iPhone Gaming Controller Could Mean "The End Of Nintendo", Claims Investment Site

We're still listening to these guys?

Here we go again with "Nintendo is doomed" predictions.

Oh no.. Nintendo is so doomed..

The Motley Fool

No-one wants to slap a hefty lump of plastic on their phone. I got an iPhone to play lots of games on and I was disappointed; trying to find a great game, a deep game, is spectacularly hard. I've had more playtime out of Ocarina of Time alone than with about 30 iPhone titles. It just isn't a games console, pure and simple.

Those fools again... Do investors actually make decisions based on a group of internet fanboys/ market specialists?

And one quick glance at that d-pad tells a story. Those things are shocking.

It's kind of too late for this IMO, even if Apple releases an official button attachment for iPhones and iPod Touches, over 90% of game apps that use button substitutes wouldn't be updated to be compatible with it.

The problem is fairly similar to the circle pad pro situation. Dev's cannot be bothered to support controllers most of the time.

The remake of NES Contra is on iOS / Android and doesn't support controllers.

Sega's Android stuff is pretty good when it comes to physical controls.

The reason the Xperia Play failed is because Sony axed it to try and get people to buy the Vita. Left the software broken so it couldn't support newer games from 3rd parties. Didn't release more than about 6 of their own PS1 titles.

Yes, Apple, that creative force in the video games industry...

What happens if someone calls your phone while you play a game?

ERRR... YEAH.... THAT!!!

I ignore the Cult of Apple.

I think they'd have to make the controller a lot better than that.

Lolno.
The games I have on my iPhone are fun, but not as fun as games on console.
But man.. Logitech is just amazing.

@phoenixology

Exactly the same as happens now when someone calls you while you're playing a game on your phone.

@pukka-pie Look - SNK/Capcom/Dotemu/Sega/Komami/Square Enix all the good older stuff is on iOS and not on the 3DS eshop or Virtual Console.

Its getting Final Fantasy VI and Dragon Quest VII as well.

If you guys would just ignore these ridiculous blog posts and stop commenting on them, Damien would stop scouring Google News for them and posting them here.

Nintendo can sell 20-30million consoles every generation just because of their games. As long as they keep making games like 3d world things will be fine.

This isn't a hardware issue, it's a software issue. Gamers buy Nintendo hardware for the software. They always have and always will and no amount of upgrades to Apple hardware is going to change that.

End of Nintendo my butt, lol.
Yeah right, guys... external controller for iPhone means nothing to Nintendo.

I guess they've never heard of Android.

Anyway, I don't dispute that video gaming consoles in general are on the way out(PC gaming is getting easier and easier, and console makers are slowly forgetting the advantages that consoles have over PCs), but I don't think it will happen this generation, and I sure as hell don't think that a freaking iPhone gamepad will change that.

They have the fool part of their name right!😄

I've 14 years in the hedge fund business and have yet to find an example of Motley Fool being anything other than just fools. They are entertainment news, nothing more.

@shinpichu If Apple released one of their own it might get better support. I agree consoles just run like PC's that don't have enough hardware most of the time. (Nintendo excluded usually but even they compromised i.e 3d land / nsmb2).

Even if Apple release a official gaming controller, the install base for it is going to be so small that developers won't bother spending resources to make their games compatible. This device takes away the functionally of being a phone by sticking an extra inch of plastic to end of the speaker and receiver, how comfortable is that going to be? How stupid is it going to look?

Anyway, Android has been doing this for years, and so far Nintendo isn't dead, or has shown any signs of real signs of dying because of Android controllers. And Android is in 80% of the phones sold. The Motley Fool's name really does speak of itself.

@phoenixology Pauses the game (At least on the Xperia Play). Sonic CD on the Xperia Play is perfect. (Prefer it to the Gamecube on Sonic Gems).

@Bulby Not for the iphone but for the ipad mainly. The ports are generally better than on Android. Sega supports controllers perfectly on Android cannot imagine they are not going to on iOS.

I think they overlook one big thing, and that's

Pokémon!

With Pokémon on its side, Nintendo is just fine.

The "Nintendo is Doomed" guy never fails to appear every single week, especially when it comes to iPhone/Apple fanboys. How could you say "The end of Nintendo" when most of the smarthphone gaming market are just terrible flash/based games that cost 1 to 10 dollars? Tell me an iPhone game that's better than Pokémon X/Y? Zelda ALBW?? Right, none! With iPhone you would get million of games that's for sure, but I prefer quality instead of quantity and that's why Nintendo is still more than relevant on the handhled market. 3DS is doing better than ever even with the strong competition of smarthphones because there's still A LOT of people out there who prefer to experience quality gaming handheld over cheap/bad smarthphone games.

@AdanVC Here is the thing - on iOS you get HD versions of the first 3 Ace Attorney games for £13. Dragon Quest VII is miles better than any 3DS game and that is coming out this winter. (Japan already has it on the 3DS doubt we will get it).

Heh, Heh. Well in that case Sony and Microsoft is doomed as well.

whomp whomp....Looks like the Sega game gear...Phone controllers are well and good. But what sets it apart from the competition(other phone controllers)? Besides phone gaming are relatively shallow gaming experiences with a touch here, a swipe there..

@unrandomsam: OK, that's two games - I have 14 retail games for 3DS now, and there are at least five more I'd really like to get... I cannot say the same thing about iOS.

wait till the 3ds phone comes out. iphone will be irrelevant to those casual gamers.

Phone games never stand upto console and 3ds games.

This is just blatherskite they probaly got paid to say.
Maybe a mean apple conspiration?

Any website with the word "fool(s)" in the title shouldn't be taken seriously.

This news reminded me that I still haven't read the best article on the history of IGN this month. Let's remedy that!

http://www.ign.com/articles/2011/07/29/history-says-the-3ds-is-doomed

Oh no, a gaming device and a mobile phone in one... Good bye gaming as we know it.
Oh wait, there once was the Ngage and they said the same thing then. And about every attempt after that, that didn't even have physical games. I'd rather still get an Ngage than ever even consider paying more than a week's pay for an apple on the back of a 'smart' phone, knowing that half a year later a newer model will arrive.
When I get a new Nintendo handheld, I know I'll get new games like Luigi's Mansion 2 and Link between Worlds. And a gaming device shouldn't do much more than playing games and related stuff. (Allright, Wii U could do with a Bluray player. That'd make my PS3 irrelevant)

@WingedSnagret what if they in reality is just pretending to be fools (therfore the name) when they in reality is despicable evil nintendo-hating geniouses?

1. Nintendo is doomed!
2. Nintendo releases any game from Mario / Zelda / Pokemon / any of the many IPs
3. Nintendo starts collecting truckloads of money
4. Go to (1)

Nintendo releases Nintendophone - I buy one! simples!

Thing about the ipad (not iphone ipad) is it is 4:3 and it has loads of pixels so the awful scaling artifacts you get even running DS games on the 3DS XL are not a problem. Also stuff that was in the arcades at 3:4 can be played just by turning it around.

I prefer Secret of Mana to the original Link to the Past and it is on iOS not the 3DS. (Just needs support for physical controls).

Maybe a Link Between Worlds is better (I will get that anyway) but I doubt it is 4 times as good which is what it costs.

4:3 stuff looks better on something is 4:3

An IPhone controller seems cool and all but I don't think this spells doom for Nintendo. I would just be happy with just having a regular IPhone. The games I play don't actually need a controller such as Hay Day, Jet Pack Joy Ride, Simpsons Tapped Out, and a few others. I probably would not get this, I'll stick with the IPad and 3DS.

