Following this week's dramatic announcement of Nintendo's partnership with DeNA to greatly expand its move into smart device gaming and services, utilising core IP in the process, there have been plenty of questions around how the partnership will work and how, in practical terms, it'll affect Nintendo's primary work of software development for its own hardware.
In an interview with TIME, Satoru Iwata was asked about who would lead development of Nintendo games for smart devices. DeNA has experience both in game development and - most importantly - back-end infrastructure for online services, and Iwata-san explained that the strengths of both companies will be utilised. In reassuring comments for those concerned that Nintendo's best-known and revered development figurehead - Shigeru Miyamoto - would be distracted from console games, however, Iwata-san has insisted that the designer's priority remains the upcoming slate of major Wii U releases.
Development of smart device games will be mainly done by Nintendo, but it is significant that we are forming a joint development structure with DeNA. Nintendo, through experience in the dedicated game system business, is good at making traditional game products. But for smart devices, in addition to the "product" aspect of a game, the aspect of an ever-evolving "service" is very important—a service that encourages consumers to play every day even for a short time. DeNA has extensive know-how in developing the "service" side of things, and will be primarily responsible for the service-oriented operations. We will be able to greatly leverage strengths of each party.
As for any involvement of Mr. Miyamoto, we will discuss it when possible, but for now, understand that his priority is on the development of Wii U titles that will be launched this year.
As a structure this certainly seems logical, even if it will emphasize some fears that resources within Nintendo will continue to be stretched, with development of Wii U and 3DS games, QoL and the Nintendo 'NX' all on the company's docket. The flipside is that Nintendo has worked to keep relevant departments separate and well structured, and also has financial resources and partnerships to tackle challenges on multiple fronts.
Does this outline of development on smart devices reassure or concern you? Let us know.
[source time.com]
Comments 49
Just like what I said.They are nothing more than advertising for Nintendo consoles and handhelds.
http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/03/18/nintendo-believes-mobile-games-will-lead-to-more-console-fans
Not much is going to change inside of Nintendo it's self.They are still going to make a home console and and handheld.The development tools are just going to be more integrated with the console and handheld.Nintendo still won't develop smart phone games that are the equivalent of real games, that's why Nintendo contracted DeNA help them to do it.Those games will be like demo experiences to the real games that will only come out on Nintendo platforms.It's sort of like a funnel start at the top and go down on to the real games.All this smart phone stuff is advertising Nintendo brands.Pokemon will still be on 4DS and Mario platformers will still be on the Wii U successor.
Mobile=More console fans.
They need to have a Nintendo Direct VERY soon. It would do a lot to reassure the current user base and also inform us about what's to come.
This makes sense given all the effort put into the Wii U as of late. They aren't abandoning it and the sky isn't falling.
... because Miyamoto loves all of us.
The image of Miyamoto sitting in front of Android Studio making a game for a Samsung Galaxy is a weird one...
Another Link: http://time.com/3749061/nintendo-mobile-gaming/
Nintendo's new strategy for advertising.Draw them in from the smart devices.
If the development is done mainly in house, I'm confident Nintendo won't screw it up. They are one of the best developers out there, and the don't ride on Minamoto alone. Just look at how awesome Splatoon is, made by a young team of devs.
Oh, and I am so waiting for this since I skipped the Wii U and haven't gotten a 3DS yet. Gonna be awesome.
I guess it's a wait and see with must of the game creators, They shouldn't rush and make decisions too soon. If Mr Miyamoto stays with Wii U games for awhile I can wait till he decides to go Mobile.
Hmmm... Maybe dogfights with GAMEPAD vs. SMARTPHONES?
People need to calm down not much is going to change.What does change will all be for the better.An example of good change is a new account system coming this fall.Mobile is just an advertising strategy.I think it is a stroke of genus! People on mobile will play the small advertising/demo game and think "Wow, there's a full version that I can get on one of Nintendo's platforms"? Then they will proceed to look into it and get those consoles/handhelds and games.Exposure.
I think they will just use mobile/tablet as an apertizer to encourage more people to flock to the home console / handheld.
