Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said that the company doesn't want a Nintendo phone.
Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime recently shot down the hopes and dreams of fans worldwide with news that the company will never, ever produce a Nintendo-based phone.
The news arrives just after the global release of Sony Ericsson's Xperia PLAY, a PlayStation-certified smartphone featuring Google's Android 2.3 "Gingerbread" OS and the PlayStation Suite platform. Microsoft has also introduced the Xbox LIVE platform to smartphone consumers with the release of Windows Phone 7 which offers cross gaming between the mobile OS, the Xbox 360 and Windows PC.
Out of the Big Three, Nintendo is the only company that hasn't entered the smartphone market. According to Fils-Aime. Nintendo isn't lagging behind-- it's not entering the smartphone sector on purpose. "We have no desire to get into telephony," he said. "We believe that we will earn our way into someone's pocket without having to offer that (phone capability) as an additional factor."
But the idea of a Nintendo-based smartphone is completely out of the question. Hideki Konno, a top Nintendo producer, indicated that the company does show some interest in that area. The biggest problem is having to split revenue with cell operators which in turn would affect the retail price of games. Even though Google, Apple and now Sony have proven otherwise, Konno said that distribution wouldn't be free, indicating that this could jack up software prices too.
But Fils-Aime said that Nintendo doesn't even want to be in the phone business. "We don't see that as an opportunity," he said. "Phones are utilities. Phones are not by definition entertainment devices."
We have to wonder: if he living under a rock? Again, both Apple and Google have proven otherwise, providing both the utility and entertainment aspects in one platform. Even more, publishers who typically back Nintendo-based handheld platforms have already jumped on the smartphone bandwagon including Electronic Arts, Square Enix, and even PC gaming developers like id Software and Epic Games.
Yet Nintendo condemns the app store model, claiming that it degrades the quality of games. Perhaps this is why Nintendo chose to include its own app store-like platforms called WiiWare and DSiWare for the Wii and DSi consoles? Aren't the too bite-sized games and applications? Sounds like Nintendo is sending out mixed messages.
Sorry, but the NOA president is out of his mind. A Nintendo-sanctioned smartphone with hardware supporting a Nintendo Suite (featuring N64 games like Super Mario 64, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Perfect Dark and GoldenEye 007) would sell like hotcakes hands down, especially if Wi-Fi multiplayer support is thrown into the mix.
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I agree with this move. They're a game company. Stick with that. We'll have to wait and see if the Playstation phone does well, but I really don't think that Nintendo should try it. Sony has had experience with making phones, but Nintendo does not.
Apple and Google respond with "Your loss!"
I agree with you Kevin that Reggie Fils-Aime is out of his mind, but, sell like hotcakes? Not so sure anymore. It would be true a year ago but now? It's too crowded. Why would anyone want another phone? Just to play Mario et al? No, I prefer my emulators.
A gamepad should be a phone feature, generically, and then everyone can run any emulator using it. I'd dump a handheld gaming system for that!
It may sell like hotcakes but then what happens when v2 comes out and people are still locked to contracts on the old Nintendo phone. How would you feel if you were locked into an SNES contract with another year to go when N64 just came out. http://ddp.net/jab
Apple - 50,000 employees
Sony - 168,000 employees
Google - 25,000 employees
Microsoft - 89,000 employees
Nintendo - 4,400 employees
There is a reason Nintendo sticks to what they know and do well. They are a small company compared to those giants. Even if they wanted to go the phone route, they don't have the man power to take on such an endeavor.
Sony's link with Ericsson is something that Nintendo don't have.
Can you have someone read over your work before you submit plz.
i think theyd be able to pull off a kyocera type phone if they so chose too... they sure as hell have the funds for it
I've noticed that Nintendo sure does like to point out what they won't be doing. It would be nice to hear what they will be doing for a change.
I agree they should stay out of the phone business, though. Why does everything have to be a phone? The telecommunications business is a real mess.
With the market is being flooded in a plethora of phones and smart phones, I can see why they don't think it is a good idea. I too believe they should stick to what they know - gaming.
You can't really compare WiiWare/DSiWare to AppStore. The target is different. The medium is different. The purpose is different.
And the idea of WiiWare and such is applicable, it is not apps. It's games. Everything is focused on games, no worthless app to waste our time with. I think that's a good thing. In AppStore or Marketplace there's a lot of apps that has many different categories. I agree with what he said as it somehow degrades the game section. How many out of the thousand games are actually real games?
