Apple worries Nintendo on the game front
Despite statements to the contrary by the president of Nintendo, Apple is indeed a competitor to mainstream gaming devices and it may be the competitor that will hurt them the most.
Satoru Iwata, leader of Nintendo, said during an interview with the Wall Street Journal that he believes that his company and Apple address two very different markets and thus are not in competition with each other. Those comments would appear to be disingenuous at best. Although not a traditional high-end gaming device, the iPhone and iPod Touch mobile platforms appeal to a very wide demographic for a number of reasons and are taking business away from the likes of Nintendo, especially as their teenaged gaming customers slip into adult life.
Although Iwata says that any direct comparisons between Apple and Nintendo make him “uncomfortable” it is clear that, if he is uncomfortable, it is because a significant rivalry is under way between the two electronic giants. The Nintendo users that felt perfectly comfortable carrying a Nintendo portable everywhere in high school and college are much less comfortable doing so in front of their coworkers at the office. While there is not a reason to have a Nintendo in their pockets, there is every excuse to have an iPhone there.
Games on telephones are hardly a new phenomenon, but a phone that does a complex game justice is a new development. The iPhone is an excellent business tool and, oh by the way, is a pretty good gaming console too, capable of playing most of the games that are available on dedicated gaming devices. The Apple platforms won’t do for that segment of hardcore gamers that overclock their PCs to get an edge. But an iPhone will do just fine for the vast majority of casual gamers, or even the semi-serious ones. Having a phone that plays games well makes it possible to carry a single device instead of two, and to play games on that that single device in business stealth mode.
Don’t look now, Mr. Iwata, but that non-competitor is gaining on you.
Related Posts:
