Study Suggests Rising Smartphone Ownership Among Kids Is Hitting Nintendo Hard

In other news, water is wet. More on this as it develops.

But seriously, this is not a surprise.
Yes, a majority of people on this site (myself included) love our 3DSes. But us fans on this site are hardly indicative of a majority of the population.
It baffles me that Nintendo, historically a forward thinking company, was so obstinately against mobile useage, and refused to respond to the writing on the wall. They’ve really shot themselves by waiting until 2016 to only just start offering a mobile presence.

I think the market is growing, kids get hand me down phones from parents and older siblings, if they could get swayed towards Nintendo soft- and hardware they might learn the difference in game quality.
And while mobile hardware is getting better it is still hampered by low battery life and lack of button controls.
I think if Nintendo streamlined their usability and get better overal hardware they might stand a bigger chance and marketing... Nintendos marketing department needs a kick in the rear..

@khululy
I feel like this is a bit myopic. What appeals to the dedicated game player, does not necessarily appeal to the casual player who just wants to waste 20 minutes on a bite-sized experience.

The general public far outnumbers the dedicated player.

Most of those free games are pretty terrible, at least. I dunno, people are mainly addicted to the social media stuff, it seems. Gaming is probably seen as too isolated an activity for the current day. I'm sure they will try to find ways to cater to the smartphone people, but in the process it will change much of gaming to be more of a platform for socialization (great, like we don't have that covered with a gazillion devices by now) like everything else, and then it won't be the kind of gaming I'll care about (so I'll hunker down in a virtual console bunker, I guess).

I hope everyone savored the 3DS days. I did, it's my favorite Nintendo handheld, and probably the last I'll be able to enjoy on that old school level. Get ready for 'post to Facebook' as a standard game option, a device with mainly touch input to control games, and Nintendo emojis as our new paradigm.

Kids have bad bad taste.

Well I didn't take my gameboy on road trips either, it would make me sick, same as reading.

@bezerker99
Agreed

This is a tough dilemna they're in.

They're fighting tooth and nail for every last scrap of the home console market they still have left, and mobile is steadily shrinking their handheld market.

I think a hybrid in inevitable. If not with NX, then the generation after. They are going to need to combine their markets to stand a fighting chance in this new technological era.

That, and make hardware with some of the latest tech. People like tech- they like what they feel is cutting edge. And I think streaming 1080p via a wireless dongle using an advanced form of the Wii U streaming technology is the kind of cool stuff that people are attracted to.

"Oh, just pop out this micro-dongle and plug into any HDMI port, and stream (without needing Wifi) to that device lag-free? Play on the go or on TV? Yeah that sounds cool".

And a screen that rivals that of tablets, and power that doesn't appear dated. Do that and people will be drawn to them.

There are some amazing handheld video games out there (POKEMON!!!), and most mobile apps are usually just trash. (I do admit there are some good ones out there, but none as full and enriching as a video game.) If Nintendo's next handheld integrates a phone experience (better online, social media, etc.) along with the quality games they are known for, I think it would be a big success.

@LegendOfPokemon
Funny you should mention Pokemon. As long as there is Pokemon, there will be a demand for Nintendo handhelds

As I recall, there were a lot of people who believed smartphones and tablets weren't actually having much of an effect on Nintendo's consoles.

Sure, 3DS is still selling well, but just imagine how well it might be selling if smartphones and tablets didn't exist. . . .

@khululy

Both things are true. The overall market is growing AND Nintendo's is shrinking.

My son was glued to his 3ds and Mario! Never put it down. When he got an iPhone (against my wishes) for his 10th birthday he literally NEVER picked up his 3ds again!! So yup Nintendo has to be feeling that! Now that he's 13 all he plays is call of duty and NBA 2K! That's why I feel with the NX Nintendo has to get back with 3 parties big time! We will see.

Survival of the fittest...

My handhelds never leave the house! I play them while listening to TV, while my wife watches TV or on the toilet. Never outside or on the go.

@joey302 13 years old and playing Call of Duty, cool story.

@Tasuki
You nailed it. I am sure Nintendo saw this coming (they can't be that stupid) but how to react was the problem.

The move into mobile phone gaming had to happen. Everyone seems to think this is a sure fire plan that is going to be successful, but I have my doubts. In Japan, yes. But in the west not everyone still love Nintendo games like their fanboys like to think.

I remember as a kid in the 90s the PC was suppose to kill the console... at least the many PC mags I poured over back then claimed it would.

Then in the noughties they said the phone and later the tablet would kill the handheld.

The major difference..

It all comes down to support. The developers made the home consoles first choice and kept them relevant.

They now support the phones and tablets.

The writing was on the wall for handhelds. Apart from Japan that market is not really in great health.

This reminds me.. my workmate was telling he gave his son a new 3DS for christmas (after winning it at the christmas party).

His son (13, maybe 14 and was hoping for a tablet) looked at him like he was crazy with a face that said "What's this piece of %^&$?". But this is Britain.

Sadly, this is the long term effect of Zelda deprivation. We can only hope it's not too late.

And that's why 90s kids had the best generation.im glad I was a teen then.

It's cost related too. Parents can let their kids play all sorts of Free-to- play games to keep them entertained and never spend a dime of real money.

@8itmap_k1d yea I know shame on me. Problem is he sneaks it after school while I'm still out work and my wife don't pay attention to video games whatsoever. He likes the online multiplayer of course so not as many f bombs as the campaign

I have to admit it is a lot easier to keep the little one occupied with a mobile game or tablet with YouTube going, than lugging around a 3DS or two in addition to the aforementioned devices.

But I don't think its the merely the free games that has anything to do with it. Kids like the variety and ease of use that phones and tablets offer. Gaming, YouTube, hulu, or just general searching on your mobile devices is a breeze especially for kids.

A key take away is the ease of use of smartphones, and tablets. Having to fiddle around with the 3DS to do anything internet related is a task in itself. My daughter knows to simply tap the browser, or streaming app she wants click the microphone and say whatever cartoon that comes to mind and she's done.

@Kirk and the vita for that fact too.

When my daughter was 7, she brought her DS to school for tech day. Now that she is 10, she asked to bring the IPAD. She plays her 3DS often(loves Tomadachi Life) but she says no one at her school plays Nintendo games. Even if people play Nintendo games, I believe they keep it secret because it's not the "in" thing. I personally don't like phone/tablet games yet I'm not the person Nintendo has to target. Nintendo needs to prove to those kids they're "cool" or else it's game-over.

@digitalmarco that's an interesting generational phenomenon. At my college I see lots of 3ds's in the cafeteria.

@digitalmarco
you mean those kid/squid commercials for Splatoon didn't do it?

Kids these days don't understand how much better physical buttons are

Hello. I owned my 3DS for almost 3 years and never get interested with any mobile games whatsoever. Also i still play NDS games on my 3DS, play both Wii and Wii U on my Wii U.My heart, my trust just only for Nintendo no matter what. In my opinion, smartphone is not supposed to be for gaming. It just looks awful. Even free games application from smartphones will never make me interested. Once again, that's just my opinion.

For slim80 : Yep, I was born on 80's and ever experienced with 90's era. I agree, 90's was the best era.

A majority of kids I see these days are playing on a smartphone or a tablet, either their's or their parents. I hardly ever see a kid with a 3DS these days, it's mostly adults that have them.

It's one of the reasons Nintendo's continued desire to try and recapture the casual market simply isn't going to happen, I think they'd have more success focusing on marketing to the core gamer instead.

Microsoft learned their lesson that trying to appeal to a simply uncaring casual market with the Xbone (and Windows 8) at the expense of the gamer doesn't work, why won't Nintendo? Yes the Xbone is still around, and has been completely beaten by the PS4, but Microsoft has switched their marketing focus back to core gamers and have found far more success with it than Nintendo has continually trying to market to the casual audience over the core gamer.

Nintendo handhelds had games that adjusted to the gamers' lives. Could be played in minutes or short bursts, The 3DS feels more like a portable home console that had games that require more time. It is also expensive and has unnecessary things like the 3D that nobody cares.

But also, like many here stated, most kids play on tablets and smartphones because their parents lend it to them so they don't have to spend more in extra stuff. Also free and 1 dollar games are hard to resist for a father who uses uses the phone or tablet to keep their kids quiet.

This is kinda simmilar to when the DS appeared. In Japan, cellphones were outselling GBA's so they created a portable that had good enough techonology and the kind of fun and short games that the Gameboy had. I guess that the next portable from Nintendo should be more a true portable console than a portable home console like the 3DS was.

But I cannot tell how that could work on this time and age.

My niece noticed me playing Animal Crossing and wanted to play. So I let her—once I emptied my pockets so she wouldn't give anything away. She was entranced for hours.

But my sister won't let me buy her a system. Because those rot your brain and waste time. My niece is on her third iPad, playing all of the typical games. But since she could be doing something educational, that's all fine. Multi-functional devices get a pass for capability over reality.

@Hotfusion Your workmate's son is entitled piece of...well you get it.

@Nin10doh
Bingo!!

People don't want complicate things, they want easy things; and the smartphones have "that".
While "we" want great games (AAA), super graphics and gameplay that "we" understand, and that we can buy to "those prices"; the "simple" games in smartphone provide more entertainment, at lower cost, more accessibility and a device that has more than just games, has videos, has social networks, music and etc; and all by simply touching the screen.
I like videogames, I like all consoles nowadays, but we must accept that we reach a point where "the power and complexity" can not with simplicity; and we don't forget, the first games that we played years ago were simple; and now, "those" games are in the smartphones, yes, maybe don't same quality, don't same franchise, don't same company, but "are" the same games.

Well, that prepares us the destiny?, I do not know, but one thing that I do know; Irony, when our grandparents and parents saw video games as strange things, now we see smartphones games like weird things; what will happen in the future?

@Minotaurgamer Speak for yourself. I've been using 3D since Day 1 and I know many others who use it all time too, especially on the N3DS.

It's not that people see smartphones as weird things, it's just they correctly identify them as a huge step back for hardcore gaming. Look, everyone can appreciate their social media stuff, but this mixing of the two is unnecessary and really only about the short term profit ambitions of striking digital oil. Personally, I think the oil wells are going to dry up relatively quickly for those that gamble on it, they should stick by the loyal followers. Buck the trend, continue to build traditional gaming platforms without that white noise of social media dragging it down, and the players will come. Maybe not in quite the same numbers, but if the ship goes down, let it go down fighting.

Ginormous DUH.

I ride the NYC subways daily and I am often shocked at adults playing crappy phone games like Candy Crush and the gazillion iterations of what looks like something we'd playing in kindergarten. Then i'm like, ugh, stop being such a snob. Humans in general, at least in the Western World, especially the privileged ones have glommed onto infantalism in such full force the last 5-10 years that it's not shocking.

Me personally? I don't give a crap since I'm not a breeder and don't give a crap what happens to our human society. It is sad though what has happened to video games.

My two oldest kids each have a 3DS. They have the games they want. And they never play them. When every other kid on the bus and at school has access to Roblox and whatever clan is clashing this month, that's what they want to play. Can't be helped.

And people need to get beyond this whole "no hardcore games" on mobile devices argument. You're clinging to an anchor on a sinking ship. Yes, the ads and IAPs of freemium games are annoying, but honestly, I've been playing Phantom of the Kill for the past week on my iPhone, and I found the IAPs are MUCH less annoying than all the crap that was dumped into Fire Emblem Fates, to which it's often (and justifiably) compared.

My daughter's 3DS which is now collecting dust is the last dedicated handheld I could see getting. Mostly she watches YouTube on her iPad, but if she plays games it's there or on the Wii U and I'm glad we still have the occasional session of Nintendo Land or Mario Kart together. I probably wouldn't have given her one when I did, but her school started requiring them for coursework, so there wasn't a lot of choice.

My partner's kid used to use his DS regularly and she was considering getting him a 3DS, but since he got an iPhone he's glued to it and a 3DS would just be a waste of money.

Just anecdotal evidence I know, but I still think Nintendo should have embraced mobile earlier. There's no real reason to compromise on controls if you support Bluetooth controllers; especially given the presence of APIs in the mobile OSes.

As far as making money goes it's tougher on Android due to a fragmented marketplace arising because of forked OS variants, lack of unified hardware specs and lack of a single online shop (though Google Play is the biggest), so despite the smaller user base, iOS continues to be more valuable for app developers. I think Nintendo could do pretty well carving out their own niche in the mobile space and sell peripherals as well. A genuine Nintendo SNES-style Bluetooth joypad would be pretty cool!

