iPhones and similar devices are like electronic Swiss Army knives: They can transform themselves into an amazing variety of tools. They can replace clocks, music players, televisions, radios, carpentry levels and cameras.
What they can’t replace—so far—is a great portable game player.
iPhone excels at puzzle games, word games and novelties. There are a handful of passable RPGs and strategy games. And Skee Ball.
Most titles attempting fuller gameplay are doomed by uncomfortable controls. Screen-tilting and finger-swiping will never be a great way to control a racer. Street Fighter 4 looks amazing, but who wants to play with their thumbs covering the art?
Recently, a game called Infinity Blade looked like it could be iPhone’s killer game app, featuring astounding graphics and smart use of the touch screen. When you actually play the thing, though, you discover its visuals come at a price: The game offers limited character control on a quest that’s about 2 inches deep. The swordfights are fun, but it’s basically a medieval version of Punch-Out! minus any hint of personality, emotion or charm.
I’m keeping Scrabble. And Skee Ball. And Infinity Blade, because it’s entertaining enough for brief sessions of great scenery.
But now I turn my attention to Nintendo’s next handheld, eager for a system with an identity, a heritage, and a new home for a stable of likeable and welcome characters.
On iPhone, you won’t find a mascot or anything approaching video game star status. Seriously, the Angry Birds are as close as it gets…at least, so far. The App Store features dozens of quality games for quick play sessions, but none that create any sense of emotional involvement.
The 3D-with-no-glasses innovation is exactly the right move for Nintendo’s new handheld. Whether or not 3D becomes an enduring element, the feature will reach beyond Nintendo fans to attract more of the casual crowd–Folks merely looking to show off their new gadget at the office water cooler. A percentage of those trend-riders will discover how much fun a quality Nintendo title can be.
The characters are the factor that will hold those new fans and remind returning players why Nintendo remains so memorable. These games are all about the quirky charms, humor and great design of the Mushroom Kingdom, Hyrule and Wuhu Island.
Plus, it’s a comfortable game system designed for one main purpose: Play.
Unless Apple announces a 3D iPhone before March, Nintendo doesn’t have to worry about 2011. The market is changing, and only time will tell what our favorite game company will face after that. But they’ve got a library of unforgettable personalities and an emotional link to their fans that no other corporation in the game industry can approach.
And they’ve got Shigeru Miyamoto. I hope he never retires.
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I still worry about price. Even if Nintendo comes in at $250 the DS is no longer keeps such an enormous value difference compared with the iPod or PSP2(assuming Sony doesn’t price it at $500 lol). I see no reason why it won’t sell boat loads but when the price difference narrows there will be a lot stronger competition. I agree that software is what will drive a single use device (and maybe 3D movies too) but I see far more people willing to carry a iPod or iPhone or Android device everywhere they go vs. a 3DS.
I think mainly I’m bitter that Nintendo is going to price it past my price threshold for a handheld. I’m not ready to spend as much on a handheld system as I am a console. Oh well, I guess complaining about prices comes with old age.
I completely disagree.
Iphone has a set of amazing games that come from multiple developers across the globe. Nintendo’s only “good” games come from Nintendo only. As usual nintendo has what? 3 “characters” ? that make up most of their games. Mario, Link, and Samus. And how many times will they remake the same games over and over and over again.
Infinity Blade looks and plays awesome. And the one thing it has over most nintendo games is replayability. You can continue to upgrade your armor, get new weapons. fight new bosses. all with free upgrades!!! I’ve played over 15 bloodlines and still seeing new bad guys.
Every Top 10 game that Infendo has posted this year, is a remake or a sequel of an older game.
I don’t know about you, but I’m bored of Kirby and the Amazing flying Dingleberry. And Metroid 5000.
Good luck with your Everyones Already Over it 3D technology. They are already throwing those tvs in the trash.
The only way I would even think about buying a 3DS is if they came out with new refreshing characters, new ideas. A completely new set of games. Remember when Pikmin came out how awesome that game was? I loved that game.
Nintendo may only have “3″ characters but each time they release one of those games they sell in the millions. Every time I look at a chart of the best selling games (consoles and traditional handhelds) of all time it’s always amazing to see that Nintendo has almost all of the top 25.
Steve–
Don’t get me wrong, iPhone excels at certain types of games…just not anything with memorable characters that give the platform an identity. It probably doesn’t need that kind of identity, but that will be Nintendo’s biggest advantage going forward–That and continuing innovation for exciting ways to utilize those characters and new characters.
3D on the new device will be a great attention grabber for the debut weeks and attract the curious. You know why no one cares about 3D TV? Glasses.