When people get tired of Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, Metroid, Pikmin, Donkey Kong, Mario Kart, Star Fox, Luigi Mansion, Warioware, Wii Fit, Yoshi and Smash Bros... then Nintendo will be over.

Yeah, they just need to deal with that marketplace saturation and the expectation of a $0.99 price point and then they might have something. Oh, let's not forget that it is not a pack-in, and we've seen how well developers support that on other consoles.

@Gioku All the Metal Slug games / Blazing Star / All the Cave games / Raiden Legacy / All the Capcom Arcade stuff / Contra Evolution / Ace Attorney (All the first 3 for £13) / Super Hexagon (True perfect game like Tetris is) / Bards Tale / All Stars Racing (The 3DS version of Transformed is dire) / Jet Set Radio / Crazy Taxi / Gunstar Heroes / Secret of Mana / Chrono Trigger / Final Fantasy IV / Final Fantasy V / Final Fantasy IV After Years (£11 for the lot) / Arcade R-Type / Another World / Sonic CD. (There is shedloads enough that if the controller supported is added due to the lower cost of the stuff I get the ipad for nothing). I have an Android Tablet and the quality of the ports isn't as good but the controller support was better. The mobile version of Sonic 1 is supposed to be superior to the 3D Classics one also.

The problem with these controller add-on's for Iphones is the fact not every game is compatible with it.

BTW The best one i've seen is The Moga which is like a Megadrive/Genesis controller... and even that isn't big

Honestly, Apple's "i" generation really doesn't need a controller to "doom" any 1 of the big 3. Mobile simply doesn't have the horse power to drive out handhelds. Besides, this thing controller looks like an overpriced shell. Come on now....$100?! I'll grant Logitech a very minor benefit of the doubt only because they make good products, but no actual controller is worth this. fact of the matter is either Micro$oft or $ony could've very easily driven away Nintendo by now if they really wanted to. But they're way too busy competing with each other instead; $ony always dishes out unprofessional stabs at Micro$oft every E3 while Micro$oft tends to favor more of a straight forward, direct, facts sheet type approach, and doesn't really take a stab at anyone. It's the way it should be. It really all depends where the competative focus conflicts with theirs at the end of the day.

Mobile games are still poopsiedoodoodingdongdoggiepoopledooples, a controller won't change things...silly people
_{Please watch the profanity — TBD}

@unrandomsam I'm sure there are but I can't bloody find them!

I own a iPhone but i don't like to play games on it due the very limited content of a mobile game.

Apple just stop existing your phones are not popular anymore. You own 40% of phone market while android owns 60%. Its increasing with android. Plus why would anyone wants this? Everything that has gone against Nintendo has failed.

Nintendos next handheld should offer sone kind of text like whatsapp and do a video chat like wiiu and that can come in handy

It's a great idea. But I have to say. The Apple store has a very longway to go before it's games are anywhere near the quality of the Nintendo Releases on 3DS. Their store is Full of Horrible games. About 1 out of 10 games are good in the Apple and Android markets.

Haha. Look at that D pad... Not gonna happen

I can see it now. My wife will call me right in the middle of a giant boss fight and wreak my focus. Then I'll have to pause my game and hold that huge thing to my face to take the call. Really cool!!!

The end of Nintendo? With a controller like that?
Actually, a bad controller didn't stop the original PlayStation from outselling the N64.

Maybe Nintendo should cut a deal to port Ipad games to the WiiU game pad and sell them on eShop?

@Darknyht Sega supports all sorts of controllers on Android. They might even release another SLS Saturn Controller.

I've yet to play a game on mobile that's half as decent as most console releases.

@Worthy What do you think Unity is ? Its exactly what all those junk games use anyway.

@mostro328 It's a great idea for us old fogies......But Nintendo has shown that it will not do a messaging program with private messages ever again since they have Cancelled Swapnote due to abuses. I wish but it wont happen now. There are some sick people out there

@Sicko If your one of those sick people and reading this: THANKS ALOT FOR WRECKING A GOOD THING! You made 90% to 95% of us suffer your consequences. Great job sicko!

Nintendo, don't worry! That is a horrible controller design as it's not designed well so it's uncomfortable and flat.

@unrandomsam And exactly how many people own them out of the entire iPhone market or want to be bothered lugging it around during day to the day activities?

It is the problem that caused Nintendo to pack in the Gamepad, Microsoft to pack-in the Kinect, and will be seen best this generation with the PS4 decided not to pack in their motion controls.

@unrandomsam that is exactly what I mean. If app games do become a problem, then get them in eShop and play them on the Wii U controller.

Like you said, Nintendo have Unity and I no doubt all the games that work on ipads coiuld work on the Wii U game pad. The only problem I see is with Microtransaction games and in app purchases.

As far as the Apple Store and Android markets go it's more like 1 in 20 games are good and it might be worse than that

In before only 10 games make good use of it.

It's ignorant to compare mobile gaming with dedicated handheld or console gaming. Anyone who cares about playing games isn't going to choose a phone as their primary platform of any kind.

Phone gaming numbers are inflated because everyone owns a phone. It would be like adding gaming abilities to a toilet paper dispenser, a lot of people would be playing by default.

Only mentally deranged hipsters would make this argument.

iPhone 6 will be a different shape - it won't fit the controller. . .

yes everybody stop using your common sense and listen to a group called The Motley Fools.....are you freaking serious?!? I'm not the smartest guy ever, but even I know not to take sound advice from a group called The Motley Fool -_-.

Also, how is iPhone a better opinion in ANY way other than it is a phone? The games that are on it ARE cheap,but cheap for a VERY good reason: they suck

So lets do some math: 2DS/3DS ranges from $129.99-199.99, iPhone's costs over $0- $220 usually WITH a plan, and that PowerShell thing costs $100 along, so for mediocre gaming on the go, shell out over $320? Does that make sense to anyone else? That's some b/s if Nintendo hatred if I ever heard any

The article claims that the "iPhone owns the casual gaming market". That is because the phone is attached to an App Store that happens to contain cheap "throw away" games that can be played with quick finger swipes and gestures and not with traditional controls that seem confusing to most casuals. Why would they think that this type of "casual" user would dish out money on a controller to play a deeper game?

Free apps of dull endless runners and Mario rip-offs, now supported by yet another useless controller pack!? Count me in! Not.

@Darknyht Doesn't really matter to me as long as the dev's support them. (On Android Sega has as much as humanly possible). Don't expect anything different on iOS now they can. (In PAL regions all the Megadrive VC is 50hz and has a god awful filter). GTA 3 / Vice City supports controllers just fine on Android as well. (iOS makes most money so fairly certain they will do that as well.) iphone is different and not something I am interested in. (If you carry a tablet you need a bag anyway so having a controller in it is no problem). The Megadrive games at £1 instead of £5 for the ones I want it will be worth it.

Nintendo's got Mario, Pokemon, and Zelda, oh my! The 3DS/2DS sales are going to reach sky high (hey I rhymed, just in timed).

Its probaly an canspiracy

Yeeeeeeeees. Can't wait for this new gadget that I can play Mario, Zelda, Fire Emblem, Kid Icarus Uprising, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Animal Crossing, Luigi's Mansion 2 and Pokemon on.

Oh wait, you can't.

What's that, Motley Fool? Going to spell Nintendo's doom is it? Pffffffft.

As long as button control for mobile games are "optional" smartphones don't have a chance at dethroning Nintendo and/or making dedicated portable consoles obsolete. Also, smartphones have nothing comparable to the 2 screen gaming innovation either so, they've got a long way to go.

I remember being ridiculed here and elsewhere when I said ios would eat into nintendo sales. I was right, but I'm also predicting that nintendo is here to stay. I think I'm even more right with that one.

