
Nintendo in Motion - aaronbrethorst
http://daringfireball.net/2013/09/nintendo_in_motion
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esmevane
So Nintendo has not chosen to take their world-renowned franchises and use
them to crop-share on iOS, and we're calling this a failure to capitalize on
an opportunity?

I don't think I could disagree more.

These franchises are a tremendous draw and guarantee a large amount of device
lock-in for Nintendo, presently. They have made the games Nintendo produces a
renewable resource, where oftentimes the company can re-release game content
with a newly polished engine and be critically acclaimed for it.

If Nintendo gives Apple any amount of access to these franchises, then the
lock-in is diluted and so, consequently, is the Nintendo brand.

Not to mention that in exchange for diluting their brand and sacrificing their
lock-in, they will also be diminishing their profits by 30%.

This is effectively just handing it over to Apple even though there is no
obvious marketing or distribution advantage to having their applications
available on iOS.

After all they'd lose from the arrangement, it almost feels ludicrous to
suggest that Nintendo pay Apple for the honor of diminishing its brand, don't
you think?

~~~
ashray
Not only that. Imagine Super Mario with just touchscreen controls. It would be
a disaster. That would hurt them too!

Nintendo makes gaming hardware and software. Apple makes multipurpose hardware
and software. These two worlds are meeting right now with some intersections
that are great i.e. Cut the Rope, Tiny Wings, Ridiculous Fishing, etc. - but
the really great titles have all been very 'casual'. Eventually these worlds
will probably collide but Nintendo's firmly decided that now's not the time
for that, for them.

I don't have any trouble with that as long as they keep producing great
hardware. And has anyone seen the handheld console business lately ? They are
ruling those numbers these days, so why the criticism ?

------
ashray
The problem with this whole premise is that iOS i.e. the iPhone/iPad are
assumed to be great platforms for gaming. Maybe this will change with the new
gamepad options in iOS 7 but iOS devices so far have not been really good for
gaming. Personally, I found several interesting games on iOS but all of the
ones I enjoyed playing were strictly in the 'Casual and fun' category. There's
something about the pure touchscreen interface that doesn't work for me.
(maybe I'm old fashioned and the new generation of gamers are okay with just
touchscreens)

This isn't to say that iDevices aren't viable gaming platforms - the hardware
does have the punch. Could Nintendo make more money by releasing games on iOS
? Yes. Should they ? Well, I don't know if Mario for iOS will get the same
kind of reviews it gets on their platforms. Do they want to take that kind of
risk with their flagship icon/mascot ?

I know that Square Enix did pretty badly with the Final Fantasy re-releases on
iOS. I couldn't take the controls.

Also, Nintendo makes money on hardware. Why forget that ?

I find the following questions interesting:

Why don't other major game publishers, who are ONLY in the business of making
software, make kick ass games for iOS ? Why are we begging/criticizing
Nintendo for not making games on a platform that most AAA publishers are
rejecting anyway ?

~~~
chucknelson
Not solely related to the Nintendo-on-iOS idea, but I really hope the gamepad
support catches on in iOS 7. Just one or two really good gamepad
implementations would make more in-depth or "traditional" game experiences on
iOS so much more appealing.

------
etler
I haven't played an ios game that has come anywhere near the quality or fun of
a Nintendo game, and the lack of physical controls is the primary reason for
that. I absolutely do not want Nintendo to develop phone games. It will take
resources away from them making actual good games, and dilute and weaken their
brand. This advice sounds like it's coming from a person who does not play or
does not understand nintendo games.

~~~
endemic
Agreed. The iOS game I've spent the most time on is the port of Final Fantasy
Tactics, which is an ancient PlayStation game. Even original Gameboy games
have more depth than most iOS titles.

~~~
etler
After thinking about it, turn based RPG games sound like they would work well.
My main problem with touch is for any kind of real time game that isn't a 1 to
1 swipe game like bejeweled. The problem is the lack of constant dedicated
controls are simply not responsive enough, and you inherently cover up the
screen while using the controls. Mario, Zelda, Metroid. Almost all top tier
Nintendo games need dedicated controls.

------
thought_alarm
I was recently playing with a GBA emulator on my iPhone and I quickly started
searching around for some actual GB hardware, because a touchscreen d-pad is
complete bullshit. I'm especially fond of the old Game & Watch collections.
Simple, brilliant mobile games, but they need hardware buttons.

I'd buy the heck out of a Nintendo-designed gamepad for 4" iOS devices. They
could charge a premium for the hardware and the games, and they've already got
the sales channels in place. And if it doubled as a Wii U controller then I'd
buy a Wii U too.

------
endemic
I can't understand why Gruber is still making this argument, even when Satoru
Iwata has flat out said "no" to it. If Nintendo puts their games on other
platforms, there goes any reason to buy Nintendo hardware. If Nintendo had
absolutely no chance for another hardware generation, then sure, publish
multi-platform. But otherwise, it makes no sense for them to do so.