I am probably set in my ways, but I just cannot play games with iPad style touch screens, and to say you can plug in a controller doesn't make it very mobile
If they will be developing the smartphonegames themselfs, they NEED to increase the Number of Studios under their belt ...
create 4 new Studios, 2 for Smartphonegames and 2 for consolegames ... 1 WiiU and 1 3DS. Make shure EVERYBODY and their dog knows what the creation of these studios is about and I think nobody will say a word ...
Deviding already existing studios is not the way to go here ... they need to increase their workforce and not further split it appart.
@Yorumi There are more people on smart phones to pull off of than both DS and Wii platforms combines.They have never tried it in this way before.It also is what their stock holders want and will earn them some more money.People will pay for the advertising.Two things knocked out with one stone.
@Yorumi I don't remember the Wii or DS advertising Wii U games
@Yorumi I think what people meant (or at least what I meant) is say like the Demos you get on Wii U or 3DS are made available on Smart Phone, but to play the full game, it is only available on Wii U or 3DS.
We all know the Wii U was marketed poorly, and that most Wii owners think the Wii U is a controller accessory for the Wii.
There is no reason to say this latest venture will be a failure (unless your glass is half empty)
@Yorumi This can be answered if you know the idea of using games with ads from other games that can attract the same people, and automatic means very possibly immediate sales, instead of using ads on TV with long-term results and sometimes without much success.
People are in for a big shock if they think Nintendo will making hundreds of times their invest profits on this mobile games... and then plough it back into console/handheld games that will probably make a loss. That's just not how businesses work. If these mobile games make as much money as everyone thinks, that's money for shareholders, not for Nintendo to spend pleasing the rest of us.
@Yorumi
A large portion of those people are still playing Wii and DS happily for one. Also, the Wii was made popular by Wii Sports which failed to have a compelling IP to hold onto once the control scheme went out of favor. But there's other things wrong with your supposedly analogous example.
Basically, you are comparing apples to oranges.
That being said, I think people are mistaken to think this mobile venture is only to bring in advertising for the dedicated hardware. It's a major goal, but I think Nintendo realizes that it has lost almost all connections with gamers who have moved on to other platforms and that it is almost completely missing out on a generation of kids and families. If it doesn't reach out through these almost ubiquitous devices, it becomes harder and harder to gain any traction in the future. Also, Nintendo clearly aims to make money off of mobile.
Bugger. I was hoping DeNA would rope in Miyamoto and his wacky arm waving ideas lol
@Peach64
Well, I partly agree with you. You are predicating your scenario on console/handheld games probably making a loss and not investing profits from mobile into it.
I believe Iwata still views Nintendo's primary strength as creating richer experiences on dedicated game hardware. He was a programmer and designer and it's clear how much he values their talented developers. (I really enjoy how much Nintendo is trotting them out in front of cameras and look how much Iwata enjoys those Iwata asks interviews (laughs).)
If you don't use the strengths of your company you are leaving money on the table.
In other words, I'm reasonably sure Nintendo will at least try to take any excess money from the mobile venture and use it to prop up the dedicated hardware business. At least for one generation.
If that doesn't work, your point is a very good one.
However, you've also got to balance that with what other businesses and Nintendo have observed: Most success stories in large mobile gaming business also come with stories of rapid decline.
@Yorumi
Why wouldn't they "upgrade"? Is there some mutual exclusivity I don't know about? If you enjoy short-burst games on your mobile phone you can't possibly enjoy deeper, richer games? Are you suggesting no one who plays core games on any console could also play some mobile games too?
Where does this mentality come from?
Kids I see daily, for instance, happily shift from PC to Wii U, Wii, VC games from all generations, PS3 but also play all sorts of little games with their hand-me-down phones or tablet. They like richer games like Minecraft and the Zelda games, difficult rage games like Bit Trip Runner and Runner 2, silly mobile games like My Talking Tom. They'll switch to some of these on mobile or console or PC without batting an eyelash.
Nintendo has already stated that it learned its lesson with the Wii that those casual gamers it initially appealed to were not interested in deeper gaming experiences and they weren't going to persue them. But mobile gamers are not exclusively casual gamers they are just about everybody.