Sure there's overlap in markets, but there's also market makers and market leechers, for instance. Nintendo may have been sizing down a bit, but they're doing fine if their worst position ad a business is to break even.

So 125 million iphone owners means every one of them is a gamer right lol.
Most of all people I know do not own there Iphone to play games. The only game Most people play on iphone is Angry birds or some form of word quiz challenge.
How ever will Nintendo stand against the new Atari lynx controller adaptor, they are surely doomed, the ps vita will be ok though right motley fool

Zzzzzzz wha-....whuh....whats going on?! I fell asleep reading another doom n gloom story...

Who the heck wants to pay for a $120 data plan every month for their 7 year-old. Yeah the games are cheap (and often poor quality) but you pay for an iphone dearly with contracts.

guess what, it won't mean the end of nintendo. cell phone games are crappy and even if they vastly improve, you still have to buy and tote around the controller do-hickey in order to use and play the games the right way.
not to mention, they still won't have any nintendo titles for phones so if you want to play ANY of the big N's games, old or new, you still gotta have nintendo hardware.
also, there will always be those of us who grew up playing NES and all of the following systems who are fine with buying nintendo hardware because its a name we can trust.
they still make good stuff, and it's still worth buying devices that dont do anything other than play nintendo games.
so until nintendo is a software producer/licenser only, they are here to stay.

While I don't think it means the end of Nintendo, that controller looks way better than most others I have seen.

It's innovative, but no... I don't see this ever taking off. The only thing I've put my iPhone 5 into is an Otterbox Armor case. There's just no way I'm leave it all exposed to fit this controller. There's no protection, the iOS games just don't justify it. I'd also say that the multiplayer functionality would be expensive over data. Probably the most damning part is you'll bombarded by phone calls, tests, and other push content interrupting your game.

@raghouse Who would get a 7 year old a contract when they can get them an ipad for a one of cost ? (Probably some people but it is not logical).

This is the inevitable future of handhelds: Nintendo vs. Apple
Both will survive, but apple will put a huge dent in Nintendo's profits.I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo contracted themselves with apple because the 2 could make a kicka## duo together. After all, they're the 2 best entertainment companies in existence. Apple should make the hardware with nintendo's guidance for creativity, and nitnendo should make the games for them.

Anyone else will die out within a few gens like the psp/vita line

@2Sang I so hope your wrong

I pity the Fools who think Nintendo is doomed!

Stop giving idiots like this clicks and attention.

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is coming to iOS (I cannot imagine that it could be any worse than the 3DS version).

Sonic 2 remastered (The Sonic 1 remaster was great supposedly better than the 3d Classic at least).

Next Rhythm Thief is on iOS not 3DS.

@2Sang: If they did it right... Nintendo and Apple getting together to make a handheld could be great! It could play the DS and 3DS line of games, but also have access to the app store, and could have it's own games! As long as it remained the only way to play Nintendo IPs and didn't get too expensive, it'd be unstoppable!

Something like that was already done by the guys who made the Open Pandora Linux Handheld. It even had 2 analog nubs and all.
But its just a grip with buttons, how can something like that ever be threatening to a juggernaut of a company let alone...well, anything ?
It is dependant on the games of others, and if they wont support that thing, it has no use at all. And even IF this thing is supported, they are still mobile games.
On my train ride to work, i watched someone play a "one button game" on his phone the entire ride (30min)
It was a bunch of bubble headed characters that jump when you touch the screen anywhere...something like that pops up on flash game sites as a parody, as a deconstruction of gaming and these people are probably paying money for that.
These "games" are mostly pitiful excuses.
@2Sang Apple and Nintendo are pretty much polar opposites when it comes to handling of customers. Apple rips off its brainwashed userbase whenever they can, nintendo is mostly pretty fair.
Something like that would hopefully never happen. Why would you want to play stuff from some app store when you can play real games on a real gaming system without tacked on features no one really needs ?

Obviously you get what things are on (i.e Nintendo on Nintendo hardware) but at virtual console prices you don't have to buy that many to get an ipad for free in savings.

Problem is, developers aren't putting high quality games on iOS and Android that will support these add-ons. Most of the good ones that are on iOS/Android can be ported over to the 3DS anyway. Dedicated handhelds put out higher quality games.

In 2013 alone, Nintendo and 3rd parties have put out more high quality games on the 3DS than I have seen on any gaming system in a long time. The 3DS has had both quality and quantity, and it doesn't seem to want to slow down. The first half of 2014 is already lined up for the 3DS, with Bravely Default and Professor Layton in February, and then Yoshi's New Island, Mario Golf World Tour, Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright, Kirby Triple Deluxe, and some others that I'm probably forgetting all slated for that first half of the year. Smash Bros comes in the 2nd half of the year, and I'm sure we will get Monster Hunter 4 and Persona Q localisations then too. This endless barrage of high-quality games for the 3DS is reason enough for the handheld market to stay afloat. You can't get these types of experiences on a smartphone,

0_o
The logic behind it is very simple.We shall ruin Nintendo so they only make games,then we shall have Nintendo games on our system.

@Einherjar Nintendo makes money on Software / Apple makes money on hardware (Or did traditionally).

Uhm...no.
I'm a big supporter of mobile gaming and mobile gaming controllers, but I don't see these things spelling "The End of Nintendo" and other dedicated devices because of one thing: software. They will never get Nintendo's stable of IPs, so Nintendo will always have an audience buying their hardware.
I am excited about the prospect of Android and iOS getting more and more complex games with controller support though. I don't think they'll phase Nintendo out of the market, but rather offer an alternative like Sony's PSP and Vita.

All of the hardware makers know their time is up at some point. Cloud gaming will be decent one day and Nintendo will just let us stream games to our Nintendo controllers and TV. Luckily for us, Nintendo would never overcharge for their old content

The Motley Fool is just that... a fool. There's already a bunch of controller add-ons or shells for mobile with Androids, tablets, and iOS. It won't killed Nintendo, the people who download & play games on iPhone, iPad, and iPod plays it on their spare times or road trip and even if there are a lot of them, 95% of them won't probably gonna bother buying this thing to play it with anyways. Those who may probably already had a 3DS and/or PS Vita and just want this for collector's purpose only.

An attachment to an iPhone/Pod could bring about the end of Nintendo?

Articles like this are a waste of time and displays a huge lack of respect towards the very same company that revolutionized this entire industry.

The best game on Android and iProducts is Minecraft. And even then that's pushing it... Its not a games console.

Just wow. I mean they are foolishly fool and I mean it by all means.

@unrandomsam If you're going to list all the ports which make iOS gaming so viable, you have to allow 3DS to claim the entirety of the DS, DSiWare, and VC libraries as well. However great a list you construct it pales in comparison to the decade of games 3DS can play.

Here we go again.

@Chris720 Sonic CD is the best 2D Sonic. (Maybe excluding 3 & Knuckles locked on). OTG cable and any old controller and it just works. (Mine is the innards of the fake play sega controller put into the shell of a real Saturn controller).

I don't see how some silly acessory means the end to anything. iOS dudes are always about "this is the end of that", iPads the end of PCs, iTunes the end of CDs, App Store the end of publishing, yaddayadda.

Oh geez, these are hilarious.

@Kroisos The thing is relative cost - most of those DS games cost a minimum of £10 and look awful on the 3DS XL scaling artifacts makes it look fuzzy. The thing is whether or not there are enough really good games that due to their lower cost make the ipad free. (Presuming you want them anyway).

hahahahaha, well... that was funny

If I can put £100 into ipad software and £400 into an ipad and have better versions than putting £500 into VC then I will do that. (We won't know until the worthwhile dev's do or do not update them).

