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Nintendo loses a little piece of its identity with 'Super Mario Run'
Today, Nintendo announced Super Mario is going mobile -- Super Mario Run will launch on iOS and Android before the end of the year. We knew the company was making more content for smartphones, but for long-time Nintendo fans, this announcement still feels like a shock. For years, Satoru Iwata rallied hard against bringing Nintendo characters to the small screen. "If we did this," he said in 2011, "Nintendo would cease to be Nintendo." The company's leader was adamant: Putting Mario on mobile would make good short-term profits but would ultimately devalue the property. Now that it's here, we have to wonder -- is Nintendo still Nintendo?
The late Satoru Iwata honored by Game Developers Choice Awards
The video game industry lost one of its most passionate members last year when Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata passed away. He's been honored before, but there really isn't such a thing as paying tribute to him too many times. During tonight's Game Developer's Choice Awards the governing body debuted a heartfelt animated video touching on various aspects of the legendary game developer's life including the conception of the Nintendo DS, the Wii Remote and Nunchuck and much more. Iwata may be gone, but his legacy will live on for a very, very long time.
Nintendo's 2015 was the best of times and the worst of times
Let's face it: In the world of video games, Nintendo exists in a state of constant scrutiny. More often than not, the Japanese company is targeted for being "behind the times" or "out of touch" with what its fanbase wants. Looking back, however, we see a more dynamic mish-mash of good and bad decisions. In 2015, Nintendo teased us by promising to build mobile apps, but pleased us by adding some unexpected classics to its digital game library and announcing a new game console. The company had breakout hits like Splatoon, but also fumbled on launch dates, failing to deliver Star Fox Zero and Zelda Wii U by year's end. How is Nintendo doing, really? Let's take a look back at the highs and lows of Nintendo's year and find out.Image credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images
Nintendo appoints Pokemon USA head as company president
After Satoru Iwata's passing, Nintendo has announced its new company president today -- and no, it's not the legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Instead, the console maker has promoted Tatsumi Kimishima (above left), a name that's probably unfamiliar to most of the gaming populace. Until now he's been a managing director at Nintendo, overseeing the human resources division. Not the most exciting role, but since he joined the company in 2000 Kimishima has also been chief financial officer for the Pokémon Company, president of Pokémon USA, and president of Nintendo of America.
Nintendo's first of many mobile games is coming this year
Nintendo has revealed some new details about its plan to develop mobile games. Most notably, its first smartphone title will come out later this year, and it's hoping to release four more before March 2017. That might sound fairly conservative -- five apps in just under two years isn't a particularly aggressive strategy. But Nintendo believes it's paramount that it takes a considered approach. "When we aim to make each title a hit, and because we want to thoroughly operate every one of them for a significant amount of time after their releases, this is not a small number at all," Nintendo chief Satoru Iwata said.
Here's a video
We've been debating publishing this video for weeks. Now, as imaginary armed men pound on the fictional doors of Joystiq's nonexistent office, we have precious little time to debate any further. So here it is, a video of Satoru Iwata set to the theme of Sanford and Son. It was created my Mike Suszek in a fit of madness and giggles. We present it here, without context, because it's our last chance. Please understand.
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.
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.
Iwata clarifies: Nintendo is not done with consoles
Last week, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata mentioned that the company was rethinking its business strategy following poor sales of the Wii U console. Speculation that Nintendo would cease building consoles immediately followed, but Iwata assures fans and investors that this is not the case. "The spread of smart devices does not spell the end of game consoles. It's not that simple," Iwata stated. "It doesn't mean that we should put Mario on smartphones." Instead, Iwata sees the new ubiquity of mobile devices as a platform that Nintendo could and should tap to promote its console releases. Here he cites GungHo Online Entertainment's Puzzle And Dragons as an example, pointing out that the 3DS incarnation of the game sold more than a million copies in its first month of existence, despite Puzzle And Dragons being available as a free-to-play offering on all manner of mobile devices. According to the Wall Street Journal, Iwata remains convinced that good games can sell consoles, regardless of how technologically impressive they might be - though modern customers need more convincing than earlier generations. To that end, Nintendo is reportedly pouring money into research and development, and "Mr. Iwata promises to surprise game players in the future."
