Tag: Business - Page 11
News Nintendo's Share Value on the Rebound Following Poor Reaction to Miitomo
Nerves settled?
Not too long ago Nintendo unveiled some key points in its smart device strategy to investors, but in the process confirmed that its first app - Miitomo - and loyalty program 'My Nintendo' (part of a new 'Nintendo Account') would be delayed until March 2016. Both were originally expected this year, so that delay and the nature of...
News SNK Playmore Ditches Pachinko Machines To Focus Entirely On Video Games
You know, just like it used to
SNK Playmore has announced that it is abandoning the manufacture of Pachinko machines in favour of focusing totally on video games and smartphone titles. The company began making Pachinko units when it was acquired by Aruze in 2000, a company famous for its Pachinko machines. SNK would file for bankruptcy in 2001 but...
News EA Will Evaluate "Any And All Opportunities" When It Comes To Nintendo And NX
"We’ve had a tremendous relationship with them over the years"
Electronic Arts is one of the industry's publishing veterans and has been known to make-or-break the fortunes of consoles in the past. The company threw its weight behind the Mega Drive / Genesis during the 16-bit era and helped Sega score a notable victory over Nintendo, but by the...
News Nintendo Is Unique, Different And Does Its Own Thing, Says Xbox Marketing Boss
"I guess we'll react to that when we know more"
Nintendo has a reputation of innovation within the games industry which runs all the way back to the '80s, when the company blazed a trail with its Game & Watch series - the first hardware to showcase the now-commonplace D-pad. Since then, we've seen the company embrace cutting-edge tech ahead of...
News Nintendo Expecting Mobile Business To Eclipse Wii And DS Era Profits In Three Years
Available in 8 languages, over 100 countries
Nintendo's smartphone plans became a little more real this week with the announcement of the company's first smartphone title, Miitomo. The news was tempered slightly by the revelation that the game - if one can call it that - will be delayed until March next year so that Nintendo has time to properly...
News Analysts Wonder If Super Mario Can Save Nintendo
"I do think that Super Mario will be a driver for mobile revenue"
American business publication Fortune has recently asked the big question 'Can Super Mario save Nintendo from itself?' and to answer that question has consulted the wisdom of several analysts including Nintendo Life reader favourite Michael Pachter. With Super Mario Maker seemingly...
News This Is The Last Real Console Cycle, Proclaims Industry Analyst Michael Pachter
"The console installed base is as big as it's ever going to get"
We could see the end of dedicated games hardware in the near future, states Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter. Speaking at DICE Europe last week, the outspoken industry expert tackled the issue of the end of the console era, and pointed out that in terms of pure sales figures, this...
News Konami Denies That It Is Walking Away From AAA Game Development
...for the second time this year
We recently reported on rumours that suggested veteran publisher Konami was abandoning AAA console development with the exception of its Pro Evolution Soccer series. The report - published by French site Gameblog but seemingly verified by ot
News Don't Count Nintendo Out, Says Former Xbox Boss Robbie Bach
"Nintendo - with great respect - is a toy company, and always has been"
With the Wii U look set to sell less units that the GameCube and the 3DS falling short of the commercial performance of its immediate predecessor the DS, many industry analysts have characterised Nintendo as a company in decline. However, former Xbox boss Robbie Bach - who spent...
Rumour New Report Suggests That Konami Has All But Abandoned Console Development
PES and Metal Gear Online are the only titles spared
With the incredible commercial and critical success of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain you'd think that publisher Konami would be feeling pretty pleased about its home console output, but it would appear that earlier reports regarding the company exiting the domestic arena are true...
Talking Point Sweeping Internal Changes Show That Nintendo Is Ready To Tackle New Challenges
Structural shifts and fresh promotions are just part of a wider plan
Yoshiaki Koizumi is one of the key beneficiaries of the merger of EAD and SPD While this week's big news is certainly the appointment of Tatsumi Kimishima as Nintendo's new president, it was the changes taking place behind the scenes which will have piqued the interest of seasoned...
Not against the idea of outside executives taking over in the future
It's been a notable 24 hours for Nintendo, with the company announcing that Tatsumi Kimishima will take over as President on 16th September, with Shigeru Miyamoto and Genyo Takeda taking on new titles as Creative and Technology Fellows and seemingly being integrated closely in the...
Talking Point Tatsumi Kimishima Is A Safe Pair Of Hands In Changing Times
New boss could hint at a more western-focused Nintendo
Earlier today it was confirmed that Nintendo's new president is Tatsumi Kimishima, a 65-year-old veteran who has previously held several senior roles within the company. While many believed that one of the interim bosses Shigeru Miyamoto and Genyo Takeda would be given the nod, Kimishima does, o
News Tatsumi Kimishima Named As New Nintendo President
Former Nintendo of America boss gets the nod
Since the tragic and untimely passing of Satoru Iwata, there has been much speculation about who will assume his role as President of Nintendo. Since Iwata's death the company has been overseen jointly by Shigeru Miyamoto and Genyo Takeda, and many felt that one of the pair would eventually take up the...