But the fact is that taking a long view, unless they can get the kids today on board, profits can only go down - "hardcore gamers" don't live forever. If they can establish a strong mobile presence and keep the brand alive with the youth then they can continue to be relevant. Survival of the company is what they're most concerned with, not the form of the medium.

Well my son is in the minority. He is 7 and has kindle(damn grandmas!) but he takes his 3ds with him everywhere. Mostly plays cars 2 but hey it still counts lol. I see a kid without a Nintendo device and think "this is what is wrong with kids today" lol

There's plenty of random devs to make app games. Why are companies that attracted talent to develop the most sophisticated games each gen and push the industry, why are they such an asset to task with making low quality phone stuff? It's a total waste, IMO. People were all headed toward a goal they no longer believe in anymore, it's actually quite sad to see them lured away so easily. Not necessarily suggesting the dream is dead but it will be on life support for a while if enough jump on that bandwagon.

@Sean_Aaron there actually is a snes controller Bluetooth. I don't think it's licensed by Nintendo but it's out there and is about $40 lol

I fear for the future of mobile gaming. What once was Super Mario Land 2, Link's Awakening, or Super Smash Bros 3DS, may becoming not much more than a simple game of Angry Birds with a touch screen of course. I hope not.

I hate nowadays kids, they are just worthless idiots, don't respect anything and as dumb as rocks, their parents are always busy with everything to take care of them and give them the right things to play, I grow up with classics like Super Mario World, Ocarina of Time and Pokémon, nowadays they play rubbish smartphones games for free, they will never wait patiently for a game to launch, to ask their parents to buy it for them and have the emotion of playing that so hyped game at launch, I think we can only pray that Nintendo never changes and that one day society will change for better.

A survey of just 500 women I find relatively dubious. I also don't get why parents think its a good idea lending kids their smartphones. I mean do you know how easily those iPhones break. Yeah all those free games seem pretty tempting except for the fact that a lot of them are just nickel and dime garbage. If I had kids I would get them a 3DS since Nintendo's handhelds are usually better childproof and the games while more expensive up front are much higher quality

I have a phone and a tablet and a 3ds and I rarely pick up the 3ds. Not to say I don't adore it, but most of the games I have I've beaten and I don't have that much commute time. I take my phone and tablet to school every day, and usually I don't feel like throwing in a third device. I did however when I got steam world heist.(😍 Love it) However, the problem with 3ds is this. If I want to get a new game, I have to go to Walmart, pay 60 bucks and get a great game. On iPad, I spend 2-3 bucks at my house, it downloads instantly and I have a pretty good time. Most of these kids don't know what Nintendo is like so they see no reason to change. It's quite sad.

When I was a kid, it meant the world to me to save pennies and beg my parents for Gameboy games I saw in Nintendo Power. These days are over. Kids can get whatever they want on a phone for free. Legally or illegally, or some plagerized version of a real game which strangely isn't attacked by Nintendo lawyers. Kids on YouTube show adults how to crack systems and emulate things. I know Sony took a few tries, but I think Nintendo's next handheld should be straight up, a PhoneBoy.

Agreeance, it's so obvious the dumbing down of people in general, that of COURSE video games would mimic that developmental pattern.

Fisher Price should just come out with it's own dedicated handheld and include pack in games like Angry Birds and Candy Crush (the F2P versions only of course).

BARF.

Kinda disappointing the way it is. I love my 3ds and Wii U, but when it comes to portable gaming, nothing beats the 3ds. Although it's a little bit chunky to carry around and a little bit embarrassing. But the experience is ten times better than even the best mobile games. At the very least, I wish the mobile games would be more like the 3ds games and mobile game pads for phones would be more accepted by users and app developers.

Only mobile game I remotely care about is the new Seiken Densetsu, and that would be on my iPad Pro, which I only use for VUDU, AutoDesk Sketch Book Pro, and my iTunes. The new Mana looks like crap. I already have all the Dragon Quests and Final Fantasies on either DS or PSN. I have the companion apps for Watch Dogs and Metal Gear, etc. which I never use. Splinter Cell Spider Bot was never fixed to give me my gear in Blacklist. I don't even think the game is up anymore.

Edit: The new Shadowgate is really, REALLY good!

@JaxonH First of all....58 million isn't a bad thing. Infact, by the end of this year, I'm confident that the 3DS will reach atleast 75 million which also isn't a bad thing.

I don't think Nintendo will give up on the handheld market because they dominate the hell out of it. I mean seriously, the fact that Fates sold million copies before half a year is itself astounding...and its not even released in UK!

Now If Nintendo wants to release their games on mobile, I have no problems there as long as they do it for experiments.....

But releasing games on mobile isn't going to help Nintendo to make those kids move over to their handhelds because why would they want to do that when the mobile games are cheaper than the handheld ones.

I personally hate mobile gaming because of the fact that they will never reach to traditional standards. I so badly want that Sonic Remastered games on PC but I know that's never gonna happen because if the mobile version's good, why port it?

NX being a hybrid is something that's asking us why on earth the Wii U couldn't do that in the first place. I don't have one but I know that if I did, I'd get great games on it.

@digitalmarco
Is this your thoughts, or a leaked pitch for Nintendo's upcoming movie? Nintendo: The Movie! Starring Reggi as himself!

@3MonthBeef There is a 3D remake of 1991 Game Boy game Final Fantasy Adventure titled 'Adventures of Mana'.(in Japan it was Seiken Densetsu: Final Fantasy Gaiden). And Secret of Mana (Seiken Densetsu 2 in Japan). I have the entire Final Fantasy 1-6, Dimension and FF9 on Android. My kids absolutely love FF9 and Dragon Quest 8 on Android. Those are definitely AAA titles in my opinion. And with Google Chromecast one kid can play on the tablet while the other watch the game on the TV... (no lag!) For fremium game they released Kingdom Hearts on Android, it is not as good as the originals but definitely good enough for the price of free with IAPs. I love my Wii U but have no intention to get 3DS at all... My Android phone and tablet are good enough to me. Also, Square Enix has a pretty good mobile only series "Chaos Rings", it is designed and optimized for mobile, that series is quite good, too! Nintendo has a lot to do if they want to stay competitive in this market segment.

