nintendo-investor-q1-2014
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Nintendo envisions on-demand service tied to IDs across hardware
In a follow-up report to Nintendo's financial briefing today, an on-demand gaming service spanning multiple pieces of hardware is described as part of CEO Satoru Iwata's longterms plans. The first step toward this new on-demand service, the report says, was introducing Nintendo Network IDs on both Wii U and 3DS. This on-demand service would be tied to your Nintendo Network ID as opposed to the individual hardware being used – one ID for multiple devices, rewarding customers loyalty to an account as opposed to an individual piece of hardware, which may be replaced some day. And when the next version of that hardware comes along, certain features or content may not carry over, so for heavy users this loss of content ultimately shapes their habits and loyalty going forward.
Nintendo bringing DS to Wii U Virtual Console
Nintendo's recently cleared technical hurdles regarding the Wii U's Virtual Console offerings have a clear result - the company announced plans for Nintendo DS titles to join the Wii U's current offering. Nintendo's quarterly financial meeting in Japan, in which Nintendo President Satoru Iwata laid out immediate and longterm plans for the company, also mentioned plans to license Nintendo characters to new partners. Who those partners may be is currently unclear, but the suggestion follows the company's Yoshi Island DLC for Sega's Sonic: Lost World and the recently revealed action game set in The Legend of Zelda universe, Hyrule Warriors.
Nintendo working on non-wearable health monitoring tech
Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata revealed the company is looking into non-wearable health monitors during a financial briefing in Japan today. New details on this venture, Iwata said, would be revealed this year, with a planned launch for Nintendo's fiscal year ending March 31, 2016. Iwata said, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, that Nintendo's main theme for the next 10 years will be enhancing the quality of life through entertainment. Health is a large part of that, and Iwata even called out the cadre of wearable health devices already available on the market as evidence of the sector's importance to consumers. Still, this is an especially odd direction granted Nintendo's inability to launch its first foray into health tech, the Wii Vitality Sensor. The Vitality Sensor was announced in 2009 and was designed to monitor the users' heart rate while playing games. Nintendo cited a problem with Wii Vitality Sensor prototypes reading a small percentage of users as the reason for canceling it.
Iwata: Nintendo to entice customers through smart phones, stronger Wii U Gamepad software
Following a mildly profitable financial quarter, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata shared details of Nintendo's future strategies during its quarterly financial results briefing in Japan. Wall Street Journal's live translation of the event reports that these plans will include attracting customers through smart phones, as well as an invigorated effort to support the Wii U Gamepad in new software. During the conference, Iwata noted plans to "actively" use smart devices to "make connections with customers." Iwata dismissed previously reported ideas of releasing games on other platforms, instead suggesting that Nintendo will use smart devices to attract customers to its hardware. Iwata said the company will focus on making software that showcases the Gamepad's capabilities, including its Near Field Communication technology. Iwata also said that Nintendo has overcome technological problems to making Virtual Console titles, a success that would be welcome by Wii U owners frustrated by the console's sparse retro offerings. Plans to utilize the Gamepad's features will also reduce the waiting time for starting up games. A conceptual video on Nintendo's report depicts a Wii U user tapping the power button on the Gamepad. A line of software icons is displayed, allowing the player to immediately boot up a game and select a user account without visiting the Wii U's Wara Wara Plaza first.
Mario Kart 8 starts its engines on Wii U this May
During a corporate briefing today in Japan, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata confirmed Mario Kart 8 would launch on Wii U some time in May. The Wall Street Journal's Digits blog picked up the news during a Nintendo business briefing held in Japan. Mario Kart 8, announced during E3 last year, is the latest in Nintendo's long-running arcade racing series. This new installment includes a gravity-defying mechanic that lets racers ride along walls. Last week, Nintendo had to slash financial forecasts in light of weak Wii U sales. Originally the company had projected Wii U sales to reach a total of 9 million from March 2013 to March 2014. Nintendo now anticipates Wii U shipments will reach 2.8 million in that timeframe.
