Would You Buy Mobile Nintendo Games?

[Goron_3]

There's been a lot of talk about whether Nintendo should release games on mobile platforms, particularly phones and tablets. Whilst traditional games simply don't work due to the touch screen, there is huge potential for Nintendo release some cheap, fantastic software. My question is, would you buy Nintendo software for your mobile? And if so, what type of software would you want to see?

 

Here's an example..

 

 

Jungle Run is a 'runner' title, where the character runs and you simply press the screen to jump. It's a fantastic mobile title and something I always put on when I'm waiting for a bus or train. I would LOVE to see a similar Mario title.

 

Likewise, a Pokemon puzzle game (in the veins of Candy Crush) or a simple tactical game like Plants vs Zombies using a Nintendo franchise would not only provide some great, addictive gameplay but it would also sell a ton. Hell, a Wario Ware type game would be amazing.

 

I would love mobile Nintendo games, so long as they don't try to be console games with forced touch screen controls.

[Hero-of-Time]

I think games like Advance Wars and Fire Emblem could easily work on the platform as well.

 

Would I buy Nintendo games on a mobile? Probably not as I'm not a mobile phone/iPad gamer.

[Serebii]

Hells no.

 

Smartphone gaming is so shallow and inaccurate.

[Sheikah]

Maybe if they released a cheap compatible controller for iOS/Android then it would overcome the control issues. That way they'd have popular software on popular hardware.

[Serebii]

Maybe if they released a cheap compatible controller for iOS/Android then it would overcome the control issues. That way they'd have popular software on popular hardware.

You mean like their software on the 3DS?

[Sheikah]

You mean like their software on the 3DS?

 

Nah, 3DS is going downhill now, we can all see it happening. It's all about mobile now, the 3DS will never do what the DS did, nor will the next handheld.

 

They also can't justify the £30-35 price tag, a lot of people just don't want to pay that much for handheld content.

[Hero-of-Time]

Hells no.

 

Smartphone gaming is so shallow and inaccurate.

 

 

 

[Serebii]

Nah, 3DS is going downhill now, we can all see it happening. It's all about mobile now, the 3DS will never do what the DS did, nor will the next handheld.

 

They also can't justify the £30-35 price tag, a lot of people just don't want to pay that much for handheld content.

3DS sales are slowing, yes. However, that does not mean it is not a popular console or that their games are not popular.

 

Why is it that it can only be seen as "popular" or a "success" if it passes the DS, which had the most anomalous sales of a device. Things can be a success and popular without breaking sales records, you know.

 

 

 

Link Battle isn't shallow and Dash is just bad :p

[Sheikah]

3DS sales are slowing, yes. However, that does not mean it is not a popular console or that their games are not popular.

 

Why is it that it can only be seen as "popular" or a "success" if it passes the DS, which had the most anomalous sales of a device. Things can be a success and popular without breaking sales records, you know.

 

Their home console is going to shit, so they need their handheld to make lots of money. Going with mobile is an obvious choice, since nearly everyone has a mobile, and app gaming is so very popular.

 

I prefer their handhelds to mobile games but I'm super disappointed with the 3DS. Crappy resolution, uncomfortable shape and lack of proper analogue sticks. If/when they do another handheld I want it to actually be somewhat impressive and not feel like a relic from a bygone era.

[Goron_3]

Hells no.

 

Smartphone gaming is so shallow and inaccurate.

 

Yeah because Nintendogs and Brain Training were deep as hell.

 

If you read my initial post, I'm not suggesting ports of games like Super Mario World, which would have inaccurate controls, but runner titles, which would be perfect for a bus journey.

[Dcubed]

Of course not! The idea is abhorrent!

 

Mobile gaming is a fucking cancer that poisons everything it touches (and even many things it doesn't!)

 

The current form of mobile gaming is the worst thing to ever happen to the industry. Every single facet of its design is actively destructive to all aspects of game design (be it controls, F2P scam mechanics, skinner boxing, or the race-to-the-bottom quality of even paid apps). It has done nothing good for anyone outside of the select few who get lucky enough to win the lottery with their glorified slot machine games. Not only that, but these scam games are also actively dangerous as they prey on the vulnerabilities of people who are easily addicted to gambling techniques.

 

It has systematically destroyed almost the entire 3rd party Japanese gaming industry and it is quickly starting to devour the western industry too!