And, like I said, Infinity Blade’s fun and looks amazing…But it is, basically, Punch-Out! without the humor and character. It’s hard to care about a faceless suit of armor…that’s why I’m keeping the Holiday Helm: Now I can root for Tin Santa.
I realize that it’s a work in progress, and updates could change everything. I think the game’s biggest triumph is in creating a touch screen swordplay system that’s actually fun.
steve,
Pikmin is a great example of exactly why Nintendo doesn’t stray much from their established franchises. They took a risk, created something new and different, and it did not sell that well. Meanwhile, New Super Mario Bros, a sequel to one of the longest running series ever, breaks sales records.
I’d love to see some quality new series and characters as much as the next fan, but think of it from Nintendo’s perspective. They know that Mario, DK, Metroid, Kirby, and Zelda will always get the fans to throw bags of money in their direction. And since the Wii has comfortably dominated everyone this generation, they have very little incentive to do otherwise.
Actually, they did innovate more this generation than probably any others. See Wii Sports, Wii Fit, etc. Those games did not rely on Mario star power to sell.
Also, all the skeptics said that motion controls were going to be a useless gimmick on the Wii that wouldn’t sell systems. Now everyone is saying the same about 3D for their next handheld. Time will tell. 3D has not achieved more widespread market acceptance in people’s living rooms the way Blu-Ray and HDTVs have, but I think people would be more willing to shell out a couple hundred bucks for a glasses-free 3D experience than a few thousand for a 3D TV that requires you to wear glasses to watch the small collection of crappy 3D movies out there.
I honestly wish Nintendo good luck.
Infendo please stop bashing the iPhone and iPod touch. All the touch blogs I read never mention you because its not their job to make fun of other systems. Even though its over selling you by a landslide. They keep to themselves.
Have some respect and do the same.
LOL “stop bashing iPhone.”
If we’re going to talk about simple numbers, then iPhone is getting absolutely CRUSHED by Facebook users. They play games too, and they’re pretty deep (and free as well.) And Facebook has what… 400 million subscribers? Makes iPhone look limp and flaccid by comparison.
I mean, really, what’s your counter argument to this onslaught of Facebook users?
And your concern about new IP is well taken into consideration, as Nintendo is relaunching Kid Icarus after more than two decades of dormancy, and introducing Steel Diver. But I wonder if your concern over new IPs is even grounded in reality as the DS has been host to a SLEW of new IPs directly from Nintendo, Like Hotel Dusk and Rhythm Heaven. Sure, Mario may sell the big time, but that doesn’t mean Nintendo isn’t trying new things. To criticize harshly their use of recognizable faces is really specious and smacks a bit of sour grapes. Sure Angry Birds may have been downloaded 10 million times on iPhone, but only at $1 apiece. With Apple taking 30%. Meanwhile, New Super Mario Bros. is STILL selling at $30 a pop, for almost 20 million units. iPhone users may download a game here or there, but it’s hardly a market worth considering.
Also, talking about Infinity Blade hurts your IP argument. Nobody would give two craps about that game if Epic wasn’t involved. And their first update? Having the GLORIOUS option of purchasing in-game money with real world money. What a bright future for handhelds if that becomes the norm.
Another advantage for Nintendo is that Nintendo can deliver GAMERS to developers (which the DS has almost all of them supported, which you’d have to be on drugs to say this isn’t the case. Which you did.) Apple can only deliver general users who have their time on the iPhone being fought over by movies, iPod, using the phone function, using random apps, texting, Facebook, etc.
Also, it’s best not to mention the iOS userbase too much, most of the new exciting games are incompatible with earlier iPhones, (like Infinity Blade) and when iPhones run in excess of $500 along with 2 year cellphone contracts, suddenly that “price issue” with Nintendo just seems to disappear.
Buttons also help 3DS get more robust gaming experiences, which is something Apple might want to look into before all their best games have their users just thump and swipe the screen.
I’m not sure how a critical analysis of the pros/cons of the iOS devices vs Nintendo’s handheld offerings can be construed as “bashing the iPod/iPhone”. We’re not sitting here saying the iPod completely sucks and shouldn’t be taken seriously by anyone. We just don’t necessarily buy Steve Jobs’ PR arrogant-sounding PR line about how the iPod is the best selling game device of all time. Pretty lofty claim for a device that isn’t even a dedicated game player. Besides, this is a Nintendo blog… if Apple diehards want to read endless glazed-over praise of iOS products I’m sure there are countless sites out there which will provide them with that.
