Iwata Speech
Image: Bob Riha Jr. / Nintendo of America

Nintendo recently announced major reductions in its sales and financial projections for this financial year, prompting various calls for action throughout the media and from fans. Those calls have naturally included suggestions to jump into the smartphone and tablet markets, though Satoru Iwata has stated that it's not as simple as moving Mario to smart devices.

At various points in recent months, however, Nintendo has admitted that it's considering its smart device strategies, with Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime referring to "little experiences you can have on your smartphone and tablet that will drive you back to your Nintendo hardware". It seems like a reality that could be close, according to a report from The Nikkei newspaper in Japan. It is stating that Nintendo will make active use of smart devices before the end of the year, citing mini-games and free video services; the intention will apparently be for these to be free services.

Sekantoto.com's translation of the article reinforces that activities will be designed to provide marketing for Nintendo's consoles; this site interprets the reference to mini-games to also include demos of retail games, which seems questionable though, in theory, experiences similar to full games could be possible. By making video and mini-game content free, the aim will be to utilise the extraordinary reach of smart devices to win over and attract consumers to buy Nintendo's hardware for the full products.

None of these ideas are particularly off-the-wall, especially in light of various comments from Nintendo that it will aim to capitalise on smart device platforms. The Nikkei has a solid track-record as a major business publication in Japan, correctly predicting the 3DS XL around three weeks before it was eventually announced in 2012. The suggestion is, as was made clear by Satoru Iwata when announcing those adjusted projections a little under two weeks ago, that these strategies will be revealed this week when Nintendo unveils its financial results and addresses investors on 31st January.

We don't have long to wait to see what Nintendo has up its sleeve for both Wii U and 3DS, in terms of the direct hardware and promotional efforts. In the meantime, what do you think of this potential Nintendo content on smart devices, presumably through dedicated app(s)? Let us know in the comments below.

[source nikkei.com, via serkantoto.com]