AfterDawn: News

Nintendo to consider mobile after another rough year

Earlier in the week, Nintendo reported expectations for their upcoming earnings, and even slashed their Wii U sales forecast by over 70 percent.

The company will have its third straight fiscal year with an operating loss as strong 3DS game sales are not enough to turn around the company's fortunes.



In light of the earnings, and a 20 percent drop in the company's stock price as a result, it appears Nintendo may finally be "studying" new business models.

"We are thinking about a new business structure," says Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. "Given the expansion of smart devices, we are naturally studying how smart devices can be used to grow the game-player business. It's not as simple as enabling Mario to move on a smartphone."

The Wii U saw reduced projections multiple times last year and the company slashed its fiscal year Wii U sales forecast to 2.8 million from 9 million, a devastatingly low estimate. 3DS sales were also guided down to 13.5 million units from 18 million units.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 20 Jan 2014 6:43

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• 4 comments

• A5J4DX

  finally! this is what we've been waiting for! well for me pokémon on mobile xD
  

  20.1.2014 18:36 #1

• MichaelPhillipis

  they need to join the mobile-phone scene - there's no reason why they couldn't remake a few retro titles for phones.
  

  MichaelPhillipis
  www.howtogetamericannetflix.ca

  20.1.2014 23:57 #2

• Azuran

  I think it's funny that the words Nintendo and innovation get thrown around like curse words on a naval ship, but no one seems to point out the fact that it's only as long as it's "their" innovation. They're always a day late and a dollar short on every advance in gaming technology. Digital mediums, online gamming (Which I remember them calling a fad), HD, and now mobile gaming. I applaud any company's desire to be internally innovative, but at some point you need to start following your own industry's direction. I could only imagine how much of a powerhouse they would be if they took their heads out of their ass'. Maybe then they wouldn't have to survive on pokemon and gimmicks.
  
  Quote:"Given the expansion of smart devices, we are naturally studying how smart devices can be used to grow the game-player business. It's not as simple as enabling Mario to move on a smartphone." No studying necessary. This was all being done in 2010. The data is already out there. And yes Mr. Iwata is quite that simple. Make a retro Super Mario bunduru on phones and collect cash.
  

  21.1.2014 01:10 #3

• GernBlan

  Quote: It's not as simple as enabling Mario to move on a smartphone Yes, it exactly is. The fact that Nintendo doesn't know that explains why they're tanking.
  
  My honest opinion? They just need to throw in the towel and do a Sega thing by moving all their titles to either the XBox or Playstation.
  
  I own a Wii, but not a Wii-U, but from dinking around with it in stores, I think the Wii-U is frickin' awesome and I'm almost 50 years old. That being said, there just isn't a market for it. My kids have every DS device since the first model came out, but we did not buy the 3DS and we won't because (1) it's a stupid concept and (2) They screwed over every DS, DSi, etc. owner when they decided to only release the new Mario Kart, etc., on the 3DS. I'm not buying a new mobile console just for to get one or two new games.
  
  Stick a fork in 'em -- they're done.

  24.1.2014 11:58 #4