Report: Nintendo UK planning Wii U awareness strategy with Tesco
Nintendo UK is planning a marketing effort with Tesco to boost customer awareness of the Wii U in an effort to address that "many people out there that don't know what this is," Nintendo UK's marketing director Shelly Pearce told MCV. The marketing push will include a purchase of in-store space at Tesco, a five-page flier that will be sent to 300,000 Tesco customers that previously purchased a Wii, and coupons for unspecified games. MCV reports that Nintendo is also planning "major online activity" in addition to an "out-of-home promotional tour aimed at reaching 115,500 shoppers." "There was a big misconception at launch about what Wii U is," Shelly said. "And one of the big messages is that this is a new console and a new controller." The strategy reflects Iwata's statements in June concerning plans to regain the console's momentum "towards the end of this year." Once that momentum is obtained, Iwata said the company will then "try to establish successful third-party support for Nintendo platforms."
The Wonderful 101 initially starred Nintendo characters
Despite its cast being wonderfully original, The Wonderful 101 was initially conceived as a way to unite "world famous characters" with Nintendo's iconic characters, Nintendo's Iwata Asks series revealed this week. Wonderful 101 Director Hideki Kamiya explained that the original concept stemmed from Platinum Games CEO and President Tatsuya Minami's order to "bring together world famous characters with Nintendo characters at its center, appearing all in one game." While working with the original idea, Kamiya wanted to find a way to "please everyone by letting them play the whole game as their favorite character." As one would imagine, the involved licensing sunk the original concept. Nintendo President Iwata said that the game's "cover certainly [had] impact to make even me think twice, and I was the producer working hard to gather all the characters in the first Smash Bros.!" Nintendo Producer Hitoshi Yamagami reacted similarly, noting that "the moment I saw the cover, I winced ..." Several months after Platinum Games' initial pitch, Nintendo's Licensing Department contacted Yamagami concerning a revamped build of the game without Nintendo's characters. Once Managing Director of Nintendo Shinya Takahashi showed him a demo of the new project, Yamagami "knew the moment [he] saw it that this was that idea from Platinum Games."
Iwata: Profitability possible without layoffs
Nintendo global president Satoru Iwata believes that his company can get back into the black without firing any of its employees, through good ol' fashioned efficiency and cost-saving measures. "It is true that our business has its ups and downs every few years, and of course, our ideal situation is to make a profit even in the low periods, return these profits to investors and maintain a high share price," Iwata said during a recent shareholders meeting, in response to a question about "corporate restructuring" as a solution to Nintendo's problems. "If we reduce the number of employees for better short-term financial results," he continued, "employee morale will decrease, and I sincerely doubt employees who fear that they may be laid off will be able to develop software titles that could impress people around the world." Iwata also noted that global exchange rates have played a major part in Nintendo's financial situation, saying that "the influence of exchange rates is the main aspect of this matter," rather than Nintendo's headcount. "Employees make valuable contributions in their respective fields, so I believe that laying off a group of employees will not help to strengthen Nintendo's business in the long run," he said. "Our current policy is to achieve favorable results by continuously cutting unnecessary expenses and increasing business efficiency."
The Wii Vitality Sensor is dead, at least for now
If the Wii Vitality Sensor were to be spoken of in Monty Python parrot terms, it would be an ex-parrot – bereft of life, it rests in peace. Originally announced back in 2009, Nintendo's unreleased biometric accessory has been indefinitely shelved due to the fact that the thing doesn't work with 10 percent of the people who use it, according to internal Nintendo testing. "After a large-scale test of a prototype inside the company, we found out that for some people the sensor did not work as expected," Nintendo global president Satoru Iwata said during a meeting with investors, after being asked for a status update on the product. "We wondered if we should commercialize a product which works as expected for 90 people out of 100, but not so for the other 10 people," he continued. "Though I am sorry that we did not give any specific updates after this product's initial announcement, I would say that knowing that a product has a problem we should not launch it for the sole reason that we have already announced it." Iwata also added that, even when the sensor functioned as expected, "it was of narrower application than we [read: Nintendo] had originally thought." The Wii Vitality Sensor (or something like it) may eventually make it to market, providing that the technology advances to such a degree that "999 of 1,000 people to use it without any problems, not only 90 out of 100 people."
Nintendo's Iwata acknowledges slow Wii U sales, but no price drop is coming
Yesterday Nintendo revealed its new Wii U console was selling more slowly than it had anticipated, and today company President Satoru Iwata explained the issues to investors in more detail. What he made clear immediately, is that unlike the launch of its 3DS in 2011, Nintendo will not attempt to boost its sales by cutting the price anytime soon. So, how can the Wii U's fortunes be turned around? According to Iwata, the problem is a software lineup that has "not yet fully communicated the value of our product." The system updates we've already heard were in the works are expected to help in the short term. The plan is to earn 100 billion yen or more in the next fiscal year, with the 3DS already selling at a profit he hopes to return to a pattern of "Nintendo-like profits." As far as the Wii U, the plan is to strengthen its software lineup throughout the spring and summer, with more system exclusives arriving later in the year (announced last week on Nintendo Direct). The delayed Google Street View-powered Wii Street U update is expected to arrive in mid-February, and other demonstrations are planned for GDC in March as Nintendo attempts to capitalize on an internet connection rate of 74 percent. He also referenced the planned integration of its handheld and console divisions, intended to make software and apps more portable between devices.