Phones are phones, game console is console. Some things should not be together.
Does nintendo need to make a smartphone? NO. Should they make a gameboy with phone capabilities. Oh, yea... yes, Yup.
I can just see it though in the news a month from now that: "Reggie Fils-Aime steps down as Nintendo America's CEO."
A $200+ Gameboy is a hard sell, especially considering that kindergardners are now getting cell phones from their parents so they can call them. (Emergency phone) They loose them all the time. I find them in the park nearby the local school when I hoof it to a friends house. I just leave them with the school janitors only to find one or two the next day. Make it also a gamby and it'd NEVER get lost. Lol.
Make a phone! Please! I will need something to replace my Sonyericsson w995 when it won't start in a couple years time...
I agree with Kevin on this.
But, I must say Microsoft and Sony are hardly putting out gaming phones. Xperia Play offers nothing that wasn't already avalible via emulator, and Windows Phone does little more than let you look at your gamerscore.
We need a real gamer's phone here. This is a real opportunity!
What Nintendo makes is more along the lines of toys than entertainment devices so yeah i dont see them making something like a phone.
Some companies should just stay away from the phone industry, Nintendo is a gaming company, Look at the sales of the DS they have nothing to lose by not entering the cell phone market. Dedicated gaming platforms will still control the respectable portable gaming industry.
The only thing Nintendo would do is make a toy phone!
The reason everyone wants to make a phone device is because your phone is the one thing you're least likely to leave home without. If you have your phone with you all of the time you're more likely to want to purchase other ways to use it, such as apps. The mobile electronics world is converging into a single multipurpose device. No one wants a pocket or purse full of different devices from different manufacturers that all have a learning curve to use, just one that does everything easily.
Unlike some of you NaySayers, i believe this guy knows what he is doing. otherwise Nintendo wouldn't be such a financial success.
@israil
I agree with you to the extent that ALOT of the consumers who *need* a mobile phone would like it to do everything that they would want so they can pay one relatively low price for a multi-purpose device, but there are many others who do not want this.
Just as one brand or format of car isn't acceptable for every purpose or person so it is with mobile phones and gaming.
Now, if they made a gaming handheld that looked like a gaming handheld and played like a gaming handheld but just happened to be upgradeable via a SIM card-like add-on which included the cell radio to have cell phone capabilities, then that might work.
Or maybe I'd just use a VOIP app on a NGP and get a cheap phone for when I needed to make an important call. Only chatterboxes really need or want an expensive contracted phone.
I agree with Kevin on this.But, I must say Microsoft and Sony are hardly putting out gaming phones. Xperia Play offers nothing that wasn't already avalible via emulator, and Windows Phone does little more than let you look at your gamerscore.We need a real gamer's phone here. This is a real opportunity!
Xperia Play has exclusive games besides the ones that are emulated, it possess dedicated gaming controls and it's also a phone. So it's a gaming phone.
Nintendo's player base is made up of a lot of kids, or at least a chunk of their games are for kids and families. Sooo, how many kids do you know own cellphones? Ya, smart move by Nintendo, stick with your fan base.
Let's forget about nintendo a minute. Look at cellular phones. Once they were phones that could do computing. Now they are cellular computers that can do phoning. All info and entertainment is going online and to a singular device:Anyone heard of the Atrix? Then look at physical media. Say good buy to books: we use e-readers and smartphones (notice any book chains closing their doors?) Say good buy to CD's: anyone heard of MP3's? Say good buy to DVD's: Anyone heard of NetFlix? Say good buy to game disks and cartridges: Anyone heard of OnLive? And There's the real issue. The fact that games of the future are played off low latency servers. I grew up with Nintendo and don't want to see it relegated to the fate of game designer alone: Anyone heard of SEGA? If Nintendo wants to stay at the top of the gaming food chain it needs to create or buy a service like OnLive. Then sell that service to smartphone/tv owners as apps. Then if they want to continue to sell handhelds it should/would/will be in the form of the xperia running a custom Android that could be set to different user/safety levels. Then I can take my nintendo smartdevice to work with productivity, play mariokart on the way home, plug it into my big screen at home to play Zelda or connect it to my laptop dock for surfing, or just hand it to the kids after I set my custom "Kid Mode" The bottom line is this:Mario can create Online gaming service like OnLive or retire with Sonic.