Gunning for Nintendo?

Supercell's Clash of Clans and Hay Day are two of the most popular and profitable games on the iTunes App Store, but the company behind them is relatively new — Supercell was only founded in 2010.

However, the studio's incredible success — which was emphatically underlined by the recent $1.5 billion investment by Japanese telecoms giant SoftBank — has led many to call it "The Finnish Nintendo".

Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen is flattered by the comparison, telling EDGE magazine:

For me, if I think of Nintendo, the first thing that comes to mind is I love their games. I love their brands, their characters, how they've always focused on gameplay, how they've always taken their own route no matter what anybody in the industry thinks. If you mention Nintendo in front of people, you get a smile. If in 30 years I say 'Supercell' and the reaction is similar, then I think we really will have achieved something. I don't even want to compete against them. They are an inspiration. It took Nintendo 100 years to get there, so it's possible it will take us 100 years to get there, and that's why we need someone like SoftBank as a partner — someone who is willing to see us through the next 100 years.

Supercell isn't the only studio from Finland which has cited Nintendo as an inspiration — Angry Birds creator Rovio has also said very positive things about the Japanese giant. But could one of these new type of game makers — founded in the era of smartphone gaming — really become the next Nintendo? Let us know what you think by posting a comment.

[source edge-online.com]