I believe Iwata once stated that Nintendo's future hardware could feature "multiple" form factors while all sharing the same OS, architecture, and development tools. Assuming those new hardware products make up what will become the NX, I could see Nintendo one day creating their own gaming tablet to "get in" on mobile gaming more seriously.

@Vineleaf
Says that game systems rot brains, gives child a tablet with crappy brain cell killing rip off games... logic!

@Charinzardon I wholeheartedly agree 100% with you, which for the record, says a lot considering I'm 14.

Idiots.

Sadly I realised handhelds were dead when last week i saw how easily my 5 yr old nephew played a Lego game on his tablet with the on-screen buttons. He doesn't even know what a 3ds is. but he wants a Wii u.

Up until a few years ago, seeing someone look down at portable screen made me think, "Oh, a DS (or 3DS)". Since then, I've seen more and more phones and other smart devices take their place. I currently work at a middle school as a cook and I'd say there is a 3DS for every twenty smart devices out during lunch.

It's sad that most of the kids that I know who play only play because they parent shoved their phone in the face to keep them occupied. Now they just get the hand-me-down devices. Oddly enough, even though my little siblings all have their own Tablets, they actually realize that the better gaming experiences are on their 3DS. The reason why they play on the tablet is because they simply can get free games, even if they aren't good. That, in itself, is a bigger problem for the industry than anything else.

That's why I got my little brother into gaming on real dedicated game devices.

Makes sense. Why are parents going to spend $200 on a handheld and purchase $40 games, when they can just hand their kid their phone to shut them up for a bit at the supermarket?

@Wolfgabe "A survey of just 500 women I find relatively dubious."

^ This!
It's a bit small sample. Although I do believe it can indicate some trends.

My opinion is that smart phone gaming will hurt dedicated device gaming in general, not just Nintendo's handheld market.
Smart phones have expanded the gaming industry no doubt, but I'm not sure if many of those will be persuaded to "upgrade" to more dedicated devices. This is something that only time will tell.

@Detective_TeeJay same here, I love the 3D effect and it adds a lot to the experience.

As a person who has nothing against smartphone/tablet games and likes to play turn based RPGs, but also plays on her 3DS and Wii U I have to say dedicated gaming devices are definitely best yet smartphone games can be very convenient on a bus.

I don't think it is anything wrong with playing smartphone/tablet games, but yeah it is sad that the overall all gaming market are suffering because of Smartphones and tablets.

Hopefully Nintendo can recapture today's kids with their upcoming smartphone games and movies :+).

I'm usually playing Monster Hunter on my 3DS on the bus when heading to and from work. However, I almost never see anyone else playing with a 3DS, and instead a lot of people are playing on phones or tablets.

Edit: After saying that, I happen to see an amazing person playing on a 2DS on the bus.

Kids use smartphones too much.

@bezerker99 Some kids have good taste, but not many of them.

So true! I gave my 8 year old niece my old 3ds XL because I got a New 3ds XL but she hardly ever uses it because of the damn iPad. Her parents spoil her with too much iPad playtime. She plays the ipad most of the time when getting back from school. She's got a brother but he's even worse. I'm seriously thinking about taking it (old 3ds) back. I don't like using mobile touchscreen for controls very much.

This is honestly really sad. Without kids to back it up Nintendo handhelds could go the way of the Vita. If Nintendo drop out of the portable market we'll lose sight of the production values that portable gaming can have, and instead we'll have to resign ourselves to shallower content.

What bugs me even more is that games media is backing up the idea that only mobile games can be considered portable gaming. This is why it killed me to see no 3DS games nominated for BAFTAs and Lara Croft: Relic Run beat Monster Hunter 4 at The Game Awards. Yes, there can be differences of opinion but the quality gap is still insane. This is why I think that Nintendo should have a more two-pronged marketing campaign of their portables as both kids' toys and dedicated gaming machines.

Problem #1: the number of games released for the 3ds has had a tremdously sharp decline over the last couple years. What does this mean? Well, no games, no sales. Why is this so hard for Nintendo to figure out?!?!?
Problem #2: games on the 3ds cost too much. Most especially the digital copies.
Lastly, just because a 3ds is portable, does not mean it needs to be traveling to be played. The majority of gamers still play at home, regardless what system they play.

For everyone saying pokemon games etc, a lot of kids play them illegally on their tablets, etc.

It's so easy to play free good games besides the free to play. That's even more reason for parents to buy them. I don't even have to buy games for it? My shortsighted mind thinks that's great!

Do the world a favor and if your niece or nephew, best friends kids etc only have a phone tablet show them a 3DS, Vita or hell even one of the portable retro systems that uses actual games.

Show them Konami used to make real games. Thankfully my nieces and nephews know what real games are despite owning smart phones. They are not even fanboys for one company(sheds tear) I'm so proud of them.

@slim80 Early 2000's wasn't bad either.

And the games on them things are rubbish!!!

@SetupDisk
I don't see a tablet running Sun and Moon any time soon, but it isn't just kids that will buy a handheld for the Pokemon games.

@LUIGITORNADO That's the issue really, parents don't care about the gaming business at large, or how much better buttons are than a touchscreen, they care about "If i toss my kid my phone or old tablet for a bit he/she is occupied" (I see my brother-in-law doing that all the time), and that's a more attractive proposition for them than buying a €200 console and games at €40 apiece...

Wait, 24% is a highly competitive market is an extremely good number! It's not a golden era like in times of Gameboy anymore, but keep in mind electronic devices are cheaper and more products are available for consumers to choose from, making 24% a really, really good amount of market share. Plus smartphones have multiple functionality, of course every kid gonna have one, if not for gaming then for contacting parents.

I am a gamer and my kids 13 and 11 are gamers. They take their 3DS's and Ipads where ever they go. 3DS to play games and Ipad to also play games and keep in touch with friends.

It's up to the parents. My friends who are not gamers, mostly their kids are not also. My friends who are gamers, all their kids are gamers.

For consoles my kids are almost 100% Xbox One. Nintendo just doesn't have the online multiplayer games they are their friends want to play. Madden, NHL, NBA, COD, Star Wars Battlefront, Halo and I could go on and on.