Sure, all those games made by Apple will drive nintendo right out of business.. Oh wait!?

@Sylverstone I know, right? The games I downloaded on my phone have been collecting dust for months (Epic Raiders, Zenonia series, etc) after playing them a few times, leading me to delete them.

@Sceptic The thing is Apple added the API and specs - There can be any number of implementations.

(If the icade is updated to support this then that would be great for certain genres - console shmups in tate mode you have to turn your tv on its side which is a nightmare).

The Fool proven a fool. Is this a surprise? They like to make flashy doom and gloom type stupid 'news' stories to stir up attention and readership despite entirely ignoring the cold hard facts this article counterpoints here very well.

Show me a gaming/phone that can actually be all in one and entirely succeed like the 3DS and previous Nintendo devices have, then we may have that first nail put into the coffin. So far added parts to phones or gaming phones by Sony, Nvidia and even taco phone N-Gage proved to go nowhere fast.

Apple on the phone is grossly overrated too. By the year they're bleeding off users in mass numbers converting away from their overpriced designs and restrictive policies to Android which is split over a lot of makers. Apple will have little say in crushing Nintendo on the handheld front.

@unrandomsam Are you unaware that when you press and hold Start or Select as you launch DS games 3DS will use the portion of the screen that represents the native DS resolution, so that there is no fuzziness, scaling, or any graphical alteration? On my 3DS Extra Medium it makes DS games look better.

they seem to have the idea that everyone who has an Iphone plays games on their Iphone. Most people that I know that have an Iphone use it for texting, music, and as a phone... what a surprise. The other thing I find funny if how they claim this is going to bring nintendo down....but what about sony? they are also in the handheld business...

@Kroisos I am aware of that but then the screen is too small. (To be fair I would love a Wii U with everything built into the gamepad no wireless or input lag). That is one thing the vita did right being exactly double the number of pixels of the PSP.

(Could put up with the sides being wasted).

Again?
Mobile players, don't care about controls, they care about a simple, cheap game to play on the way to job, school, or anything like that.

"a snack between "proper" gaming sessions which won't ruin your appetite for more complex titles on dedicated handhelds and home consoles." I know quite a few people who's appetites for "real games" have been ruined. I was sitting down with the little brother, who's 11, of a friend of mine one day, watching a movie on his mom's ipad. I had my 3DS beside me with Pokemon Y in it. He picked it up, opened it, and, when saw that it was more sophisticated than subway surfer or any other iOS game, immediately said,"Yeah.... no." and set it down. And he used to play games on consoles before. It's just sad.

Somebody needs to make an archive of all the Nintendo is doomed! articles over the years. It would make for an entertaining coffee table book.

This report stated that the "gamepad" didn't catch on with android even though it has a far bigger market share than iOS. That's not surprising considering there are loads of android devices out there with different hardware. These phones come in different sizes and location of connection ports
The major problem with this "phone game controller" is that phones are always changing, The controller you buy today won't necesarily fit the phone you buy tomorrow, and phones are updated frequently.

Another problem with add-ons is that developers are not going to waste time developing for them unless the market is there. This then slow down sales of the add-on because the games that utilise them aren't there either.

How many third-party games used kinect or PS Move last gen?

@unrandomsam Nintendo makes money off of both, hard and software. They make their own consoles and games.

I don't even know what to say except...
They got their name right when they went with "Fool."

I actually laughed out loud. Investors are so funny. They are all so desperate for more money they will believe anything.

LOL

Ain't no fool like a Motley Fool.

@Einherjar Seem to be doing quite a lot of selling the hardware at a loss recently. Well in that case Apple makes shedloads of money from both now.

Oh lordy
I laugh and I cry
All is not as the man says
For victory is already square in the jaws of men, not sharks

Are you guys really citing the Motley Fool? They're idiots! They keep calling Wind Waker, "Wind Walker," and they're invested in Microsoft and Apple. They don't know what they're talking about.

Please don't give them more attention. Just ignore them. They're click baiters.

cringes

@MkTony7: Actually, it's not even really so much as Apple isn't popular anymore. I still see tons of people walking around with them, an iPad even. it's true that Android is increasing. However, I don't believe they're tablets are as popular quite yet as tablets, unfortunately, are still lacking the phone functionality other than apps like Skype, which is silly in my opinion because they both run on the exact same WiFi signals,. The thing about Apple and iOS is it just has that cutesy UI that still, unfortunately, seems to appeal to a rather large majority; For teens-young adults of course it's going to be the cutesy UI, apps, and game departments while the business end users will spend more time either on reading doc/text apps, using their phones as a regular phone, and presumingly small-time game apps in their spare time. Apple is still very much up there, and technology is already headed to the touchscreen UI anyway, just look at Micro$oft with WindowsPhone/Windows 8; The entire concept actually started with their Zune HD mp3 players, which still to this very, day baffles me as to why exactly they decided to scrap those things, and then like $ony, decided that all of a sudden we need to pay them service for "unlimited song listening", rather than continuing Zune software users the option of either purchasing that plan, simply listen/watch the purchases we make (this occurs on $ony Music/Video Unlimited as well as XBox Music/Video. (not sure about Windows 8)

whatever, those smartphone gamepads been around for a good while(at least on android) and they never did any impact on the industry people that want to play on their phones also want to cut any extra cost, that's a fact.

I know it's hard to not sound like a Nintendo fanboy but those people life up to their name again. Besides that Apple is 100% irrelevant. Btw, maybe those guys are just satirical...

P.S. I actually own the "PSP-Phone" and it is a decent device with its unbeatable Playstation 1 emulator (which is already being used to play psx isos). Still I saw how low its demand was and people didn't want it due to it not having a dual core (LG and Samsung were the only ones to offer such phone at that time).

oh my god execute him

You already mentioned it in the article, but yeah, Android controllers have been out for awhile, and the 3DS is doing just fine.

Now you have buttons to aim the angry birds

@Windy You are aware that you can still send private messages via Wii U gamepad, right? Besides, this isn't the fault of people abusing the system, it's the fault of parents who won't take the time to monitor what their kids aqre doing online or take the time to educate themselves on the tech their kids are handling. Why do think they have to at least be 18 or older? Once again this is on Nintendo themselves; The entire service on 3Ds didn't have to be scraped, only those abusing the system deserve a console ban, JUST like Micro$oft and $ony does and does anybody cry about the way they manage their services? No. Why? because they know what they're doing, they're not still clinging onto oldschool wishful thinking to sell their products like Nintendo.

You couldnt pay me to own/buy the over priced junk that is known as apple. Its for "trendy" sheep.

@FutureAlphaMale I'm really hoping the irony of that comment isn't lost on you.
Anyway, if you're taking investment advice from a site called "The Motley Fool", that's a sign that you shouldn't be investing.

Motley Fool's contributors are trolls. It's really becoming apparent with quotes like "Apple is already more important than Nintendo"

They're two separate companies that do two separate things! Can I say bread is more important than golf clubs?

No, I can't. Apple sure plays a big role in the smartphone/computing sphere but Nintendo plays a big role in the gaming sphere. Just because Apple's bread can smack a golf ball around like Nintendo's golf clubs doesn't mean that Nintendo doesn't have a chance. Because Apple is still smacking golf balls with bread.

@2Sang: Ehh no offense, but Apple isn't going to crush Nintendo. Apple can't even put a scratch or dent Nintendo whether it's the handheld/mobile or console market even if they tried simply because they've got nothing on Nintendo's long history in the video games department. Apple weren't interested in gaming when they 1st started, not to mention the amjority of Nintendo vets like myself still somewhat backing them. The only reason I say somewhat is because this generation's kids is pretty much where we were back in the 80s-mid 90s when Nintendo really didn't have hardly any competition, just Sega. There ar just times when grown people have/like to move forward to more suitable content, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm about to throw away/dupe a respect for the core, cannon, nastalgic classics that I loved and grew up with.

