling
Heck, I got that in my first day. If only real bowling were as easy.
Is this the same Nintendo talking head who praised Apple a few months ago?
I don't know about praising Apple, but it's the same Nintendo who said Apple wasn't a danger to their mobile business just a short while ago. I guess they're past the 'let's bluff and try to convince investors that everything is OK' and into the 'we have bad financial results, so we need a scapegoat' stage.
The wii is getting pretty outdated, you kind of need to expect some kind of slowdown at some point. They need to upgrade the Wii for starters and make the ds multifunction.
Even without upgrading the Wii, they need to fix their manufacturing problems. It's not rocket science. When you have to search 30 or more stores (including online) looking for a Wii and then have to pay over list on eBay in order to get one more than 2 years after product launch, there's a serious problem. They have undoubtedly lost customers who would have picked one up if it had been on the shelf.
Wii is a different kind of game. It doesn't require the fastest processors-at least the games I play. I suppose it would be more attractive if it were faster or had higher resolution, but I'm not sure it would be any more fun to play. There's a little retro charm to it. Still, it IS time to come out with Wii 2 - even if just for marketing reasons.
Nintendo knows how to make QUALITY casual gamer games. This won't happen on the iPod or iPod Touch. The Wii has a much stronger following than you know. You can keep calling it a fad but Wii and Wii games do make Nintendo and 3rd parties a lot of money.
Why are you comparing the Wii to the iPad/iPhone? They're entirely different animals. The iPad is not, in its present form, at least, competing with the Wii. Rather, it's competing with the DS.
As for the rest, what is it about hardcore gamers that makes them think they can define what a quality game is for everyone else? For casual gamers, there are some great games on the iPad/iPhone. They're not the super fast, high resolution shoot-em-up games that drive the PC game market, but there are some really great games - if you define 'great' by 'these are enjoyable to play'.
Heck, I got that in my first day. If only real bowling were as easy.
shudap
It took me FOREVER to get there.