I explored the details of what this claim really means in an earlier article, and as I tried to demonstrate, just because a company tries to spin the statistics to make themselves look like the winner doesn’t mean they’re actually making more money or even more “mindshare” than their competitors.
You’re right, Richard. Unless iPhone developers start making emotionally charged games, they’ll remain fleeting diversions (they’re business model afterall). Character is the best thing Nintendo has going for it, although admittedly they’re not the only game developers heavy on character. Certainly one of the most prolific though.
all you guys are way too hard and critical of ipod, phone games. if we’re talking about memorable, transcendant characters, then we should also talk about sony, and MS as well. characters for MS that are noteworthy, number in the ones, that is master chief. for sony, they number in 2, namely kratos, and some characters from little big planet i guess. if we’re talking about mainstream mascots, nintendo has 3. so let’s see, nintendo’s been in the game business for 30 years or so, and have had plenty of time to develop their IP’s. mario wasn’t even that big until super mario bros. he was out in the arcades in donkey kong years before, and mario bros, but didn’t get his cult status following at first until the home console game outing, which broke him out. and sony and MS have been around more than 10 years each, sony a little longer, and how many transcendent mascots do they have? bottom line is, apple is just starting to put some muscle and $$$ into their gaming division, give them time to develop their own exclusive AAA IP’s. i know everyone is a little threatened by mobile gaming vs the old traditional handheld. but seriously how is this much different than when nintendo introduced motion controls? everyone is afraid of change; but it is inevitable. same could be said of stylus controls, and etc. some one here mentioned about the 3D fad. well its gonna be quite a fad because there are already phones in japan that have glassless 3D, and the games for them. 3DS will not be the first to market. nintendo isn’t stupid. they said themselves that they anticipate the future fight with apple, and not sony. so do you not believe nintendo knows this market? why do you think sony themselves are releasing a psp phone in the vein of iphone and droid? they think that is the future of handheld gaming. of course all of us want nintendo to win, and continue handhelds as we know them currently. but i wouldn’t be so absolutely sure about this win with the way things are going. so if mainstream smart phones start going to market soon with 3D built in, how is nintendo going to differentiate itself…..oh right, the exclusive IP. so what then, after 5 years, apple now has this transcendant character that everyone wants to play? what then?
@go getter
why is facebook only an apple competitor? by your logic, nintendo should worry about them too. isn’t that right?
ac it’s really hard to decipher that text block. Make paragraphs next time. (Here I thought Apple users were way more educated.)
As for your poor gaming history, Sony and MS have been in games for quite a while longer than you think, Sony as Sony Imagesoft and Microsoft was in PC games. They made crap, mostly (except MS and Flight Simulator)
Sony does have a few recognizable faces, but they aren’t even in the same league as Nintendo’s. Not even close. Just New Super Mario Brothers on DS has sold more than 3 times the entire God of War series combined. What the post is really about is that a whole mess load of people will go and buy Mario. At $35 a pop. This is insane revenue generated compared to Apple’s revenues. Apple bragged that they’ve made $1 billion so far in app sales. That sounds impressive, but Nintendo, just themselves, generates $13 billion+ every year. Some of their games have sold so much that they’ve almost made as much as Apple has. Like Mario Kart. Let that sink in. Mario Kart DS has made as much money as every single app ever, combined. Including the much downloaded Angry Birds.
Apple doesn’t have any AAA IPs yet, like you said, but I also suspect that they lack the talent and the drive to make any. They’re already quote a bit in royalties from third parties. If they started to make games themselves, they’d lose the only advantage they have with third parties over Nintendo (That they DON’T have mega-popular IPs to take away from their sales.)
Citing Nintendo’s introduction of motion controls as some sort of parallel is weak. Apple’s only being pumped up because Sony looks weak and they need a competitor to do the whole “Is Nintendo’s empire in Jeopardy?” stock narrative Trust me, Apple would be on NO ONE’s mind if Sony didn’t bone the PSP so badly in its later years.
Reading your post is giving me a headache. Organize it better next time.
BTW, Facebook is more of a competitor to Apple because they now specialize in the same type of junky, quicky, casual flash games that Apple does. And they don’t charge a penny and have 4 times the userbase Apple spins out every now and then. Apple has to worry about Facebook stealing their shitty game thunder. Heck the most downloaded app on iPhone is Facebook. Talk about being in bed with the enemy.
Steve and ac–
As Chelsea said, we are not bashing the iPhone. I love my iPhone. I’m just pointing out Nintendo’s biggest strength in competing against that platform. To date, iPhone games have not produced any significant or memorable characters. This could change at any time: Who knows what could hit the App Store next week? As we head into 2011, Nintendo’s stable of characters and properties is its biggest strength. It gives Nintendo an identity.