If there's one thing that the history of video gaming has shown us is that anything that is optional does not ever get put to full use. The only way that Apple could see the "end of Nintendo" is to design their phones with gaming at the center of their designs, which means less iPhone and more game device. Physical buttons on every iPhone.

The only time I play a game on my iphone is if I am not home; where my home consoles are (of course lol). I much perfer to play games on a console than a hard to read screen...

"Apple is already more important than Nintendo"

Wow that's a good one honesty I laughed pretty hard at that. I give it ten years maximum and apple smartphones will be as relevant as sony Walkmans.

It's a niche product to be sure. Hell my iCade is gathering dust because I just don't play those retro comps that much!

That's what they said about the last 42843810753 smartphone controllers.

I just...what ?

I'm starting to understand why Nintendo has fanboys now. I'm sympathizing with them, this shouldn't be happening. I despise fanboys of all type.

This is just arrogance at its best.

@Jmaster The difference is Apple has added an API to the OS so anything that supports that API can be used with any games that support it. (Android has had that for ages and most of the decent (Usually ported with a few exceptions) games support pad's).

Same as Nintendo adding off tv to their SDK Apple has added support for controllers to the iOS one. That is a significant difference to having to add support for individual controllers to specific games.

Nintendo is not going anywhere. It's going to take more than that to 'doom' them. IPhone has yet to prove to be a viable hardcore device. I think Nintendo should go in iPhone's direction and release their next system as a phone. That would certainly take away some from the mobile market cuz it would be able to play casual AND hardcore games.

I don't see anything in the mobile space really turn around unless it's something that Apple makes by them selves. I think Logitech (great company, love there PC controllers) needs more support if they want to even compete with dedicate game consoles.

And calling it the end of Nintendo? Is the Nintendo bashwagon really becoming this hyperbolic.

Phones are at where the general internet was at about fifteen years ago. Now the internet is so policed and governed its hardly the lawless frontier it used to be. Give it time, phones will become just as restricted and in that restriction the price of making games for phones will go up.

Then they'll be in the same bandwagon as console makers.

Oh boy! This is only the 5 billionth time the Nintendo is Doomed prediction has been made, it must come true this time.

There were always people trying to say/do that, but failed.

By the way, I recommend adding a new tag about opinions/interesting news.

@retrowire: bread is more important than golf clubs.

No way! How would an IPHONE with buttons stop the monster with better and higher quality games known as..................................... the 3DS.

I have an iPhone I did look this product up and it seemed too expensive for me. I have seen this 8 bitty controller at Thinkgeek that seems pretty good if you are looking at a controller for your iPhone or iPad. It is also cheaper that this one.

Wow, looks SO portable... try fitting THAT in a pocket.

Let me just say this.... Nintendo is not DOOMED. I have an iPhone and a macbook. I would never buy another apple product in my life again. It does the job yes. But seriously, have fun fitting that THING in your pocket! Just what @sleepinglion said.

Any reasonable person wouldn't pay $99 to play games that cost $1 with console controls. That's just silly. Besides, aren't most of those games touch-based anyways? I don't get how that would work, let alone cut into Nintendo's market share so much that they would have to close up shop.

I see this iPhone based controller as the first real threat to Nintendo's hand held dominance. Fortunately Pokemon and all Nintendo's IP will always keep Nintendo relevant to the handheld market.

In fact Nintendo's IP is pretty much their biggest advantage in the market, especially since people are talking about WiiU being a second console in peoples living room.

It is funny that the gimmick of touch based control has worn off and now you need a controller to play on your phone. I'm sure you could dig up some quotes about touch based gaming that would embarrass some people.

Maybe if the iPhone's battery lasted a little longer than 30 mins while playing a game this could be successful. And that's ignoring the fact that 90% of iOS games are iap filled trash.

Motley fool is a joke. If you are taking investment advice from them, you are more than likely in the hole.

It's a good thing I have the power to ignore crap like this, and move on.
Otherwise, I'd go insane.

@timp29 If touch is so pointless why is it on both Nintendo current systems ? The ipad is the interesting one anyway. (At least if you hate the actual OS like I do - There again I am not a great fan of the 3DS OS either. Rather just have a simple list of games and no extras other than the shop. Not even icons words).

@7yL3r My Xoom has a miles better battery than both the original and extended gamepad battery and it was old hat by the time the Wii U was released. 90% of hundreds of thousands is still a lot. (I expect there to be less than 200 decent ones but at $1 instead of $5 that saves 800$ or more than the cost of the ipad)

@unrandomsam Maybe @timp29 meant touch only gameplay. Of course, the DS family is based upon two screens and touch controls, but it doesn't lack of physical buttons and pads, while iPhones/iPods do. The way to market games on mobiles was that, "touch-only controls".

The Motley fool? You guys are know posting news about the Motley FREAKING Fool?! seriously?!

Those guys keep making the most idiotic, absurd, from-nowhere "analisis" and "forecasts" ever without no damn hint of logic or reason behind them AND YOU ARE REPOSTING THEM AS NEWS?!

Even the joke fake news of play for real gaminh make more sense than the stupid Motley fool!

Jeez game journalism is really down the toilet!

@minotaurgamer Remember what the goal is here. Loads of comments to get ad impressions over as many articles as possible. Only time it is slightly better is if it not affiliated (i.e Official Nintendo Magazine doesn't count) and you pay for it. (A translated version of Famitsu would be perfect for me but it doesn't exist). Too much depends on the reviewer as well here.

@unrandomsam I was just talking about the iPhone. Finding decent games in there is next to impossible and when you finally do find one your battery is probably about dead lol. Don't get me wrong. I have an iPhone and I wouldn't own any other kind of phone, but as a gaming device it isn't even in the same league as a dedicated handheld gaming console.

@Olmectron NES Contra is something people here have requested for ages. It exists on mobile and looks nice but it is basically unplayable and no controller support whatsoever. Soul Calibur looks like it has just been released as well. (Only way I get an ipad is if there is enough that I would buy on something else that supports native controllers).

@7yL3r Well it has the best game ever made - Super Hexagon. (To be fair I would even pay Niaclis prices for it on 3DS think it would look great in 3D).

Write all the click bait articles! Yawn

Yeah, no thanks. I've never even heard of this thing, but if having buttons was all I cared about when playing a game, I would own a lot more devices.

I don't even play anything more than casual time killer games on my iPhone because I don't want to drain my battery, so this peripheral is useless to me.

Games like Hay Day are worth trying out. But they get real stale because you would need diamonds or such and you can't get a lot of those in alternatives to using your real money for them.

So I disagree with what the investor site said.

Unless the controller is produced by Apple (iOS) or Google (Android), it will never gain widespread adoption and the vast majority of apps will not support them.

@unrandomsam I've never played Super Hexagon so I'll have to take your word for it lol.

Cool controller. One problem: it still only plays iPhone games.

These new controllers (Logitech and MOGA) are approved by Apple and are using their new iOS API for controllers. A lot of iOS games are really hard to play without a controller (I'm thinking of the Zelda ripoff OceanHorn) where your fingers get in the way of the screen. So they may catch on, although at $100, that's pretty expensive, so they may not catch on. And, it looks like they will make the iPhone too large to fit in your pocket!

Phone memory is pretty restricted. I had one of those Xperia Play phones and it was a total waste because it had barely enough memory to play more than a few games and run basic apps. I liked the idea of a slide-out controller like they had, but it just didn't have the memory to sustain anything.

