Nintendo president says Apple a bigger threat than Microsoft in games
The president of Nintendo of America said during an interview that Apple is more of a near-term threat than Microsoft in the gaming industry, but dismissed iPod and iPhone games as casual.
Reggie Fils-Aime admitted to Brian Caulfield of Forbes that Nintendo views Apple as a serious threat, while stressing that the iPhone and iPod are used mostly for casual games that provide a "welcome distraction."
?Do I think that in the near term they can hurt us more than Microsoft?? Fils-Aime said. ?Absolutely.?
Some of that hurt could come this holiday season, as Nintendo lacks a new device to drive sales. Though it has seen several minor revisions, the Nintendo DS handheld is now 6 years old, and the company's current generation console, the Wii, has been around for 4 years.
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata admitted last month that the company had originally hoped to release its 3DS handheld, which will feature glasses-free 3D gaming, in time for the holidays, but was unable to meet the goal. The device will instead ship on Feb. 26 in Japan and a month later in U.S. and Europe.
As more evidence of the company's struggles, Nintendo cut its profit forecast for the fiscal year by more than half last month. The company lowered its profit forecast from 200 billion yen ($2.39 billion) to 90 billion yen ($1.07 billion).
Fils-Aime remains undaunted, however, asserting that Nintendo has an edge because games on the Nintendo DS are more in-depth and can "consume." For example, Fils-Aime has spent 150 hours playing Dragon Quest. According to the Forbes report, Nintendo makes fourteen of the 20 best selling games for the current generation of gaming devices.
Apple isn't seen as the only threat to Nintendo, though. Fils-Aime says the Kyoto, Japan-based company is competing for people's time. "I compete with Zynga, I compete with surfing the net, I compete with the newspaper," said Fils-Aime.
For years, Nintendo has led the pack in the gaming industry, selling 20 million gaming devices in 2009, more than Microsoft and Sony combined. But, despite being a relative newcomer to the gaming device industry, Apple has the sales volume to compete with Nintendo. In the most recent quarter alone, Apple sold over 20 million iOS devices.
In September, Apple boss Steve Jobs declared the iPod touch "the number one portable game player in the world," saying "the iPod touch outsells Nintendo and Sony portable game players combined," though those numbers have been called into question.
Apple's push into the gaming market is paying off. Between its Game Center social gaming network and a new games editor position for the App Store, Apple has demonstrated that, when it comes to games, it's not playing around. According to a recent survey, Apple has joined the "major league of the portable gaming market," with over 40 million iOS gamers in the U.S.
Speculation earlier this week that Apple was looking into purchasing Nintendo rival Sony at first seemed to increase the threat that Apple could pose to Nintendo, but the rumor dissolved as analysts dismissed a buy-out as highly unlikely.
Reggie Fils-Aime admitted to Brian Caulfield of Forbes that Nintendo views Apple as a serious threat, while stressing that the iPhone and iPod are used mostly for casual games that provide a "welcome distraction."
?Do I think that in the near term they can hurt us more than Microsoft?? Fils-Aime said. ?Absolutely.?
Some of that hurt could come this holiday season, as Nintendo lacks a new device to drive sales. Though it has seen several minor revisions, the Nintendo DS handheld is now 6 years old, and the company's current generation console, the Wii, has been around for 4 years.
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata admitted last month that the company had originally hoped to release its 3DS handheld, which will feature glasses-free 3D gaming, in time for the holidays, but was unable to meet the goal. The device will instead ship on Feb. 26 in Japan and a month later in U.S. and Europe.
As more evidence of the company's struggles, Nintendo cut its profit forecast for the fiscal year by more than half last month. The company lowered its profit forecast from 200 billion yen ($2.39 billion) to 90 billion yen ($1.07 billion).
Fils-Aime remains undaunted, however, asserting that Nintendo has an edge because games on the Nintendo DS are more in-depth and can "consume." For example, Fils-Aime has spent 150 hours playing Dragon Quest. According to the Forbes report, Nintendo makes fourteen of the 20 best selling games for the current generation of gaming devices.
Apple isn't seen as the only threat to Nintendo, though. Fils-Aime says the Kyoto, Japan-based company is competing for people's time. "I compete with Zynga, I compete with surfing the net, I compete with the newspaper," said Fils-Aime.
