Report: Nintendo to distribute demos on mobile devices
"The reasoning here is to give smartphone--only players a taste of the experience without making the actual game available on non-Nintendo devices and convert these users into Nintendo customers."
The Nikkei reports that Nintendo plans on marketing its console games through smartphone and mobile apps. Through the initiative, information about new game releases can be distributed via video and through "mini games." In many ways, it sounds like Nintendo wants to make its Nintendo Zone app available on non-Nintendo devices.
This strategy is unsurprising, especially as Nintendo's Satoru Iwata has already gone on record saying they will pursue the mobile market in some way. However, given the company's ill fortunes, that push may happen sooner rather than later. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Nikkei report translated by Serkan Toto is that the demos may give a small experience of games that can only be purchased on Nintendo hardware. "The reasoning here is to give smartphone--only players a taste of the experience without making the actual game available on non-Nintendo devices and convert these users into Nintendo customers."
More details on Nintendo's future should emerge later this week, after the company holds a briefing on Thursday.
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replyAndrew Yoon posted a new article, Report: Nintendo to distribute demos on mobile devices.
"The reasoning here is to give smartphone--only players a taste of the experience without making the actual game available on non-Nintendo devices and convert these users into Nintendo customers."-
it's just like F2P except at the end instead of spending $1 impulsively you have to go to another store and spend $200.
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Curious to see what this ends up looking like. Big difference between actual demos and promotional minigames.
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Also windwaker and new metroid
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I really, really hope they don't start to make games on mobile phones.
The only things you need on Android and iOS from Nintendo is Nintendo Zone/Nintendo Video, Nintendo eShop for remote purchasing 3DS and Wii U games and a Miiverse app. There is no need for some demo capabilities.
What they need to do is push marketing to more sensible direction with the Wii U and make more tv and other media ads. They need to hit it big this summer at E3, no more just making announcements in Nintendo Direct by web during E3.
Lots of great games already released and lots of extremely promising games coming up this year. NIntendo, make use of it. You got a great system, but you have no idea how to market it.
ZombiU, Rayman Legends and The Wonderful 101 are three examples that deserve to sell over million, but none have. Granted two of those are Ubisoft's games and they themselves messed up especially with the Rayman Legends debacle.
But The Wonderful 101 was produced by Nintendo and they did ZERO marketing. I saw no ads for it, no marketing push. How do you expect a game to perform in the market when nobody knows about it? Also the return of Pikmin in Pikmin 3 should've been pushed a lot harder.-
I really, really hope they do.
I cannot justify buying a 3DS or Wii U for myself, but I already have an Android phone that's capable of running DS and older games. Bluetooth + PS3 controller and I'll have a great gaming device.
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What? This is their big strategy to save the company? lol
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Marketing strategies are not what will save their lagging console business.
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Sounds like to little to late
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Here, play this demo of a game for free! Want to buy it? You'll need to shell out $129-$299 for either a 2Ds->Wii U and then buy the game.
I get what they're trying to do, but I think most will just move along after the free demo. :( Some might go for an insta-purchase (should one be made available) for a small fee afterwards (like they're used to on those systems). It's a hard nut to crack. The whole point of iOS/Android games is that you already have the hardware and the cost is little compared to traditional console games. Here, you're giving them a free taste, but the buy-in price is exceedingly high. I hope it goes well for them. I'm just not convinced it will. The other side is that people may just wait for what they think would be an eventual release on their phone/tablet. -
ideally the game demo ends suddenly and fades to text that says "We could have made this game for your iPhone... but we didn't" and then Ganon starts cackling
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"Nikkei's article contains information previously stated by Mr Iwata during past press conferences, including statements which relate to Nintendo's willingness to make use of smart devices to promote our products.
However during such past announcements Mr Iwata has also stated that Nintendo's intention is not to make Nintendo software available on smart devices and as such, we can confirm that there are no plans to offer minigames on smartphone devices. "
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/01/28/nintendo-denies-smartphone-games/
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They will fall forever unless they embrace mobile devices. No amount of marketing will solve this.
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actually the 3ds is mobile
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if only they had a mobile gaming platform...
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