If you want real game play longer or more deep, the 3DS is the way to go. You can't get even a tenth of the experience on any phone that you can from the 3DS. The new Zelda, Dragon Quest IX, Pokemon X, Animal Crossing, those games last forever!

@Thulfram Already there is Bastion / King of Fighters i 2012 / Oceanhorn / Lego Lord of the Rings that all support the Moga.

That is not bad going at all. (Sega will support theirs they are bound too they specifically support the Moga on Android).

Seriously? Nintendo is doomed from a controller that only works with the Iphone? How in the world can anyone NOT see that nintendo is a whole company and that controller that looks like it could easily break is just an add-on??? If anyone really thinks that an add on could bring down a whole company, I would tell them to go see a doctor.

The iPhone is going to need to improve a lot more than just controls to dominate anything outside the casual gaming market. The quality of their games, for instance.

@MrGawain
and get tired of innovation, Then start embracing micro-transactions, and wait-to-play gameplay...and willing to shovel through all the shovel ware..

Oh boy! Apple can now decently play Super Nintendo games. Emulation is illegal and Nintendo has every right to stop it, so there goes 99% of the good games on the iPhone right there.

It is no longer very portable and your target audience is kids, kids who would probably rather play newer Mario games than half the crap that will be produced for this.Besides, look at the price, I could buy a 2DS and a game for that much!

Of course all Nintendo has is a controller with a screen and all of their great franchises don't matter. Yes people will be saying 'forget Mario 3D World or Zelda ALBW, I can play Super Marlo D3 Bros or Melda ALBZ which are bound to be just as great'. Gimmee a break.

At least the site is aptly named, as they certainly are foolish.

@DaveGX yeah I blame Nintendo also. I didn't buy a Wii-U and from the looks of it probably won't be picking one up. I'm pretty bummed they scrapped swapnote.

laughs Nintendo? Doomed by this!? You gotta be kidding me!! laughs more and more

I don't know what is the funniest part of this, the article or all the nintendo fanboys flamed by it hahaha!

@Gioku yep. Pokémon is the gem that makes Nintendo's handheld systems a success!

Yeah right! If casual gamers don't even know what a Wii U is there's no way they're going to know what a Logitech PowerShell iPhone gaming controller is.
Sheesh!

@unrandomsam Obviously, you are sold on playing games on a phone. Most people however aren't going to seriously game on a device that is primarily still a communications device. However you look at it the battery drain on the phone when playing more than a simple game, the cost of entry for a controller add-on, the limited storage of the device, and perceived standard price point by majority of market (free or $1) are all significant barriers for Apple to overcome.

The API in the OS is a step in the right direction, but I don't think it is a simple as you want to make it. That said, Nintendo needs to look at this as a serious issue as eventually most of the above will be solved either through advances in technology and/or clever marketing.

Mobile phones are for people who are either busy, needy for constant social contact, have attention deficit problems or are easily bored.

Any wonder why the most popular sports in America stop and start in under 30 seconds.

This is a group that are just skaters, not really true gamers. They don't have the time or patience for delayed gratification, and to thoroughly explore the depths of real games.

Nintendo understand this situation with their games, and they are also getting a valuable lead in real 3D gaming with the 3DS.

The problem with these analysts is they just don't understand real gamers. As long as 'core' gamers continue to be then there wiil always be products and games for us. I am of the opinion that casuals are not ruining gaming just expanding it....honestly there is jusy so little of depth on mobile gaming that nothing can touch a game like DKCR or Mario...or zelda, or all the jrpgs or ac or any of it....I own ios devices and driod devices....the best hope for a gaming phone is if sony or microsoft or nintendo would make it and then get real games on it......surely it will happen someday but until the its 3DD all the way.

I just sold all my 3DS's and my DS's. They are so right, Nintendo is doomed thanks to this sleek, streamlined machine. Finally I can be apart of the Apple Herd, so I can follow every trend that comes my way, regardless of importance, fun, or even a general purpose. Thank you Powershell.

lol smartphone's battery life is crap if you do anythign more than have the thing in sleep mode in your pocket, ram usage shoots up, it gets hot, and the battery plumets. this'll never be practical.
also, Nintendo makes great quality games, and apple just has LOADS of free to play crap on a stick

Hmm... Methinks "fool" is a great name for these idiots.

I think Nintendo should sue Apple and Android for the use of emulation. That's the only reason why this joker claims it!!!

Damian McFerran, you nailed it right on the head, not leaving much for the comment section lol...

Nintendo's demise has become the holy grail of tech sites and investment analysts, an ambition so lofty that it's certain to turn heads when uttered, regardless of how many times we've heard it before. And thus the saying "Nintendo. Doomed since 1889"

Is it just me, or are some of these analysts HOPING Nintendo fails?

Because anyone who didn't want to carry around a 3DS in their pocket definitely wants to carry around this huge hunk of bulky plastic that renders their multi-purpose device single-purpose. Not to mention that there are literally zero developers who are going to want to reprogram their existing software to be compatible with this device.

Logitech is a quite successful company that has become the go-to brand for good quality 3rd party peripherals, and they can do what they want. Anyone who thinks this means the doom of Nintendo though are, well, fools. The 3DS still prints money.

Thing is, no one can deny that Smartphones have indeed acted as a Substitute Good to Nintendo's entertainment products. No one else's games are as good. There's no denying that. But smartphone games are free and convenient, and the majority of the consumer base is just fine with that. Nintendo's push towards "bite-size" games and levels actually cost them, since people can already get that brevity of gameplay, twitch gameplay, on a device that they already own, for free.
The Wii U install base is incredibly low. The Core, like myself, can't sustain them at their current size for much longer.

Their next handheld move HAS to be their own Smartphone.

Everything could be the death of Nintendo since 1992. This got old a long time ago, nothing could kill Nintendo...Not even Nintendo. Get over it.

developers will never put the time in on a game for apple because they know the best they can sell it for is 99 cents, the controller isnt the option, its the games, and more importantly the price of them, if they made them more expensive no one would buy them, but they cant make them any better cause its to expensive...

however this would be good to play emulators on

I can't stand articles written about analysts and sales predictions. Usually, I avoid them entirely.

But this one? This one was just too ridiculous to ignore!

@kolz4ever Listen mate, Nintendo fans aren't blind, we know sales of Wii U aren't doing great at the moment, but most of us gamers into Nintendo buy their systems because we think they make great games. You say that you "only pay attention to the facts and sales records", and this is something that, honestly, most mature gamers don't really care about.
Seriously, you joined an hour ago and have posted two negative comments on how Nintendo are doomed to failure. Here's some advice, don't worry about the so called 'console war', it's a myth. The video games industry is a market large enough to sustain several game systems even if one doesn't sell as well as the others. Nintendo's not going away mate, and even if they were, you obviously don't like them, so why do you care.

Does it play Super Mario 3D World or Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds? No...? Then it ain't killing anything, obviously.

well maybe. Most people tend to play different games on their phone as opposed to traditional handhelds. I play plenty of iOS games, but I've stopped downloading anything that tries to be a real game and use my phone for poker, scrabble, and other games that don't require any real input. I think adding a randomly supported controller shell isn't going to do much for the audience. The real gamers are still elsewhere. Nintendo could learn a lot from Apple in terms of marketing and distribution, but Apple in turn could learn a thing or two about developing a real games community.

A lot of the games that would use this are straight up knock offs of Nintendo games or "old" classics like GTA III.

Don't think it's the game changer, actually the vibe it's giving me right now is... "quick, buy stock in Nintendo!"