Can you spot Iwata in this Fruit video?
One of the mini games within Game and Wario is Fruit, a game of stealth and lying to your loved ones. Classic Nintendo. Satoru Iwata, president of Nintendo, gives the game a go in the above video, which asks, "Can you guess which character Mr. Iwata is using to steal the fruit?"
Iwata dons white gloves to unbox a Wii U for U
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata may be the best person to watch unboxing a Wii U, since he knows precisely what he's doing with each of the parts. Besides, he wears fancy white gloves that he says make him feel like Mario, and that's pretty baller (and helps avoid fingerprints on the glossy system). Be sure to heck out Joystiq's own sexy unboxing as well.
Nintendo's Iwata says Wii U's second screen was nearly scrapped due to price
The idea of a second screen experience is fairly central to the Wii U as it is today, but it looks like it could have nearly been shoved aside as just another concept. In an interview published today by The Telegraph, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said that the company "almost gave up on the idea of the additional screen" during its final discussions about the console, adding that "this was due to our concern over the expected high cost, it may not have been feasible to create this and sell it at a reasonable price point for the consumers." As Joystiq notes, that does suggest it was ultimately able to land on a "reasonable" price for the console, although we're still only hearing unofficial numbers tossed around at this point. You can find the full interview at the source link below.
Iwata throws around the idea of paid Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart DLC
Nintendo head honcho Satoru Iwata hinted at the possibility of paid DLC for two of its 3DS titles, Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7, at a recent investor meeting. Speaking in terms of hardware and software lifespans, Iwata suggested (hypothetically) Nintendo could benefit from the addition of paid DLC to both Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7:"What if we could provide add-on content through the network?" Iwata asked, positing a solution to the problem of players growing tired of the games they've purchased. "As I referred to before, for example, this is the idea of supplying new stages to Super Mario users who want to play the game more but have completed the game and lost interest in the existing stages."This will not only give us new profits but will lengthen the life of a product, in that it will never be out of fashion and can keep attracting public attention as long as many people play it." DLC functionality was added to the 3DS with the last firmware update, and will first be used in a retail title in Japan with Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy.
Nintendo: 3DS sales prove there's still room for dedicated gaming handhelds
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata believes the company has proven there's still a market for dedicated gaming handheld hardware like the 3DS. In a briefing -- which covered a lot of ground -- Iwata revealed the pictured chart above, comparing internal Nintendo weekly sales data of the Wii, DS and 3DS. The executive said the initial sales pace of the 3DS was "unsatisfactory," but the device gained momentum after the price cut and the launch of popular games like Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7 (and Monster Hunter 3 (Tri) G in Japan)."Last summer, when the sales pace of the Nintendo 3DS was slow, there were extreme remarks saying, 'With the penetration of smartphones, will there still be a market for handheld hardware?,' which was almost equal to 'Handheld hardware is not necessary anymore,'" Iwata said. "I believe we proved that such opinions are incorrect."In the end, however, Nintendo did not reach its internal sales goal for the device, despite the 3DS gaining momentum and ending the year with a respectable 15 million unit sales. Iwata says the company could not cover the lack of units sold pre-price drop, which is one of the reasons for its negatively revised financial forecasts.
Iwata: 3DS is Nintendo 'priority,' even at the sake of short-term profitability
In a recent Q&A following a semi-annual investor's meeting, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata laid out the company's plans for its slow-starting handheld, the 3DS. "We came to the conclusion that we needed to make that bold investment," Iwata explained, "instead of focusing just on this term's profitability, so that we would be able to make the Nintendo 3DS an important foundation for Nintendo for years to come." He added that the company expects the system's profitability to improve dramatically during the fiscal year ending March 2013. Iwata mentioned that, falling in line with this strategy, unspecified 3DS games were delayed from the holiday release window to prevent being overlooked due to overcrowding. The only major first-party 3DS titles scheduled for the rest of the year are Super Mario 3D Land (November 13) and Mario Kart 7 (December 4). He also discussed the company's plans to expand the eShop with an "add-on" marketplace for individual games, and the ability to access the store using PCs and Smartphones. You can read more about this initiative in our post from last week, though it lacks Iwata's almost comically tardy discovery of social networking platforms. He's kind of like your grandpa who just discovered Facebook, likes everything you post, and leaves embarrassing comments on all your pictures in all-caps.