For years, Nintendo has led the pack in the gaming industry, selling 20 million gaming devices in 2009, more than Microsoft and Sony combined. But, despite being a relative newcomer to the gaming device industry, Apple has the sales volume to compete with Nintendo. In the most recent quarter alone, Apple sold over 20 million iOS devices.
In September, Apple boss Steve Jobs declared the iPod touch "the number one portable game player in the world," saying "the iPod touch outsells Nintendo and Sony portable game players combined," though those numbers have been called into question.
Apple's push into the gaming market is paying off. Between its Game Center social gaming network and a new games editor position for the App Store, Apple has demonstrated that, when it comes to games, it's not playing around. According to a recent survey, Apple has joined the "major league of the portable gaming market," with over 40 million iOS gamers in the U.S.
Speculation earlier this week that Apple was looking into purchasing Nintendo rival Sony at first seemed to increase the threat that Apple could pose to Nintendo, but the rumor dissolved as analysts dismissed a buy-out as highly unlikely.
Comments
Eat it Android.
It has nothing to do with android. It's very impressive on Apple's part though.
Eat it Android.
Looks like Nintendo might soon have some serious competition from Android.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/26/t...station-phone/
Looks like Nintendo might soon have some serious competition from Android.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/26/t...station-phone/
It's been what? 3 years since the iPod Touch was released? And around 2 and a half since the App Store?
The moment the iPhone hits Verizon (if it does, by Jan) Android momentum is only going to be backwards.
If Apple does not manage to release the iPhone on VZW by early next year, then all bets are off.
Eat it Android.
Suck it Microsoft.
(and yes, that was sarcastic)
Jobs doesn't understand gaming. It's kind of funny because he is such a genius with what people want out of their devices, but then as soon as it comes to gaming... poof! the man is clueless.
They should...
When there is always something new and exciting around the corner it's easy to switch between game platforms unless there is something keeping you tied to a certain platform... like being invested in your online personality (i.e. Xbox Live! and PSN) or exclusive games and IP. Apple need both.
It's been what? 3 years since the iPod Touch was released? And around 2 and a half since the App Store?
The moment the iPhone hits Verizon (if it does, by Jan) Android momentum is only going to be backwards.
If Apple does not manage to release the iPhone on VZW by early next year, then all bets are off.
Verizon is just one network in one country. It is a big network I'll grant you that but iOS and Android are global platforms.
Just posted this in another thread!
Jobs doesn't understand gaming. It's kind of funny because he is such a genius with what people want out of their devices, but then as soon as it comes to gaming... poof! the man is clueless.
They should...
When there is always something new and exciting around the corner it's easy to switch between game platforms unless there is something keeping you tied to a certain platform... like being invested in your online personality (i.e. Xbox Live! and PSN) or exclusive games and IP. Apple need both.
EA is a chop shop. Apple will not touch it. I know from personal experience some very sharp professionals who were glad to get out of that dump.
Eat it Android.
It's just a phone operating system.
3D is a gimmick that is uncomfortable to watch. Human beings see things in 2D. This was proven in the 1950's and 1980's as a failure.
Have you ever heard of depth perception? That's the perception of the Z-axis...it's also why we have two eyes in the front of our head.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_perception
I'm sure the 3DS will be good, but Reggie is right to be worried about some casual players.
Traditionally, Nintendo's hand held consoles were always low tech, but affordable by the casual or young players. If they price it too close to the iPod Touch they might lose some of those people.
Apple's advantange is the high quality multipurpose device, app store and game pricing.
Nintendo has the dedicated game controls, physical games that can be shared / traded and the advantange of many revered game characters.
... you will never find an RPG as deep as say, Pokemon or Final Fantasy, on an iOS device like you might find on a DS.
Funny you should say that, because Final Fantasy is on the iOS. Not that either system is going to see a new FF from the main series. Only classic games re-released and dumbed down spin-offs.
Apple could re-invent the iPod touch with a 5/6" screen to target the portable gaming market. We would then start to see more immersive games. Keep the iPod nano as the music only version, preferably with more memory.
I doubt we'll have an iPod Nano next year. It's the tenth anniversary of the iPod and I doubt that Jobs would keep the Classic going any longer, and we might just see the end of the IPod Nano and Shuffle too.