News Nintendo Continues to Consider the Prospects of the Movie Industry
"We'll potentially be looking at things like movies in the future"
When video game movies are highlighted, there's often an air of negativity around the end results. The response to the Super Mario Bros. movie wasn't overwhelmingly positive in the '90s, and in broader terms we've seen commercial successes with Resident Evil but also a whole load...
News Core Console Market Bigger Than Ever, Despite The Impact Of The "Wii Bubble"
Bodes well for Nintendo NX
EEDAR VP of Insights Patrick Walker has pointed out that the core home console market is bigger than ever, citing impressive launch sale figures for the PS4 and Xbox One systems. The news flies in the face of claims that the rise of smartphones and tablets has put the console market in danger. However, sales data points...
News SNK Playmore's New Chinese Owners Aim To "Do A Marvel" With Its Famous Franchises
$63.5 million paid for 81.25 percent of the gaming veteran
SNK Playmore has been acquired by a group of Chinese investors, Gameindustry.biz is reporting. Ledo Millennium has paid $63.5 million for 81.25 percent of the company's shares, purchased from former SNK CEO Eikichi Kawasaki and his wife Natsuyo Kawasaki. Chinese companies Oriental...
News Nintendo Is Licensing Hudson Soft IP From Konami
New Momotaro Dentetsu title in development
Earlier this morning, we posted some rather worrying news regarding the current situation at Konami, including claims that staff are being used as cleaners and security guards. If there's one positive to come out of the whole situation it's that Konami is so disinterested in harnessing its catalogue of IP...
News Scathing Nikkei Report Hints At Shameful Treatment Of Staff By Dictatorial Konami Management
"Useless" employees used as cleaners and security guards
All is not well in the world of Konami. Recent rumours have suggested that the Japanese veteran could be planning a move out of the home gaming business, and the company's recent treatment of Hideo Kojima - surely its most famous staffer - has raised eyebrows throughout the industry. However,...
News Genyo Takeda The Likely Choice For Nintendo President, Analysts Claim
More likely than Shigeru Miyamoto
Following the tragic death of Nintendo president Satoru Iwata there has been much speculation on who will take on his role within the company. Shigeru Miyamoto's name has been brought up - a logical choice, given his fame in the games industry - but it would appear that the smart money is on Genyo Takeda, who gave a...
News Industry Analysts Speculate On Nintendo's Future And Satoru Iwata's Possible Successor
"Iwata was infectiously enthusiastic about Nintendo"
Following the tragic loss of Nintendo president and CEO Satoru Iwata last week, it was inevitable that thoughts would quickly turn to Nintendo's future. Beyond his business leadership, and the successes he delivered, Satoru Iwata will also be remembered for his humour and humility when fulfilling...
News Nintendo NX Will Avoid The Launch Issues Which Plagued 3DS And Wii U, Claims Iwata
"We intend to offer NX through a Nintendo-like solution"
The officially translated notes for Nintendo's 75th AGM are in, and unsurprisingly Satoru Iwata spends a lot of time talking about Nintendo NX, the company's next gaming system. During the Q&A session, Iwata was asked some rather direct questions about how Nintendo intends to avoid a...
News Nintendo Isn't Talking About NX Because It Doesn't Want Rivals To Steal Its Ideas
"The NX is new hardware, and will start from 0"
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has claimed that Nintendo has to keep quiet on NX because it believes that competitors will steal the unique ideas it is cooking up for its next console. Much has been written about the forthcoming console but we still don't have a solid NX release date. However, during...
News Konami Not Turning Its Back On Consoles After All, Says Sorry For Causing Such A Fuss
Japanese company admits "conjecture" has caused "anxiety"
We recently reported on an interview with Konami boss Hideki Hayakawa which stated that the company was putting all of its eggs in the basket marked "mobile". However, these comments were translated from what was little more than a summary of the interview and the full, official transcript -...
News Nintendo of America's Newest Recruit Is Bowser
But not the one you're thinking of
Nintendo of America has a new Vice President of Sales with a name that will be instantly familiar with fans of Mario. Before you get your hopes up, it's not who you think. Doug Bowser - not that Bowser - joins Nintendo from Electronic Arts, where he was employed as Vice President of Global Business Planning. He...
News Capcom Hoping For "Aggressive Digital Download Sales" Of Remastered Classics
Remember when new games were a thing?
