Ian Livingstone: Nintendo must bring its games to other platforms - Report
By
Dan Chiappini, Editor of GameSpot AU
Eidos life president says Nintendo must expand to support non-Nintendo devices; failure to do so risks being missed by an entire generation of gamers.
Nintendo needs to bring its software to non-Nintendo platforms if it wants to be seen by gamers, Eidos life president Ian Livingstone said during a Bristol Games Hub presentation, according to a report on PocketGamer.
"Nintendo should have their IP on every platform," said Livingstone. He believes that the Japanese developer must consider publishing its games on non-Nintendo devices, such as mobile phones, even if doing so comes at the cost of its ability to sell its own hardware.
Livingstone suggested that failure to make the transition to other platforms will result in missed opportunities to get key Nintendo franchises in front of gamers who don’t own the company’s handhelds and home consoles.
"Otherwise, a whole generation of young people will miss out on their games," he said.
In 2011, the Pokemon Company announced that it would be bringing its official Pokemon application to Android and Apple phones. But while many hoped that it was the first of many of Nintendo’s key mascots to make the jump to mobile devices, those hopes were dashed when Nintendo confirmed that the company would remain focused on building for its own platforms, saying that Nintendo’s strategy "hasn't changed and won't change".
In a previous interview with Japanese publication Nikkei, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said making a move to support rival devices would drastically change the fundamentals of the way the business operates.
"If we did this, Nintendo would cease to be Nintendo. Having a hardware development team in-house is a major strength. It's the duty of management to make use of those strengths," Iwata said.
By
Dan Chiappini, Editor of GameSpot AU
Raised by the warm glow of arcade machine monitors and TV screens, Dan's lifelong passion has always been games. PC, console, mobile, handheld, you name it, he'll play it. He also enjoys photography, long walks on the beach, and clichés.
306 comments
Couldn't that logic (if it can be called logic) be applied to any other company that holds exclusive IPs?
This guy is an idiot trust gamespot to publish this nonsense. all nintendo need to do is carry on as they are and keep getting games to the wii u and 3ds
Wait! Is this coming from the same creative genius that brought us the train wreck known as Deathtrap Dungeon?! LMAO!
In all seriousness, there is an underlying truth to what he's saying...do like Sega and just stick to software.
1 Like It's childish response like these from so called N-Fans that shows how come 3rd party development are weak on the Wii-U. They just sit their waiting for Mario and Zelda and just thumb their noses at 3rd party and barely support buying their games that devs wasted time investing bringing the game to the platform. Why don't these so called N-Fans put their money where their mouth is and stop being this anti-3rd party Mario fetish stereo type that your childish response show you to be.
The good news is this generation doesn't have to miss out on Nintendo exclusives...the Wii U is available everywhere.
What an asshole! Why didn't he ask the same of Microsoft and Sony? An entire generation of Nintendo fans will miss out on the next Halo or God of War entries.
2 Like "...missed opportunities to get key Nintendo franchises in front of gamers who don?t own the company?s handhelds and home consoles."
I stopped reading right there. Holy f**king shit, this man is dense. Why make Uncharted PS3 exclusive? Or Gran Turismo? What about Halo and Forza on Xbox? So that people have to BUY those systems in order to play the exclusive software! It drives sales. This is REALLY simple.
2 Like this guy is completely out of his mind, does he actually know that nintendo has made almost all they have based on selling hardware? so, pretty much he's saying "just go bankrupt for no reason nintendo it's good for you"
@Fia1 If this moron knew anything about exclusives and what they can do for sales of consoles, Eidos might be making their own console...of course it would have about 27 different Tomb Raider games as their only exclusive, but hey...why not!??!
Yeah...his credibility is out the door. Stick with what you know jerk-off. BTW...WTF kind of title is "Eidos life president"?
1 Like Put Nintendo games on other gaming platforms (PS, Xbox or any of these other ones cropping up) = Nintendo's own console (at the moment the Wii U) could suffer.
Put Nintendo games on mobile phones, tablets and other portable gaming capable devices = Nintendo's portable consoles (at the moment the 3DS) could suffer.
If the games sales can outweigh the loss from loosing the exclusivity of Nintendo's software only being on their hardware, then it would be worth it but there is no way to predict how they would do. It would be nice to see some Nintendo games on other devices (Mario sidescrollers on mobile devices doesn't sound very farfetched) but right now Nintendo is probably completely focused on developing Wii U & 3DS games and its a nice message to its fans saying that its not going to use their time and money developing games that are not designed for the hardware that their fans have invested in (unlike Dues Ex fans hearing that the next game under that name is now for iOS devices).