What I think about this? I think why is Nintendolife posting doom crap like that? Sure, you are having good arguments in the article. But I dont see why you would even keep on having this discussion. We've all been there before, so many times. This is a site for Nintendo fans, I dont wanna hear the crap predictions of doom and fail I've been hearing for decades. We all know better here on this site, so llease stop posting those type of articles!

@ollietaro: There's just 1 tiny little problem with Nintendo going Apple's direction and releasing the next handheld as a phone; Nintendo doesn't like to charge high or even monthly based subscription services, which is more or less what's holding them back. It would never work for them, setting aside possible resources when you consider that they won't even take a chance that actually managing more heavy processors or graphics could actually help boost their sales, even if they still have little intention to become mad graphic hounds like Micro$oft and $ony. Nobody ever said they had to, but then again nobody ever said it would hurt them or their fanbase, either. And no offense, but if they're going to continue to offer cheap software and hardware, then cheap service(s) is/are what we'll keep getting, and you only get what you pay for. 3DS is the best we're going to get until Nintendo's next gen handheld comes along.

Although I cannot see Nintendo making a proper phone, I could see them offering a single screen device that offered smartphone-like functionality only using wifi rather than mobile networks. In fact I'm surprised they don't have a voice chat application for the DS-family already.

And despite my dismissing of controller add-ons (Apple should have had that API in iOS from day one), I do play games on my iPad more than my Wii U, but that's more down to convenience than anything else. And pinball, of course!

if they did this it would be pointless because the it'd be a tablet, and the 3DS is already somewhat a tablet but with 2 screens. Obviously the top screen isn't touchscreen, though. Still, since you mention the voice chat thing, yeah I could probably say the same but i think the next handheld would require more horsepower to handle it properly because I don't even think the WIi U game pad handles a good heft for it, either. And I'm still blaming Nintendo themselves for what happened to SwapNote for shutting us down rather than properly managing it. Parents who don't understand the tech are also no help, so at least in that respect Nintendo should also be doing their job to educate them. Again, it all comes down to the fact that Nintendo is unwilling to unwaver their old-school wishful thinking and produce hardware that might actually boost their sales rather than drive their fan base away, that's the problem. They're just stuck in heir own little protective bubble with their own rules and the rules of the real world don't apply, where nothing outside of it can interfere with the worlds and imaginations they create.

"Apple is already more important than Nintendo"

Not to me. I play a lot of games, and I own an iPhone, but I never play games on the phone.

Yes the iphone only cost £500 what a bargin.

In 6 months check the bargain bins for this thing.

EXTRA EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT

SHODDY, OPTIONAL PERIPHERAL THREATENS POWERFUL IP HOLDER AND GAME DEVELOPER.

I like the comment on that site about the author's other articles:

"Articles by Sam Mattera;

• This Accessory to Apple's iPhone Could Mean the End of Nintendo
• Nintendo's Future Looks Bleak in Light of Wii U Failure
• Apple Could Put the Final Nail in Nintendo’s Coffin
• Apple’s Latest Move Could Be Nintendo’s Undoing

Blimey, give it a rest."

Haha.

Stop, Damien. Just. Stop.

@Cyb3Rnite

Why would he? Look at all the rubes arguing about this topic in the comments section!

Ha! Hahahahahahaha... HA. Motley Fool, indeed.

They forgot
NINTENDO HAS POKEMON
POKEMON = MONEY

Seriously this again? How can someone be so ignorant... games on smartphone will never be even half as good then on a nintendo console.

Almost all smartphone games are freemium games. (Free game but in game purchases with real money). 90% of the games are endless runners or copys of Angry Birds.

Gameloft games are a piece of crap. LOOK AT MY PHONE IT HAS AMAIZING GRAPHICS! GRAPHICS! GRAAWWPHICCS!!!

Now excuse me i am going to play some Pokemon, Zelda, Mario games.

@Sean_Aaron Here's my opinion of the Wii U: I love the idea of off-TV play on the gamepad however if the gamepad was slim enough to be a tablet that you could carry with you and play the same HD retail games anywhere, not just in your household, it would be a stronger sell. The problem is that would compete directly with the 3DS but I do think it a viable option next-gen. However, they could always upgrade the Wii U in this way (because they always upgrade their systems, right?) and add Wi-Fi to a slim gamepad. The one thing Nintendo has on their side is fully realized and in-depth games (compared to smartphone games) and if they were the only company with a tablet capable of playing these (not to mention all the Nintendo-exclusives) then that would make them a real challenger to Xbox One and PS4.

@DaveGX Nintendo wouldn't need to charge subscription fees because they could just have phone companies manage those monthly call-related charges. All you would need to do is buy the games through the app store. Since graphics suffered due to the 3D effect, I'm sure they wouldn't mind sacrificing graphics again to accommodate a phone.

"3DS is the best we're going to get until Nintendo's next gen handheld comes along."

It sounds like you are disappointed with the 3DS, however I don't want to think about next-gen right now because I'm having loads of fun with my XL and they are even releasing too many great games for me to buy. And if Nintendo offered expensive services, they wouldn't be as successful. Nintendo has always been pleasing to the consumer with their prices. You would never pay $500 for a Nintendo system ever because they intentionally keep the technology less high-tech but still affordable.

People keep saying that moblie phone games are going to ruin nintendo, but any serious gamer will tell you casual loving games of angry birds or candy crush saga don't match up to full adventure titles such as Pokemon, Monster Hunter, Mario and Luigi Dream Team or Link Between Worlds.

And that's exactly who those examples are aimed at, actual gamers

_{Watch the profanity -Lz}

Face, meet palm.

@OptimisticLink you win this thread

I love my iDevices, but they just aren't gaming devices Nothing comes close to 3DS, yet.

The best mobile game I`ve ever played is SNAKE II on the Nokia!!!!

These stories get old "Nintendo is Dead..blah blah blah..." The very fact that companies continually need to forecast Nintendo's doom in reference to their product means Nintendo is the premier video game producer on the market and the bar by which video game enterprises are measured...

The problem with non-specialized investors is that they completely fail to understand their products or base on any level below puddle-shallow.

@ollietaro: I'm not sure you understand quite how it works. The phone companies wouldn't be managing it. 1st off it's Nintendo service so they'd be the 1s charging the monthly subscription, just like every other phone/tablet company out is their own provider; Version, ATT, Sprint, T-Mobile, etc. How do you think iPhone/iPads connect? through 1 of those providers. So it wouldn't work well for Nintendo to go the Apple way because either way you're going to pay a monthly fee to connect to whichever WiFi you're using, and I'm pretty certain Nintendo doesn't want to do that. Take that new Pokemon Bank, as a way to store Pokemon via their servers like cloud or whatever; it costs $ to keep them on those servers and keep them running. Also, i never said I was dsiappointed with the 3DS. My point was that ithe next gen handle most likely will never reach average tablet level ebcause Nintendo is unwilling to to work with the appropriate resources which without a shadow of a doubt would skyrocket their sales with the gaming history they've got. The things they need to realize is there's real competition out there now, and this isn'yt the 80s anymore, or the 90s. There's plenty more superior tech out there now, most likely holding plenty of untapped potential, which Nintendo could easily put to good use with the right resources, but they're unwilling to take the risk. As I pointed out earlier, hope and wishful thinking doesn't sell a reliable product, resources do. There's nothing wrong with them know how much to step it up as long as they don't overdo it like Micro$oft and $ony seem to do. the only problem between those 2 I see is that $ony feels Micro$oft as a real competitior/threat to their business, except that Micro$oft really isn't trying to, nor do they need to.

Until we see Zelda, Mario, Pokémon, Starfox, F-Zero, DK, etc, legally released on mobile, then I will always prefer Nintendo's handheld systems.

everyone likes to pick on nintendo.