Industry veteran Capcom has revealed that remastering past titles will be a key part of its business moving forward. In a recent Q&A session, the firm pointed to the success of the recent Resident Evil HD remaster, which became the fastest-selling title in PlayStation Network history. Capcom is planning...
News Mobile Is Konami's Future, According To President Hideki Hayakawa
"We will pursue mobile games aggressively"
Konami president Hideki Hayakawa has been speaking to Nikkei Trendy Net about the company's future, giving the strongest indication yet of how the firm's business is changing. Hayakawa states that smart devices represent the core focus of Konami's business moving forward. The success of Konami's current...
News Konami And Square Enix Post Positive Financials, Despite A Lack Of Major Console Releases
A sign of the times?
Japanese publishers Konami and Square Enix have both reported positive financial results for the past year, despite the fact that neither company has released all that many AAA console titles during this period. Konami has reported a 147 percent increase in net profit for the year ending March. Profits reached 9.5bn Yen, which...
News Stella Glow Developer Imageepoch Has Gone Bust
Western release presumably unaffected
Japanese studio Imageepoch - famous for its RPGs - has been in the news a lot recently. On the positive side, the company's latest 3DS title, Stella Glow, has been confirmed for a Western release by publisher Atlus. Less encouraging is the news regarding Imageepoch's president Ryoei Mikage, who went missing
News Nintendo Ditches Plans To Create New Hardware For The Chinese Market
Dedicated console no longer in the works
Tokyo-based games consultant Serkan Toto has told Nikkei that Nintendo has decided against producing unique hardware for the Chinese market. The plans were revealed last year, with Nintendo seemingly poised to take advantage of China's removal of a ban on games consoles. Rather than launch the Wii U in that...
Talking Point Is Konami About To Exit The Console Game Business?
Nintendo's old ally could be leaving the industry it helped to grow
Konami has been in the headlines a lot lately. First up were those troublesome rumours regarding the impending departure of Hideo Kojima, creator of the Metal Gear series and arguably the Japanese company's most valuable and famous employee. It would appear that Kojima is set to...
News Konami Removes Its Listing from the New York Stock Exchange
Will raise eyebrows, but doesn't mean imminent doom
Some of the Nintendo Life team on the wrong side of 30-years-old recall the days when Konami was a true powerhouse brand in gaming. The Castlevania franchise was hugely popular, Pro Evolution Soccer was the mainstream choice ahead of EA's FIFA - really, that was a thing - and Hideo Kojima could get...
News Nintendo's Mobile Partner DeNA Lays Off Significant Number Of North American Staff
San Francisco and Vancouver offices impacted in "reshape" of operations
Japanese mobile company DeNA has laid off a significant number of North American employees, it has been revealed today. The job losses are taking place at the company's San Francisco and Vancouver offices, and while exact numbers aren't forthcoming at the moment, the layoffs...
News Analyst Thinks Nintendo Is Already Winding Down Wii U Ahead Of Nintendo NX Launch
"The Wii U is on the wrong side of the bell curve"
It goes without saying that the Wii U hasn't been the success Nintendo had hoped for, with just under 10 million total hardware sales since launch - that's around half the amount of systems that Sony has shifted, and the PS4 is a year younger than Nintendo's machine. With the recent announcement of...
News DeNA Hopes To Bring In $25 Million Per Month Via Its Relationship With Nintendo
Nintendo could be getting 70 percent of profits
Nintendo's first mobile phone game is expected to launch later this year, and partner DeNA has been talking up its expectations on the potential profitability of this joint venture. Speaking to Reuters, DeNA CEO Isao Moriyasu stated that while targets
News Microsoft Once Had Some Pretty Wild Ideas, Including Making Xbox Free And Buying Nintendo
"Name a bad idea and it was something we had to deal with"
Back when Microsoft was looking at entering the home gaming market and working on the first Xbox console, people within the company had some pretty far out ideas - precious few of which actually came to pass, thankfully. Speaking to Gamesindustry.biz, Oddworld Inhabitants' Lorne Lanning has...
News Satoru Iwata And DeNA CEO Isao Moriyasu Discuss Nintendo's Mobile Future
"DeNA attacked Nintendo with a passion, so we were impressed by them"
Following the flurry of Nintendo news from two days ago, a Q&A featuring Nintendo's CEO Satoru Iwata and DeNA's CEO Isao Moriyasu was posted on Nintendo's corporate website, largely discussing the role DeNA and Nintendo will each play when producing mobile games with one...
News Nintendo's First Smartphone Title Could Launch As Soon As This Year
DeNA Collaboration may make a 2015 debut
Yesterday, Nintendo confirmed that it is working with Japanese mobile company DeNA on games for smart devices like phones and tablets. In a Q&A session which followed the announcement, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata revealed that the first fruits of this arrangement could come as early as this year:...