Nintendo is not trying to win over every mobile player and make them more dedicated players, they are trying to remind people who are already more dedicated players that Nintendo makes some awesome games and to give their hardware a try (maybe again).
Not sure how I feel about this overall. While I support the general idea, part of me wanted Nintendo to announce that it was going to just have oversight on these mobile games and let DeNA do most of the work, and part of me would rather have what was actually shared in that interview: Nintendo is developing these games.
Like others, I don't want to see Nintendo's developer talent spread too thin. I'm only encouraged that this has probably been in the planning for awhile and apparently Nintendo did quite a bit of hiring a ways back.
Reassurances that Miyamoto is still working hard on Wii U releases only makes me question who is being shifted over to mobile work!
I do have an optimist angle to this, though. Developing smaller projects does often come with freedoms that stir up some creativity. It also gives more smaller teams a chance to gain experience in complete games more quickly. The mobile development team could be led by some veterens but used to incubate some of the younger developers. Remember Miyamoto talking about starting up some smaller teams of younger developers?
@Yorumi - "see any more reason to upgrade for hundreds of dollars?"
I do think some people will upgrade to Wii U from Wii - when they need to. Wii is still getting Just Dance and Skylanders games. When those 2 games stop releasing on Wii every year but still come out on Wii U some people will upgrade. Wii U needs to be $199 then though, nobody is paying $299 for a new Wii w/ a tablet. If those games stop coming out on Wii U people will buy a PS4 at $299 instead.
@Yorumi
I already explained that I think your wii/ds analogy is bankrupt.
Where is your data on mobile games not convincing people to buy consoles? I thought those other consoles were selling like crazy and breaking records.
I'm sure some people will freak out about this, but "app" games are not going to be taking away anybody important's time away from 3DS and Wii U development. Nintneod guys will probably just do some sketches on napkins during their lunch breaks and the coding will be simple, DeNA will handle all the backend stuff. They won't be publishing anything substantial on smart devices.
I think Nintendo have tried to compete with or at least straddle the tablet market with the wii u - their thinking clearly influenced by the popularity of tablets, so let's have a tablet-like controller and the consumers will flock.
But this hasn't succeeded - so it's a case of if you can't beat em, join em.
Unless you're Miyamoto. Miyamoto joins nobody, he's too busy pioneering.
@rjejr
Maybe, but I think Nintendo's attention to detail and protection of its IP means that there will be significant involvement here, not just napkin sketches. Plus, "Development of smart device games will be mainly done by Nintendo" (emphasis mine). Doesn't sound like something done on a lunch break.
Still, they are smaller games and won't compare to the big projects. Personally, I'm imagining small teams of younger or newer Nintendo developers under one veteren with lots of creativity and short development times. Could be an overall win for quality and innovation in the larger projects.
(I'm stuck in a computer lab with just a couple of students now so I have nothing but time to just chat away here. Now I'm repeating myself...)
@aaronsullivan - Well that explains your running discussion w/ Yorumi. I decided not to reply to any of your comments in this thread after I wore out my welcome this afternoon. And I'm kind of burned out on the whole DeNA thing too.
Don't work too hard. Why don't you make some Nintendo app games while your there
Miyamoto has a long history of declaring that he specifically works on Nintendo hardware because they have been distinct from the formats of other hardware. This especially refers to the formats of homogenized platforms, such as those in the smartphone and tablet arena. I would hope he does not intend to go back on that long-standing commitment, and I do indeed worry that his peers will pressure him to abandon his commitment.
@Yorumi I agree with what you're saying... this is a sudden 180 degree turnaround, overall. Even if Nintendo doesn't pull some of their talent into the smartphone and tablet arena, we still have to remember that DeNA's specialty is free-to-play monetization models of game design, which run directly counter against the more traditional game design and business operation of Nintendo's stalwarts and veterans.
There is inevitably going to be some kind of conflict or big changes behind the scenes, when such different operating philosophies are clashing against each other. With as big as the 22 billion Yen deal between them is, there's no way that their operations won't bleed into each other to some degree.
Man,people are going crazy in a few places about this.I understand it as a marketing tactic with a few extra dollars on the side.That is all this is ,Nintendo will still release a home console and a handheld.Business as usual.