It's delusional to think that phenomenon will only hit the handhelds market. In Japan, smartphones aren't just replacing the handhelds market. It's also replacing the home consoles market. The home consoles market isn't as healthy as the medias are picturing. Lot of publishers are living a terrible gen with the PS4/XboxOne, especially the japanese publishers. It's getting harder and harder to convince people to spend $60 for a game when they can have access to dozens of games for few dollars. It's only hitting the handhelds market now because it's a younger audience. But when this audience will grow up it will be hard to convince them to spend $60 for one videogame. That's why Sony and Microsoft spend so much money on hardware and marketing. The console market is a money sinker at this point. Even the biggest publishers on consoles aren't confident about them:
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/there-may-be-no-consoles-in-the-future-ea-exec-say/1100-6439591/

It was really stupid from the western medias to bash Nintendo like they did with the 3DS and the WiiU. Nintendo always tried to bring new audience to the console market. Killing Nintendo is basically killing a source of people for the consoles market. And in the end it will backfire over the rest of the industry. It already backfired over the rest of the japanese industry.

@CharlieSmile

Sorry I disagree, mobile games companies haven proven that their sucess isvery boom and bust. Look at zynga, rovio for example.

@Torterror yea after 2001 I should have stated that lol

@Ichi yea my neice has a tablet and 3ds.she does the handheld gaming because of me.she plays wii u more than anything.she is 11 I started her out on Nintendo games and 90s cartoons.thats what she loves and it makes my sister mad.the 90s was the best.

@MysticX I feel bad for you kids.ill spend the extra money so my kids have real games

@freaksloan Shame that they haven't played Splatoon, the best game on the Wii U and one of the best shooter games out there (in my opinion of course).

@Ashthearcher

$60 for a 3DS game?

You could also just download games from the eshop.

@remlapgamer Truth. I love ALBW, but its 10-hour playtime did not satisfy me the way a 40-50-60 hour game like TP, SS would.

My oldest, 14 hasn't been a Nintendo game ever. He plays the smash and kart with his friends but won't touch any of the other 300 games on our wii u. He won't touch the 3ds. He acts like they will give him cancer for playing it. My youngest 6, has grown up with an iPad and Nintendo consoles. He just plays games, he doesn't care. If the 3ds is dead, he on the iPad, or vice versa. He is playing Mario marker right now.
The way I see it, when nes was out, it wasn't cool to play video games. Hence Nintendo wasn't cool then in the eyes of most people. Well, Xbox 360 came out with gta and cod, and all of a sudden gaming was cool, but Nintendo was still uncool despite wii selling 100million+ and ds same. All these people now are the majority of the gaming world and all their kids have not grown up with Zelda in their hearts. Instead they buy pot off hookers and shoot people in Gta. Nintendo 3ds just isn't cool like having an iPhone. Why think playing Zelda when you can play angry birds?

@slim80 I don't have kids (A good thing too, i am not a "kids"-person at all ), i still play on my 3DS, but my nephew has his dad's hand-me-down iPad, and i can see the economical sense in it, they had the iPad already, so spending €200 plus games on a 3DS when some simple iPad stuff keeps him busy too is a bit unnecessary, it's just a sign of the changing times i suppose...

My daughter is 6. She used to play a ton of crap ftp games on an android tablet, plus a few games on my old DS Lite (which she broke, sigh) until she got her own 2DS for her birthday. Now she's addicted to Pokemon and Yokai Watch and Tomodachi Life and she only uses the tablet for Netflix. She isn't, however, the child that Nintendo needs to focus their marketing on. She has the bonus of having gaming parents who fondly remember Pong and Space Invaders and, later, Beneath a Steel Sky and other games of that era. Most kids don't have that. We as parents know the value of games and gaming, from giving the incentive to learn to read up to spatial awareness skills and reflexes. Again, most kids don't have that (see the poster above whose sister won't let them buy a 3DS for her child because gaming "rots the brain").

Nintendo is a total marketing fail, at least in the UK. They have no advertising presence at all that I can see, outside of short-lived Pokemon promotions in Game stores, where only gamers go anyway. With the demise of ONM a few years back, they have no presence on the tech mag shelves at the supermarket either, indeed no presence at all in supermarkets (we now have to buy all our Nintendo stuff online, 5 years ago or so we could pick up the odd game or accessory with the weekly shop).

If nobody knows your products exist, nobody will buy them. Parents who are willing to let their kids game see XBone/PS4 and Clash of Clans and Candy Crush ads on TV and think the choice is between home console (expensive, plus another £50-60 for the game) or tablet/phone. So they go for the phone, which at least means they can also keep in touch. They have no idea that the ftp games are crap, no idea that a much deeper, more satisfying, entertaining and educational (in many ways) experience can be had, because they never hear about it. And they have no experience of the differences between crap games and immersive games themselves.

And then there's the fact that little Johnny and little Jenny want what everyone else has got - ie an iPhone. If nobody their age that they know has a 3DS, or admits to having a 3DS, they're not going to want one - unless they are shown how brilliant the 3DS is. And nobody is showing them that.

Right now, I'm really not sure that there is any way back for Nintendo, at least in the UK. Yes, it has many fans, but those fans can't do the job the marketing department should be doing. More small, bite-sized games like Pokemon Shuffle might help, getting Nintendo IP onto mobile might help, advertising and maybe some strategic product placement certainly would help. But honestly, I can see gaming becoming either console (expensive dedicated hardware, expensive games, mostly CoD, FIFA, Madden type games) or mobile (expensive but versatile hardware, cheap throwaway games, lots of advertising). I'm planning on getting a couple of spare 3DSs at the end of its lifecycle, because this isn't a future I want - but it's the future I think we're gonna get.

@InklingOrange sorry, I derp'd

I'm so sad very few people know about Nintendo. Let's show what Nintendo is by keep showing Nintendo stuffs anywhere, anytime. We're so lucky if we ever experienced with wonderful games from Nintendo and we can help them to get experienced with cuteness of Animal Crossing series, silliness of Tomodachi Life, Awesomeness of 3D Mario games, and many more. They need games like that so they can differ the crappy quality with awesome quality.

Not surprising, Nintendo knows this too....otherwise Miitomo wouldnt have in-app purchases. They wouldnt be talking up their next smartphone games, theme park attractions (which apparently will be in 2020-to-Never), or feature films while sort of ignoring everything else.