Don't listen to them. They're fools afterall. I have a Windows Phone, an iPod Touch 5G, and a 3DS. Even if we're to get the game control for my iPod Touch, I wouldn't dare to abandon my beautiful 3DS that I got on launch day (March 27,2011) Nintendo is the best game company IMO

The Fool also doesn't take this into account: quality. Sure, you can have a fancy controller for your iDevice, but when 95% of the games in the virtual store are complete crap, there isn't any point. Now, I'm not saying the 3DS doesn't have its flops - after all, several have been pointed out on this site alone - but Nintendo's own software, along with many others on 3DS, are of much higher quality. Nintendo's been the king of dedicated handheld gaming for more than 20 years - it's gonna take a lot more than a flashy piece of plastic to take them down.

It's fun to make outrageous claims in order to garner publicity, isn't it?

Two things:
1) I'm an Apple and Nintendo fan, both equally. Why do people not believe that the two can exist without being rivals?
2) Source: The Motley Fool ... sounds reliable... not

lmao. No mobile platform will ever top dedicated handheld consoles. Give me a break. People who actually spend a substantial amount of money on video games will continue to buy handheld consoles as long as that's where the quality software is, and that's not changing anytime soon.

Whenever the business media tries to analyze technology, or worse, gaming, it almost always comes across as tone deaf. Almost like when someone's mom talks about video games (my profuse apologies to female gamers with kids, but I hope my meaning isn't lost here).

It's the same shortsightedness that is endemic in that whole realm, what seems like almost total inability to see past quarterly or annual earnings. The same mindset that was one of the parties at fault for the financial collapse.

These are the people who will frame the mobile phone operating system "wars" in terms of manufacturers--Apple vs. Samsung--and miss the reality that it's much more about software (iOS vs. Android). The main reason for this is that it's -easy- to look at earnings reports of those individual companies and entirely miss the big picture. Samsung's hold on the market is fundamentally less stable than Apple's, and that entirely misses the point that Android completely dwarfs iOS in terms of usage.

That isn't to say my fanboyism is blind, because Nintendo is clearly in a rut with the Wii U despite the 3DS for a variety of reasons that this article doesn't even bother to mention because its focus is wrongheaded. As others have mentioned, anyone who's actually familiar with mobile gaming knows that the smartphone gaming market and 3DS/Vita market are not one in the same. This is not the first external controller for a mobile device and it won't be the last. But even if Apple were to bundle it with the iPhone 6CSHHNM or whatever, it likely wouldn't be challenging for Nintendo's market share.

And seriously, a minority of people have iPhones. They make make up a plurality of handsets, or perhaps second place, but that's not particularly important to the big picture. Don't get me wrong, it's great for Apple, and they should be happy for their success, but business writers really need to stop equating hardware sales with real world OS market share.

Apple gaming is just another short sword against the massive fortress that is Nintendo. Besides, they have different target markets and Apple shows that by hardly expressing their gimmicky gaming in marketing. The only people ever declaring war on Nintendo are happy appy fanboys that want to believe the iPhone is God of all that is technology.

Yeah, maybe if phone games weren't a heap of s....ugar then it might stand a chance. As it stands, Nintendo produces quality handheld games so I don't think there is any worry just yet....

any game on the iphone (i used to have one) that is any good or that gets popular gets ported to other systems including the 3ds and all the other games are crap so nobody will buy this thing except a few idiots. and there are alot of idiots with iphones so it will sell, but not very well. nothing beats 3d and cartridges never skip, scratch or die.

@DaveGX I am unfamiliar with how phone companies work but the iPhone and others continue to develop gaming tech rapidly akin to the PC. The two worlds don't have to intersect because Sony and Micro still release game consoles because the hardcore market demands them. They are still Nintendo's competition, not phones. It's not how good the tech is, it's how you use it. Case-in-point: PS Vita vs. 3DS. Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't there a Steam handheld device available now or in the near-future? That will provide serious competition as well. Also Sony did well to use PC tech in the PS4 so that it could be high-tech and affordable to produce. Simple strategy. How expensive is Wii U tech compared to PS4?

"Fool" is appropriate.

Quick, need to sell my 3DS XL to get one of these for my iPhone4S.

NOT!

LOL this is one of those consoles like ouya and gamestick they look awsome but not a big deal XD .Nintnedo is in the handheld buisnes for along time...

@ollietaro Believe it's not about how good the tech is all you like, but aren't we already constantly upgrading to the next bit of advanced hardware every generation of video games has to offer anyway in order to keep up to speed and in the know? And this doesn't apply to just video games, it's also true with TVs, home/personal media, computers, etc. But as you said it's also true it's how you use it, but it's quite obvious we can't keep hoping past equipment that works best for us and continue live like cavemen. As for the devices, there's a Steam app, but I don't think it necessarily lets you play the higher end games, at least not on Android. iOS? Possibly. other than that, I don't think they have a handheld of any kind, their future is SteamMachine. (dubbed Steambox for the longest time) NVidia on the other hand, has somewhat of a handheld, called the Shield. But as far as providing serious competition with that thing? Unlikely. As for Steam itself, all i can really say is it honestly won't/doesn't really amount to any serious competition that Nintendo Network, XBox Live or PlayStation Network already provides. The only difference is their prices, which lower over time due to degrading replay value. In other words the more time passes along, as games get older, less and less people are playing them, they lower the prices to try and reel in the audiences for a while and stick with the current price until its replay value starts dropping again, or something like that. Now as for how expensive the tech is between WII U compared to PlayStation 4, I'm honestly not too sure, but I do know that as far as launch prices it's only $50; WII U launched at $350 while PlayStation 4's launch and current price is still $400, but the Wii U's pricetag is obvious as to why.

I can barely fit my phone In my pocket imagine trying to cram that thing into your jeans. It's absolutely massive.

For the sake of Apple's Future, they should not make a gaming platform or even transform the iPhone.

1. Their screens are not big enough to satisfy gamer, and even if they used the iPad, their games are crap

2. Casual use of their devices is the purpose of their device, not for continuous gaming use.

3. Even if they did make an effort to make a gaming platform or transform the iPhone into some kind of gaming device, Nintendo's sales would still out number Apple, considering a large amount of those sales Nintendo makes are from Japan.

Sounds like the only thing this controller would be good for is emulating snes games

Just watch watch as Apples goes overboard in competeing with Nintendo, and makes the mistake of trying to make a 3D without glasses phone.Nintendo already knows what happens to touchscreens when you make them 3D. So they didn't make that mistake, but if Apple starts to bring down Nintendo they'll destroy themselves.

hmmm...a smart phone with buttons...where have I...oh yeah PSVita =P Also most people I know don't even really play games on their smartphones that much so...yeah

@Deemed Exactly dude

@CountWavula
Lol yep you were right and then some.
I enjoyed the "phew phew phew", the sound effects made it come to life.

I've got to be honest, I would love one. I already own an iPhone 5 and I really would like to play games just like that on my iPhone. But. I love my 3DS and I don't really think this will be a big threat. Nintendo's games are what makes the 3DS so awesome and iPhone doesn't have the right games to beat it, at least not yet.

I find myself really sad over how Nintendo ended the letterbox service as it was a major bonus to the 3DS, at least for me. Being able to have a dialogue with the people you play with is great. Now I've got to use my laptop or my phone to to that (or even more complicated, use the Wii U). If you use your iPhone as gaming device, you can communicate with the people you play with, without running to fetch another device. I HATE when I need too many devices. It's the only reason I decided not to get a Vita and the reason I don't really feel like getting PS4 and the reason I still don't own an iPad. I need a DVD player, maybe PS4 gets lucky just because of that. The thought of getting 2 things in 1 space-filling box is very appealing.