@Yorumi
The division of development you speak of, is assuming that the NX won't allow for easier cross development thus allowing them to easily spare some ppl for easy to make demo-ish mobile games.
You also site recent profitable ventures then go on to say they weren't used towards current consumer satisfaction, yet expecting week or month long turn arounds on that sort of thing in this business is insane. They may very well be re-investing those profits into what you say they aren't, it doesn't happen over nite with game development.
@NandN3ds
Nice thanks! 😊
The NX should be a smartphone portable handheld that is also the main controller of a home console.
Correction! The NX should be a smartphone 3ds & Wii U controller.
This now is sort of upsetting me. Its clear that the Smartphones are meant for clear advertising but what happens if the sales for the Smartphone games sell higher than their system counterparts? That would make Nintendo think that the Smartphone world is better.
I guess Nintendo had to do something to satisfy their shareholders. Still I'll stick with Nintendo no matter what. After all, this is probably an experiment to get everyone know about Nintendo.
@Yorumi because they haven't been able to play Nintendo games without buying a console, so if they remember how good Nintendo is, they might be convinced to try out their consoles that they haven't played since they were kids.
Thank you based Miyamoto!
I don't have smartphone games myself but it doesn't seem like it would make sense for Nintendo's big developers and programmers to focus on mobile games. There just isn't enough profit in that. It is nice though to know the quality of mobile games might be increasing because of this. I kinda wonder how many new customers they can get to migrate into their console market.
"In reassuring comments for those concerned that Nintendo's best-known and revered development figurehead - Shigeru Miyamoto - would be distracted from console games, however, Iwata-san has insisted that the designer's priority remains the upcoming slate of major Wii U releases." Why do I just envision Miyamoto sitting at a work bench in his basement hitting a Wii U with a wrench over and over again?
@NandN3ds Where it mentions his planning for Amiibo, it reminded me that phones have NFC chips. Maybe Amiibo's could unlock stuff in smartphone games and maybe they can have an Amiiibo smartphone app, where for a few dollars you can have the NFC data for all Amiibo's and you can have mulitple data for each one (ie Smash Bros and Mario Party data).
Inb4 Flappy Mario.
When people say that the revenue is going to stockholders they seem to forget that Nintendo owns most of it's own stocks. So basically that money is going to assets. To assets and to my son of course
So Old Man Miyamoto is being sealed off with his silly invention that only his die hard fans have bought into. That's the spin proponents of mobile games might give this.
Personally, I'm happy they leave him in charge of making sure the Wii U is being utilized to its fullest.
The Wii U is such a strange/unique console and I love it. I just got the MarioKart bundle last year and look forward to years to come of new games. Not to mention all of the back catalog I have yet to play.
This is really good.
Regardless of the insistence that Miyamoto is being segregated from the new DeNA deal, it will reportedly change how the Wii U's online infrastructure operates, come this Autumn. Even if Miyamoto is not directly involved with it, the new infrastructure will directly affect how his work will be implemented. This will come into effect by the time the Zelda Wii U title is released, and it will most likely affect the Star Fox Wii U title.
It will also directly affect other developers within Nintendo, since they will be jointly operating with DeNA on the smartphone/tablet games, while DeNA will be the ones managing Nintendo's online infrastructure, therefore changing the Wii U, 3DS, and NX online infrastructure... in other words, DeNA will lead the direction on the ground work for both the smartphone/tablet arena and the upcoming unified console online infrastructure, not Nintendo. DeNA will also have a hand in how the NX fundamentally operates.
When it comes time to actually creating games, this will inevitably lead to internal disputes and conflicts on some level, if both sides adhere to their respective philosophies of game design... unless a compromise is reached. A compromise which would result in rather different products than the ones we're familiar with on Nintendo's consoles...
@NandN3ds I'm sorry to pop a hole in that giant paragraph, but Satoru Iwata said that Nintendo would not be porting games. Rather they would be creating new and original content apt for the mobile market. I'll try to find his quote for you.
@NandN3ds I apologize but I was wrong in my last post. You can't get information these days without it being opinionated
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