@Mugzippit Wii U is already suffering. IMO it is a poorly designed device using old tech. Just look at what Nintendo is doing. Instead of investing on console tech, and making money off of games, they went for the get rich quick by releasing old tech and hanging a heavy price tag knowing loyal mindless fans will buy it. But even that money train has stopped as the Wii U's inferiority is completely obvious. (nearly 400 for 32 GB glorified current gen console? umm..no) There is a battle going on, but you are not the player, you are the reward ( cattle)
@Kalbent @Mugzippit Better graphics doesn't make better games. Need proof? Journey could have been released on any of the current generation consoles, including the Wii U. The fact remains, Nintendo is simply better at crafting quality video games and more consistently than anyone else in the industry. Just because it's not cutting edge tech doesn't make the system any less relevant.
The Wii U's current problem is its software, not hardware. It didn't have Wii Sports and Twilight Princess to help it off shelves at launch.
I've no problem with Nintendo staying as console handheld developer. As much as I despised the Wii U, I can't deny that Nintendo has been an integral part of my childhood and I will always long for the retelling of Zelda, Mario and Metroid. But I will not tolerate gimmicky products purely by the Nintendo seal of approval. GET IT TOGETHER NINTENDO.
Nintendo's strength at the moment seems to be its handheld consoles, so I don't understand why they don't break into the mobile market with their own phone/console hybrid. I imagine it would be quite popular.
When it comes to home consoles, I'm not sure they will ever see the success of the original Wii again, because a lot of the casual market has moved on.
@Gallowhand Why don't they brake into a phone/handheld market? Maybe they're learning from the s-storm Microsoft has caused by breaking into the home entertainment/"console" market.
5 Like HAHAHAHAHA and NEVERMIND that those other platforms WILL NOT bring THEIR games to NINTENDO!
Well a lot of Nintendo's 1st party games are tied around a unique control system that wouldnt work with any other console.
4 Like Why is it that the people who want Nintendo to go 3rd party have no vested interest in them?
2 Like Putting Nintendo games on other platforms literally gives us no reason to own a Wii U. It would be suicide for their hardware
@The_Gaming_Baby I think he makes a good point though. It's not like their hardware is selling to begin with. You know how many people would play mario kart or smash bros on a PS4 or XboxOne?
1 Like @atlanticmoon @The_Gaming_Baby But releasing those games on another console would effectively kill their own hardware and future hardware
With as much as I would love to see this, it'll never happen for 2 reasons.
1. Nintendo is doing just fine financially despite the Wii U.
2. They're too proud(stubborn) to admit they made a mistake with the Wii U.
2 Like @WhiteStormy Actually, they have admitted their mistakes with the Wii U. So now they're trying to correct them.
2 Like "Buried in reams of financial data is the revelation that Nintendo have 812.8 billion Yen (£6.7/$10.5 billion) in the bank - enough for it to take a 20 billion Yen loss (£163/$257 million) every year until 2052. Then there's almost 469 billion Yen (£3.8/$6.0 billion) held in premises, equipment and investments. When that runs out - we're in the year 2075 by this point - they've got some of the most valuable intellectual property in gaming to sell off before the company goes out of business."
@SkamArtist See, that's just it. These other companies want a piece of Nintendo's pie, but guess what? Nintendo's not giving into them nor do they need to become "another game company". MS and Sony came AFTER the horse and will never be cutting edge in gameplay. MS and Sony are only in it for graphics and the money and now it looks like they've sold themselves into the developers (DRM, DLC, etc.).
Gameplay will always be more important to me over graphics any day.
In all honesty I wouldn't want to play Mario or Zelda on anything other than a Nintendo console, that'd just feel wrong :/
I would however LOVE for Pokemon to become available on other platforms. I'd like a 3rd person RPG but on the same levels of greatness as Skyrim, move away from cartoons and go believable. That'd be awesome.
@warhawk-geeby I like cartoons! I would never want a Zelda game to "go believable". And, I really don't care for those cinematic games on Xbox or PSx. They're too busy for my likes.
6 Like ummm..... Nintendo has been a company for like 100 years right? And I'm pretty sure in their hundred year history they have only been in the red once, and that was last year, correct? Nintendo is in no danger, is not going anywhere and is (and will be) absolutely okay. Everyone wants to downplay Nintendo, but no one seems to realize just how much money a company has after being profitable for a hundred years...
1 Like @corrus @CoricidinDXM Thank you for that graph, great graphic to illustrate what I was talking about.
3 Like @Deadly_Nemesis he's right you know, Nintendo was founded in 1889 as a card company.
2 Like @Deadly_Nemesis Nintendo started as a playing card company in 1889 under the name Nintendo Koppai.
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