A few years ago when we were feverishly playing PSone games on our Macs using Connectix’ Virtual Game Station, there was a rumour that not only was the Mac going to have a renaissance of games through Sony’s platform but Nintendo was also going to display their wares on the Mac considering the chip inside each GameCube was a PowerPC 750-based core. The 750 was also known, on the Mac, as the G3 and it shipped in several iBook and iMac models. Rumours were rife about a USB-based hardware dongle to provide the extra “Gecko” compatibility.
Of course it never happened. And that’s a shame as today we read this:
Satoru Iwata, the Nintendo president, is understood to have told his senior executives recently to regard the battle with Sony as a victory already won and to treat Apple, and its iPhone and iPad devices, as the “enemy of the future” . – TimesOnline
How many copies of Super Mario World for iPhone would sell? How many copies of Mario Kart for iPad would sell? Do you think Nintendo could make money on Pokémon for iPhone? How about the rest of their game library?
In my opinion, Nintendo need to get away from selling little pieces of plastic in large plastic boxes. My kids have a great deal of difficulty managing the safety and care of these chips and I’m sure some of them have found their way into the bag of a vacuum cleaner. Get out that scam of selling plastic! There’s no need for it considering every DS Lite and DSi has had WiFi for years. So, yes, in three years Nintendo has been made to look like a dinosaur but declaring war is not the right thing to do.
Apple has proved to be a formidable company with 100 million iPhone OS devices out there in consumers hands in just under three years. The DS range (including the DSi, DSi XL) has sold 129 million devices since 2004.
Nintendo and Apple are not necessarily enemies and I find it simplistic for them to consider themselves to be enemies. Look at SEGA – which has brought Sonic, Golden Axe and Football Manager to the iPhone among others. These aren’t going to create the same revenues as selling Wii and DSi units – but it doesn’t have to be an either/or. However, burning your bridges is unwise.
I totally agree,All you have to do is look at GTA:Chinatown Wars!!It was a massive flop on the DS and PSP,yet it’s a massive hit on the iPhone!!:-)
Nintendo are protective of their brand/products (hardware and software), like Apple they want control. Nintendo has the hardware (DS, Wii etc), the brands (Mario, Zelda) and the distribution channels. Nintendo’s price and profit per game is far more than the average iPhone games developer/publisher, so why compete at their level at this time and why give Apple 30%?
Apple like to take on ‘enemies’ like Microsoft and now Adobe. Apple may have far more games than Nintendo but whose portfolio would you rather have? Quantity v Quality.
Nintendo may have been slow to react but that is no reason to dance to Apple’s tune. Nintendo may need to raise their game a little, but they still remain the undisputed games king
I don’t think I agree on “undisputed”. The DS line has just unseated the GameBoy as the most bought gaming handheld ever, but it took 6 years to build to 129 million devices. At the current rate, iPhone OS-based devices will surpass that in 2010 and the DS XL and DS 3D hardly look compelling and with Wii sales currently not inspiring, Nintendo could do better than declare war. And that’s what they’ve done. A competitive co-existence is entirely possible – but by openly declaring hostility, they’ve just given the media a heap of fuel to the flames that one of them will win and one of them will lose.
Apple don’t “take on enemies”. They’re just like every other company, they’re just like your own company – they want to succeed. Just like Adobe, just like Microsoft, just like Nintendo.
I’m not suggesting Nintendo dance to anyone’s tune. I am suggesting that it was a mistake from a PR and media relations point of view to declare open hostility. You didn’t hear Apple say “Adobe is our enemy” or “Nintendo is our enemy”. That’s rhetoric that has come from Nintendo and Adobe.
I would wager that Nintendo is unnerved by Game Center and Apple’s recent hiring of Matt Casamassina.
Add this:
Nintendo is in bigger trouble than they may realise. My kids will always choose iPhone or iPad over the DS (loving games like Giana Sisters and toys like Talking Carl) over the heavily licensed Nintendo DS properties like Super Mario Bros, Ben 10 and even WALL-E. Most of my adult gaming friends have switched to the iPhone and despite owning DS, DS Lite and DSi, they don’t use them.
Of course, Apple could always buy Nintendo…
Oh, Iwata really said that? I missed it. Wow, is he in for a shock. By the time he gets a clue and ports to iPhone OS, it might be a case of too little, too late, and So What?
apple can never outclass nintendo . apple has tech and thats all about it.nintendo has quality games as well as those that sell huge. apple relies on third parties who change sides as per convineance.nintendo’s arsenal of franchises are mega sellers.i recommend you the article “list of best selling video game franchises” on wikipedia. they hold the top 3 and many more on the list. its first and second party games helped it beat both ps3 and xbox 360 even with all most no third party support. they earn much more on their games per copy. presently that arsenal shows no sign of mercy on others and this has been the case since 1981. till miyamato is there with nintendo apple entering in here would be suicidal. apple fanboys will buy apple console obviously but only time will tell. today both are at good times. 3ds has outsold ds in its first year sales and 3dsxl will slaughter everything else.nintendo just won the previous generation and wii u is going to the best console ever made not because of its tech but because it is going to have that same arsenal as well as the third parties on their side too.all third party projects from other consoles are shifting to wii u. apple can bring a better tech console but it will fail to build up the gaint and classic lineup of games that nintendo has on its consoles. apple needs to understand it that it is the games that make a console sell. casual games are never long runners. they come in as a fad and die pretty soon. i know that the power of casual that is with apple cannot be overlooked at all but it is the hard core that stays on till the end.
however i suppose even u will agree with me that apple vs nintendo should profit the industry and this rivalry is going to be very epic . lets see what time has for us. i personally stand with nintendo.