‘Nintendo will continue its [console] business with even stronger passion’
Nintendo is finally entering the mobile game space through a collaboration with DeNA. Why now? As CEO Satoru Iwata explained to TIME, “We have come to the stage where we can say that we will be able to develop and operate software which, in the end, will not hurt the value of Nintendo IP but, rather, will become an opportunity for the great number of people around the world who own smart devices — but do not have interest in dedicated video game hardware — to be interested in Nintendo IP and eventually to become fans of our dedicated game systems.”
Simply put, Nintendo will develop the actual mobile games — the “product,” if you like — while DeNA will be primarily responsible for what it knows best: the “service side of things.”
In terms of pricing, Iwata said Nintendo will “discuss with DeNA and decide the most appropriate payment method [for each individual title].” Free-to-play and premium “can both be options,” he explained, “and if a new Nintendo-like invention comes of it, then all the better.”
Iwata went on to say that Nintendo will attempt to create “unique” experiences tailored to phones and tablets instead of porting over console games, as “the entertainment experiences that the consumers demand vary from system to system.” The goal here is to expand the company’s reach and avoid “[doing] anything that may hurt Nintendo IP” and its family-friendly “brand image.”
Lastly, he spoke briefly about the NX, a new game system announced this week that we aren’t going to hear about again until next year. “The reason why I announced ‘NX,’ which by the way, is not directly related to our alliance with DeNA, was because I wanted to avoid any misunderstandings such as, ‘Nintendo might have lost its passion for the dedicated game system business,’ and because I wanted many people to understand that Nintendo will continue its dedicated game system business with even stronger passion and motivation.”
Exclusive: Nintendo CEO Reveals Plans for Smartphones [TIME]