With Nintendo being in the gamer-kid-business, they have to change a lot up because competition is high. Good luck Big N, I know I've been less interested in the past few months.

@CharlieSmile It's true that not everyone wants the same but if Nintendo is able to sway the people that would like to play a bit more than 3color clone X and endlessrunner 9000 or watereddownmoon. I know there are plenty good mobile games around and handhelds have plenty of good pick up and play time wasters.
Variety is the spice of life as they say...

But Nintendo's marketing relies too much on the old crowd and nostalgia that they seem to lose focus on how to capture the hearts of modern kids the same way they did ours...

Why does a 10 year old need a smart phone?

@FcsevenXIII
They don't. But mummy got a new one when she upgraded, and it seemed a waste to throw away the old one.

Smart phones have a 2 year max life span before they are upgraded. Most parents will then give the old one to the oldest kid who hasn't got one yet.

@FcsevenXIII
Kids nowadays are get matured before the time.

Such a young age to get a phone, and even more so a smart phone... hm.

@Mr_Zurkon "It's cost related too. Parents can let their kids play all sorts of Free-to- play games to keep them entertained and never spend a dime of real money."

They don't want to spend money for their children. Often not spending TIME with their children either. Idiots giving birth to more idiots. Our future society is promising.

@Minotaurgamer "Nintendo handhelds had games that adjusted to the gamers' lives. Could be played in minutes or short bursts, The 3DS feels more like a portable home console that had games that require more time. It is also expensive and has unnecessary things like the 3D that nobody cares."

Talk for yourself. What are you? A 2D-nazi?
Looking back at "current-gen", glasses-free 3D appears to be the only noticeable innovation of this generation. We can't afford to give up on it, it would be a major step-back.

However, I agree that modern handhelds are more like portable home consoles. But this seems to be what a lot of people are asking for. Better visuals, more complex gameplay and story, more content... I would love to see more focus on games that can be played on the go and in environments where concentration is not possible, but sadly, this is precisely what people are expecting from smart devices, not from handheld consoles. Maybe we just need a better balance between the two? Because both style are available on 3DS, maybe just not enough of the "bite-size" style.

I didn't get my first phone until I was 14-15, and it wasn't a smartphone , it didn't flip, slide, swing, or spin. It just called and texted, and it wasn't a hand me down, I think waiting to give a child their first phone is the best way to go, unless you live in a bad neighborhood, then it's for safety, otherwise wait until they're 15-16 that way in the time between anything else you give them becomes a hobby other than Twitter and Facebook. This whole situation reminds me of the Motorola RAZR boom back in 2004-5 every one was playing halo 2 and sonic heroes, and I was sitting high and dry out of the trends, and for a little while after Christmas, I was the cool kid on the block because, when everyone had GBA SPs I had a DS, and boy if the ps2 wasn't a gateway console, the DS was, so my start in gaming all the time started there, I had a 64 but only played it little , and a snes.
What I'm getting at, is that if you fill your child's life with things besides a cellphone , honestly you're doing them a favor Legos and leapfrog books are less likely to get them into things they shouldn't.

Kimishima has an enormous elephant on his back in terms of steering Nintendo back onto the path... And here's the crazy part: Nintendo can totally get back to greatness. But they seem intent on ignoring the signs and making the worst possible decisions, all while resting on a comfy bed of '90s nostalgia. I don't think they're doomed per se but they are in trouble. While it's ultimately a(nother) piece of mobile junkware, Miitomo and the forthcoming AC and FE games should've been available on Android and iOS back in 2012 - not 2016. Whatever this NX is, it needs to be a whole lot of awesome. It can happen: it's just this stuff being in post-'90s Nintendo's hands worries me.

Kids don't buy smart devices, it's their parents. Since most games on smart devices are either free or cost a few dollars at most: any thrifty parents will prefer that to a console.

Only parents who are gamers will want their kids to play better games, else all the video games are the same to them.

@Porpoise I'm 18 as well, it is good to know that are still some people who is not like those idiots.

I blame parents.

**old man impression** back in my day i had a gameboy, 3 games, and a battery pack for a 6 hour car ride.

Being 14, I can see that..well from my view point at least, I don't use a tablet or know any of my friends who use a tablet more than their 3DS...

It's sad, too. Most of these thousands of "free" games are total trash...

If only the NX was a cell phone/Tablet

This is far from surprising. Personally, I feel that kids shouldn't even have smart phones unless they're driving, travel separately from their parents a lot, or are in sports. That's just my personal opinion. (I didn't get a phone until I was sixteen, and it was far from a smart phone, lol. They definitely existed then.)

I don't mind mobile games as timewasters if you're waiting somewhere, but what bothers me is that so many of them are of lower quality. Free or not, many of them seem like spammy, ad-ridden, low-quality cash-grabs. Even some of the really popular games, like Candy Crush or Flappy Bird, seem horrible to me.

I understand a parent's need to be thrifty, but they're sacrificing quality by saving a few bucks. It's one thing if the kid doesn't care, but I feel that some kids today don't even know how great and immersive a high-quality game can be since they're bombarded with sub-par games.

As for touch-screen controls, yes they're intuitive, but try playing a game like Smash Bros. using only a touch screen.

Ah, poor new gen kids, missing out on actual games and thinking mobile trash like Clash of Clans are actually a viable substitute

Better than developing weak mobile games with in-game purchases, Nintendo would do better becoming "third party" and developing for Xbox/PS/NX high-profile games.

@SetupDisk You know something? Just last month or so, I was visiting my aunt's house, and my cousin was there. And he's on his iPhone right? Guess what he's playing? Pokemon FireRed. Meanwhile, I'm sitting here on my original DS playing Pokemon Sapphire through backwards compatibility. He was literally playing pirated nintendo games through his phone. Do you know what the worst part was? He was pretty much a Sony fanboy. I remember when we were smaller he used to love his Wii. Now he has a PS4 and left his Wii literally biting the dust. So now he sticks with Sony and pirates Nintendo games. Anyway, I see him doing that, and I'm flabbergasted he's pirating games on his phone, and you know of course everybody else is there to watch me have a fit over it, so his mom takes notice. At first their EXCUSE was that they were paying a monthly BILL which was probably just the 4G tax. So these idiots thought it was a perfectly legal game that Nintendo was legally distributing through the iPhone's hardware. To top it off, his mom went on to the internet on her phone and, I don't know what she searched or found, but then she comes up with some crap from some mis-informed forum of most likely another company with different views than Nintendo, which made me look like a fool.

https://www.nintendo.com/corp/legal.jsp#copyrights

I guarantee with my life that she did NOT come across this page. The ONLY credible source of information regarding emulating Nintendo games.