Control is the other advantage. Would you rather play Street Fighter 4 with physical buttons or with your thumbs covering up the characters? Developers are already working on games that use the iPhone touch controls to best advantage. I didn’t care for Chaos Ring, but I liked Square’s solution to the joystick problem. And, as I said, Infinity Blade really found a way to make touch screen sword controls work.
The future’s full of change. All it takes is one amazing iPhone game with an unforgettable character to alter the picture. But that hasn’t happened yet. Right now, at the end of 2010, no one can touch Nintendo’s character lineup, and they have a chance to really play that up to their advantage.
Again: Not…bashing…iPhone!
@ go getter
so your biggest comback is that i didn’t format my comment. wow, i didn’t see anything in your response that was even worth responding to. and for your information, i’m the biggest nintendo fanboy out there, most likely more so than you. i am rooting for nintendo. but i just don’t see how this whole smartphone gaming thing gets smaller rather than bigger. it is definitely going to be a problem in the not so distant future. i never said MS or sony had bigger IP. i was just pointing out that fact that they’ve been on the gaming development scene for awhile, with few transcendent characters or IP. it takes time to get those, and my point was apple needs time. your point about facebook being apple’s problem only. nothing you said convinced me it is an apple only problem. your argument was brief and poor at best. facebook consuming people’s time affects nintendo and every other gaming company out there on the planet.
@ richard
i never said you were bashing iphone. i just said they need the time that all other gaming companies need to develop IP. it didn’t happen overnight for nintendo either.
No, my biggest “comeback” is that your comment is disorganized and hard to read. This made it a chore to go through it all (which I did, despite you being disrespectful and not returning the favor even though my post isn’t a giant block of text.)
You are the biggest “Nintendo fanboy” out there? You are “rooting for Nintendo?” That’s just irrelevant, period. Why do you and the other Apple booster feel the need to keep saying this, despite it being irrelevant? (Hint: it has something to do with wanting your opinion to seem more strong instead of simply having a sound argument.)
The thing you don’t realize is we’ve had this sort of talk before around 1999 where everybody expected mobile games to just explode and destroy handhelds. And the reasons were pretty much the same too (lots of people have cellphones, microtransactions, etc.) The problem was then as it is now. The devices are not primarily game machines, so people don’t use them as such. This means that any game has to be competing with all the devices other functions, all the time. This is bad news for developers as they’ll have to contend that the game that they spent so long developing was beaten out by iFart.
Nintendo may dominate their own platforms (which is almost all third parties’ fault, but that’s another post) but at least the people who own DSs and 3DSs will be gamers first. This makes for a better MARKET than just random people who own iPhones.
About Facebook needing to be an “Apple only” problem… Huh? Why does it have to be Apple only? What relevancy is this? Why does Nintendo HAVE to be the loser in a discussion between Apple and Facebook? BTW, There IS a reason both you and steve don’t want to answer this question. It’s because the only argument you can make for Apple is that the games are better and more “deep”, and thus you would have fallen into the same “elitism” that you accuse the 3DS boosters of.
Thing is Game Markets have to be based on the desire of customers to pay money for something. Remember that almost all games available on the internet are free (even if they appear on iPhone for $1) yet nobody is saying web-games are “replacing” the video games industry or anything. It doesn’t matter if there are only 80 million 3DSs sold in the next 5 years. That 80 million stands as a much better opportunity than 200 million smartphones, because every single one of those 80 million 3DS owners will be a gamer who’s willing to lay $35 down on some video game entertainment, at least once. That is $2 billion in revenue (which BTW, is twice what every single app ever made has generated, according to Apple) that Nintendo can guarantee, day one.
I’d like to think Apple has some strong AAA titles waiting in the wings, but I’m afraid that they just haven’t appeared yet. Sure it doesn’t happen “overnight” but it doesn’t happen “eventually” either. It may be the case that Apple themselves never get a truly transcendent game series that makes its mark, either due to a lack of talent or lack of drive. Apple may be a good publisher, but they just don’t seem to have any passion for the industry, despite claiming to be the leader of it.
i agree with this article , although some mobile games can be fun and other have awsome grapichs they still lack depth and most genres dont work very well or dont work at all with only touch controls.
you dont have to convince me to get a 3ds , its nintendo product .
It’s… unsettling to see several witless, hateful comments on a blog dedicated to Nintendo. Point in case, the comments of “Steve”. If the likes of “go-getter” weren’t around, I would’ve had to spend a lot of my time to explain just how silly those comments were.
As for the blog post, though, well done.
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