News Games Industry Analysts Somewhat Divided On Nintendo's Partnership With DeNA
"It could be too late to take full advantage of their strengths"
So, Nintendo is finally bringing its enviable IP to smart devices, and the news has been greeted with a mixture of surprise, bemusement and even anger by some quarters of the gaming world. Among analysts the reaction is predictably more measured, with a mostly optimistic tone...
News Iwata: Embracing Smart Devices Has Made Us Even More Passionate About Dedicated Games Consoles
Phones and tablets a "rational way" to bring people to consoles
For some Nintendo fans, today is the day that hell has frozen over - Nintendo has announced that it is bringing its games to smart devices via a partnership with Japanese mobile company DeNA. While some might assume that this move means the firm is turning its back on dedicated...
News Iwata: We Are Challenging Ourselves To Redefine What "Nintendo Platforms" Mean
Aim is to "construct a bridge" between smart devices and games consoles
Today's announcement that Nintendo is working with Japanese mobile giant DeNA on bringing its games to smart devices and its new cross-platform membership programme has sent shock-waves through the games industry, and even Nintendo president Satoru Iwata admits that the move...
News Nintendo Doesn't Intend To Be A One-Hit Wonder On Smart Devices
Mobile market is "highly competitive" but Nintendo can "prosper"
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata today revealed that the company is engaging in a strategic alliance with Japanese mobile company DeNA - a move which has predictably set the internet alight. As part of the deal, Nintendo will work with DeNA to bring its vast library of IP to mobile...
News Nintendo Teases Cross-Platform Club Nintendo Successor In Conjunction With DeNA
Looking to "create a connection regardless of the device the consumer uses"
Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata has revealed that the company is working on a cross-platform successor to its Club Nintendo membership programme. Speaking during today's Business and Capital Alliance Announcement - where it was announced that Nintendo would be working alongside...
News Nintendo Looking To Offer Affordable Smartphone-Style Games And Remakes Of Past Classics On 3DS
President Satoru Iwata wants to expand consumer choice on the handheld
Nintendo's handheld strategy will make room for affordable, low-cost titles similar to those seen on smartphone formats like iOS and Android, The Nikkei reports. Speaking with Nintendo President Satoru Iwata, The Nikkei has stated that the Japanese company is seeking to "expand...
News Sega's Digital Restructure Means 300 Staff Will Be Offered Voluntary Retirement
Aiming to "improve the business efficiency of the Group"
Sega will offer 300 of its global staff voluntary retirement in an effort to drive profits and restructure the company around smartphone and online PC games. Although Sega of America's release schedule will be unaffected, it will lose around 120 staff between 9th February and the end of...
News Satoru Iwata Chipped In To Make Sure Super Smash Bros. Melee Made It To Market On Time
"Aaah, I wonder if it's alright to admit this?"
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata wasn't always in charge of Nintendo -- once upon a time, he was a humble programmer sat at his keyboard with dreams of becoming the next Miyamoto. In a recent interview with 4Gamer, Iwata admits that before he moved into management he had aspirations of being the...
News Nintendo Aiming To Create A Stronger Bond With Consumers Via Mii Smartphone Application
"It is rather embarrassing that we are so behind on this compatibility"
Nintendo has made no secret of the fact that it is looking into producing smartphone and tablet applications to support its core business, and during the recently-translated Corporate Management Policy Briefing Q&A, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata spoke about the company's...
News Iwata Cites "Same-Generation Hypothesis" For Strong Smash Bros. And Pokémon Performance
You grow up, but the games stay with you
Nintendo's Financial Results Briefing is out, and in it company president Satoru Iwata outlines why its Super Smash Bros. and Pokémon franchises are enjoying such robust commercial success. Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS has performed better than expected on 3DS, and anticipation for the Wii U entry is...
News Capcom Won't Greenlight Sequels If A Game Doesn't Sell Over Two Million Copies
No plans for future Darkstalkers games, either
Capcom's Yoshinori Ono has revealed that the company is chasing big sales right now, and that sequels won't be given the go ahead unless the previous title cleared two million units sold. The comment was made in an interview with Famitsu, where Ono also said that there would be no future Darkstalkers...
News The Studio Behind Sega's Wonder Boy Series Might Be Going Bankrupt
Not so wonderful
Japanese veteran Westone Bit Entertainment is apparently on the verge of going bankrupt, according to Game Watch Impress. Westone is best know for producing Wonder Boy, a title which would spawn the Monster World series and would be re-tooled to create Hudson's Adventure Island franchise. The Tokyo District Court is currently...