I may, more than anyone else, despise the new generation children the worst.

Mis. Informed. Brats.

@Barbiegurl777 I had never heard of Tsum Tsum, I just went to App Store and looked it up and omg how cute!! I just downloaded it and even a couple more games on my iPad! Thanks so much for pointing that game out! And see, this is what's killing Nintendo. Had they put casual games like this on cartridges or eShop at low prices (despite me downloading all these for free) I still would have preferred buying the versions for 3DS if they existed. But 3DS just totally dropped the casual games and now I'm forced to get them elsewhere which is why I got an iPad a year ago. Before, it was a kindle which I've had for over 4 years. Also another game you might like is called My Talking Angela. It's got a lot of games within it including one identical to Tsum Tsum. I've played My Talking Angela for over 3 years and I totally love it! I turn wifi off my device to play these games too so I don't have flashing ads in my face all the time! someday you should get an iPad, they don't cost more than a 3DS and since Nintendo don't want us to have the casual games anymore, you can just play them on that, for free. It's sad we have to go that route now, but I'm not just going to quit playing games because Nintendo won't sell them. and I don't have to bother with having a smart phone either!

https://m.tapastic.com/episode/5293
Replace "PS Vita" with "Phone"

Yeah, and all these millions of children are getting doses of radiation every day from these devices... Adults can handle it as long as they don't keep them near their head, chest, or crotch too often, and use airplane mode frequently, but children's bodies are far more susceptible. Younger children absorb huge amounts of radiation into their brains, in particular, almost like sponges, altering how the brain functions over time to be less active. We're going to see a huge increase in brain tumors, disruptive mental disorders, and radiation related cancers about 20 years from now.

Hey, maybe that can be some new marketing for Nintendo to use... "Nintendo systems won't catalyze or cause brain disorders or tumors in your kids 20 years from now like smart devices and phones if they're overused!" Oh boy, the backlash from the telecommunications corporations if that happened...

Honestly, it should be illegal to allow schools to use these devices in the classroom. And parents should be warned, but the detailed information is being blocked from the mainstream channels. Only a few prominent doctors know the scope of what's happening now.

@bezerker99 When I was a kid, I played Game Boy titles like Wario Land, Link's Awakening, and SaGa (FF Legends series). It's more like kids these days have bad taste... Mainly because they're not exposed to anything else!

@Sean_Aaron Requiring smart devices for school... Sickening.

@PlywoodStick totally agree. Also, i still regret the day i sold my copy of The Final Fantasy Legend on gameboy. Wish Nintendo and SquareEnix would release those games on the 3ds vc.

I personally don't have a home console nor a 3ds ,and that is a total bummer,although I have a smart phone and these hordes of games to choose from but they don't seem to have that spark that overall Nintendo has.

@Barbiegurl777 you know what, I'm totally clumsy as can be and I was worried about my iPad getting broke if I were to drop it so I got a really thick rubbery (silicone) thing that wraps around my iPad for $5 at a store called Five Below, and it protects my iPad perfectly. It's actually an iPad Mini 2 that I have, they are usually about $200 now, and it's got a pretty big screen on it compared to 3ds. It's so easy to use, and I love it. I play games on it but also use it for Internet instead of a computer. In fact that's how I get on this website too. The little keyboard that pops up on it is just like using a real keyboard too, in case you were wondering!
And also, you said your dad has an iPhone so you guys can actually connect together with your iPad if you get one. You can use it to text him in an application called iMessage that's on it, for free, so that's pretty cool too!

I see a kid playing on a tablet, and I'm just so disappointed with today's youth. I see a kid playing on a 3DS and I have hope in humanity. Bonus points if he/she is playing an actually good game, like Smash, Mario, Pokemon, Zelda, etc. And of course the problem lies in not only losing the little, little kids because "here, Johnny, take daddy's iPad while he's in the board room" is easier than buying a 3DS and games, but also in losing older, high-school/middle-school aged kids who think they're too cool to play a 3DS in public. There's no stigma surrounding mobile games on phones because they're just played casually. If someone says "ha, you're playing a video game, what a nerd!", you can respond with, "naw man, just playing it cuz I'm bored", but the 3DS, because it has QUALITY games that you can get really into, you are the nerd. It's cool to say to a group of people, "hey, anybody play Clash Royale?", but if you say, "Anybody wanna have a Pokemon battle?" they'll look at you like you just asked for group sex. I don't know how it is in elementary school today, but when I was in elementary school, people still played Pokemon. I really hope that hasn't changed, but I feel like it has.

Another big problem is the way the media treats gaming. The last news story I saw on anything Nintendo-related was a few months ago on a local entertainment news channel in a 20-second piece saying that Brittany Spears has a chance of getting into Smash 4 because of the fighter ballot and the fact that she was in Dance-Dance-Revolution on the Wii. But you always hear about the newest phone games, and see them referenced to often, i.e. "playing ______________ on the toilet" or "getting addicted to _______________"

@TheDavyStar brought up a valid point when they said, "This is why it killed me to see no 3DS games nominated for BAFTAs and Lara Croft: Relic Run beat Monster Hunter 4 at The Game Awards." The fact that the actually good 3DS games are being shafted for awards in favor of F2P titles is just maddening. It's how the majority of Americans feel when they see Donald Trump supporters: with so many other good, qualified candidates, why is the undoubtedly worst one the UNOPPOSED Republican nominee?

Nintendo just needs a new mobile IP. As someone else brought up earlier, Nintendo was at its peak when kids would beg and plead with their parents to get the new Gameboy game. If Nintendo can re-inspire those younger audiences, not only will you get more immediate revenue, but also more down the road because you're creating fans for life. The Wii was great, sure. But how many Wii owners that you know (that weren't into gaming before the Wii) are still into gaming? Judging by the sales of the Wii U, I'd wager not very many. I became a gamer because of Pokemon on my Nintendo DS. I didn't have any older brothers, gaming parents, or friends pushing me to play, I just got really into Pokemon because of all the brand marketing. Actually have a pretty funny story about that.

