pple's shaken up quite a few markets over the last few years, first with the iPhone and now with its iPad. But do manufacturers of video game hardware have any reason to be concerned? Sure, Apple's App Store has sold millions of downloads, but is that success cutting into the bottom line of a company like Nintendo?
In a recent interview with Kotaku, Reggie Fils-Aime, President of Nintendo of America argued that Apple posed absolutely no threat whatsoever to the dominance of its DS in the portable arena: "Clearly it doesn't look like their platform is a viable profit platform for game development because so many of the games are free versus paid downloads… If our games represent a range between snacks of entertainment and full meals depending on the type of game, [Apple's] aren't even a mouthful, in terms of the gaming experience you get."
Come now, Reggie — you can't tell me you're not a little bit jealous of the rather large piece of the pie Apple has taken for itself. Your company makes games for a device that accompanies me on long plane trips and holidays, whereas Apple publishes games that can quite literally follow me anywhere. Whether those games are substantial or whether they provide Apple a reasonable profit is irrelevant — overnight, Nintendo's DS has been supplanted as the premier portable platform.
Clearly, Nintendo's been a bit shaken up by the ramifications of Apple entering the gaming space. The DSiWare line is basically its own attempt at running an App store. And while the vast majority of the games available for the iPhone are complete and utter crap, the top tier of releases have taken mobile gaming to places it's never been before.
By no means am I declaring this the end of Nintendo — Pokemon and Mario should keep the company going for many years to come. There's no denying, however, that they've missed an opportunity. As much as it seemed older gamers would be taken in by titles like Brain Age, the point still stands — the DSi can't take calls.
I feel like i wasted my time reading this. really? you're comparing the DSI to the iPhone? It's an iPod touch with a phone in it somewhere. you're comparing an excessively popular touch phone with moderately clunky controls on any game or port, to a well honed and tested dual-screen system with satisfying multi-player functionality in its second generation (also i cant find one kid in my neighborhood that doesn't own one) just because they came out with DSiWare? which i'd like to add reminds me "a lot" of WiiWare. i mean... you know... the 'name'.. the 'company'. I think DSiWare... is related to WiiWare. I'm just saying. and also the uh wii shopping channel was released a long time ago. WiiWare was also released a long time ago on the same channel.
I'm giving you a chance to put this together here.
Timm,
You successfully described both platforms, however, I don't see your argument.
DSi is a gaming device. iPhone is not. You just cant seriously compare them like that or say the DSi or nintendo is doing anything similar to apple. its like saying Farmville is killing WoW.
"DSi is a gaming device. iPhone is not."
Says who?
A quick Google for "app store game revenue" yields an article that says that Apple generated $500 million in revenue last year from game sales, and that same report says that Apple now controls 5% of the portable game market. These numbers are up from $119 million and 1% in 2008. This is all running on either an iPhone or an iPod Touch.
I've paid cash money for games on the iPhone that I play every single day.
I don't understand what disqualifies the iPhone from being a gaming device at this point.
Well put Jace, and that was my point as well.
Just because the iPhone is a multiple use platform, doesn't mean its gaming component is any less legitimate.
P.S. - Farmville is killing WoW.
Sony's also jumped on the bandwagon by releasing a series of titles as "minis" which are basically like a small iPhone-app-esque game. The only real difference is they can be played either on the PSP or the PS3.
Generally when I play games I want something that will keep me occupied for at least an hour or two, not a quick five minute fix. True Apple is getting their piece of the pie with portable gaming, but I don't really see the iPhone or iPod Touch as a portable gaming system. I don't think anyone actually goes to buy an Apple device with gaming in mind.