So, I'll assume you all remember the 2nd Gym in Pokemon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum, the Eterna City gym. The hint the guy gives you at the front of the gym is that the trainers are scattered around the gym and you have to find them. Well when he said around the gym, I thought he meant AROUND the gym. As in, on the exterior of the gym, outside it's walls. So when I saw an odd-looking trainer in the gorge separating Eterna City from Mt. Coronet, I figured I had to do SOMETHING to reach her. And when I tried and tried and tried again to get through Mt. Coronet (which is impossible to do at the time, separate from hacks) and nothing worked, I just trained a Shellos I caught at level 13. And trained. And trained. All against lv 10-13 wild Pokemon, mind you, I grinded all the way up to level 30 and evolved it! I had a lv 30 Gastrodon after only the first gym. I then returned to the gym and... I saw a strange pixel or two out of place in one of the trees. I. was such. an idiot. Around the gym doesn't LITERALLY mean around the area of the gym, it means hidden IN the gym! So I swept the Grass type gym leader with a water/ground type, and proceeded to make my way through the entire game not with a highly overtrained starter Pokemon as most little kids do when they start out, but with a highly overtrained Gastrodon. And that's the origin of my Shellos profile icon.

So the moral of that highly off-topic anecdote is...

phone games=bad 4 n1nt3nd0
pokemans=good 4 n1nt3nd0

@PlywoodStick or progress? I assume you don't have kids, so you you should know that grade schoolers have been expected to use PowerPoint for school reports for nearly a decade in the UK. Can't say I see anything odd about having a tablet device for class work - unless you think they're going to be using pen-and-paper for another century?

1980s Nintendo benefitted from 1980s gaming crashing.
1990s Sony benefitted from 1980s Nintendo thriving.
2000s gaming exploded from 1990s Sony thriving.
2010s Nintendo is hurt by 2000s gaming thriving.
The point?
Nintendo has produced dozens of wonderful innovations, but fail to show when it comes to actually competing. With someone across the ring, Nintendo's corner empties. Theyy tuck their tails and hide behind another gimmick.
There is no Wii 2.0
The 'next Gameboy' isn't coming.
This isn't pessimism, it's realism.
The bullish Nintendo that made the DS work is gone. And now, the apologetic Nintendo that brushes off the power argument with Gamecube anecdotes is back.
The Gamecube failed because of the media prompting fewer 3rd party interests, the controller, and the expectation of the fan base. Nintendo progresses not to stagnate, but they have come full circle.
They don't have a leadership group open to change and are quickly losing relevance as they struggle to meet the demands of an audience they (frankly) haven't made a serious effort to understand.

Honestly some of you people need some perspective. Not having a dedicated games system isn't the end of the human race. And the grumpy old man routine is a bit much too. I'm sure someday dedicated handhelds will become kitsch and have a following; the question is whether or not Nintendo will around to cater to the hipsters of the future.

@happylittlepigs I do hope that Sun and Moon will be able to get kids on the Ninty wagon again. Or, at least Yokai Watch, but I'm not so sure.

Also, that was a true coming of age story xD

This argument reminds me of my first crush and her pointed argument with the first professor in our first University class.
She, typing away, following studiously his droning lecture.
Me, being laptop free, scribbling furiously to keep up.
After 10, maybe 12 minutes, he paused and a blisteringly hot summer day became struck with the most crippling silence.
Walking to her desk, he placed his hand on the laptop and closed it promptly before returning to his place at the head of the class.
What followed may as well have been coated with epoxy, as it has stuck with me since.
Upon asking the class if he could resume without further disrespect, the young lady stood and cooly remarked: "Certainly. Anyone can buy this 500$ text, but apparently it takes 3 PHDs to read it aloud."
When she walked out, I followed her, and we both started taking Media Services instead.
Long story short, Nintendo makes pens and paper, but the pen only works with that paper and vice versa.
Meanwhile, everyone else is using laptops and Nintendo fanboys are the self involved professor that hated the laptop.
And I'm still leaving with the girl

@NodesforNoids I think that sums present-day Nintendo up really, they come up with a device that's underpowered ("Creative use of withered technology", in use since the "game and watch"-era), with a gimmick attached, if the gimmick catches on (DS, Wii) they're golden, if it doesn't (3DS, WiiU) they're in trouble

Yes, i mentioned the 3DS, i have one and love it, but if Sony hadn't run the Vita off a cliff it would never be as successful as it is now...

Here's an Idea Nintendo, get third party titles onto the NX. And market stuff to older audiences instead of just kids for god's sake. Nintendo really needs to grow into the gaming industry I mean really, how many 3rd party titles got missed and never made it to the Wii U so far?. I love Nintendo but they need to go to the Mature level and have everything on the NX. I really hope NX hits higher in sales then Wii U did.

Some of you are parents. Get your kids to play your 3DS, or buy them a 2DS. You can either be part of Nintendo's problem, or be part of the solution.

And start buying those kiddy games for your kids. I am buying co-op games on the cheap left and right, so when my son is old enough, we'll play Batman Bold and the Brave and Lego on the Wii together.

My kids do use tablets, but I try to encourage gaming for my oldest on my old 3DS and the WiiU gamepad, which is like tablet.

@simonthomas6 There's no point targeting the older market either. They are already playing the PS4 and Xboner and don't care to switch. It's get back the kids or die trying. And right now with Nintendo's amateur hour marketing department, it's going to be the latter.

@Kiyata Isn't it just called Messages? I think they ditched the "i" part in Mountain Lion.

Even though it doesn't matter; happily writing in Mountain Lion.

@XCWarrior ..."Xboner"... …Really? Was that necessary?

@Porpoise I've been saying Xboner since the day they named their third system the same name as their first system. If they would have gone with my name, they would be the #1 console this gen. Well that and not try to make it DRM heavy and online only and then renig after it was too late.

@XCWarrior But there's no point in the "er". It makes it sound like somebody's…business… You know what I'm trying to say. Actually, it does fit well with most of the Xbox fan base. I'll give it that.