 

It is something that must be stopped! Not embraced!!! We should be fighting to see it regulated to oblivion by external authorities and governments around the world, before it destroys more lives of the vulnerable people (AKA "whales") that these "games" prey upon

Edited August 5, 2014 by Dcubed

[-Dem0-]

Nah, it's not for me, I'll just stick to my handhelds.

[Cube]

The current form of mobile gaming is the worst thing to ever happen to the industry. Every single facet of its design is actively destructive to all aspects of game design (be it controls, F2P scam mechanics, skinner boxing, or the race-to-the-bottom quality of even paid apps).

 

But there are games (like the aforementioned Rayman Jungle Run) which don't do with the microtransaction thing and develop the games to work with the games.

 

Regulations aren't going to do anything for mobile gaming. What will help is developers making decent games for the platform. Nintendo could make lots of games suited for mobile devices, with the aim of getting them to buy the proper games on Nintendo platforms.

[Dcubed]

But there are games (like the aforementioned Rayman Jungle Run) which don't do with the microtransaction thing and develop the games to work with the games.

 

Regulations aren't going to do anything for mobile gaming. What will help is developers making decent games for the platform. Nintendo could make lots of games suited for mobile devices, with the aim of getting them to buy the proper games on Nintendo platforms.

 

Even those games that don't abuse microtransactions like Rayman Jungle Run are compromised by the platform they're on (yes it was well designed around te control limitations, but it would still be better served on a platform like the 3DS or Vita)

 

There isn't a single mobile game out there that wouldn't be a better experience on a dedicated gaming platform. Not one.

[Sheikah]

Even those games that don't abuse microtransactions like Rayman Jungle Run are compromised by the platform they're on (yes it was well designed around te control limitations, but it would still be better served on a platform like the 3DS or Vita)

Actually it wouldn't. The fact you're constantly running makes the game challenging, so you don't need a control stick for it. With that out the way, the smaller, higher res device that everyone already owns makes it the champ for playing this kind of game.

 

There isn't a single mobile game out there that wouldn't be a better experience on a dedicated gaming platform. Not one.

 

Rayman Jungle Run. :p

[Serebii]

Even those games that don't abuse microtransactions like Rayman Jungle Run are compromised by the platform they're on (yes it was well designed around te control limitations, but it would still be better served on a platform like the 3DS or Vita)

 

There isn't a single mobile game out there that wouldn't be a better experience on a dedicated gaming platform. Not one.

Wasn't it confirmed that like 0.5% of the games on the App Store make like 80% of the money.

 

The mobile market is horrific. It is very hard for games to succeed in it. People just look at the handful of successes and think "oh look, there's money there", but unless you either abuse in app purchases (which EU legislation is working to stop) or strike it unbelievably lucky, you'll fail.

 

Look at games like Gunman Clive. That did better on the 3DS than on iOS and Android combined.

 

Also, let's do a wee bit of calculation, shall we.

 

Pokémon X & Y. Sold 12 million units in its first 8 months on sale (on a supposedly unpopular console). Assume $40 per game (yeah exchange rates mean different, but for the sake of argument, let's go with this. In just 8 months on sale, it earned $508 million in revenue.

Now, let's say Nintendo release a Pokémon game on iOS (lol, so many things wrong with that but I'm hypothesising to make a point). Masuda and Nintendo in general are against IAP, especially Masuda, so they won't exist. To compete with other games, it'd have to be at a low price. $5 is a bit too high for games to be a success, so $1 would be the price. In order to achieve the same revenue, they'd have to sell 508 million copies. That's twice the amount of Pokémon games, including spin-offs, have sold since the release of Pokémon in 1996.

 

Nintendo can make money on iOS/Android in the short term. Nobody is disputing that. However, the damage it would make to their entire business would be catastrophic. It would stop people wanting to get their hardware. It would devalue the brands "Why would I spent £20-£50 on a new <InsertFranchise>. I have an iOS game of them here for £0.69". It wouldn't lure people to their hardware, it would damage it.

 

The mobile industry is a cancer at the moment. It is fundamentally destroying perceived value in games. When I revealed Pokémon Battle Trozei and Pokémon Art Academy to people on my site's Facebook, there were posts saying "It should be free". FREE for crying out loud. The sooner this smartphone gaming bubble bursts, like all others before it, the better else the industry IS going to crash and very few will survive it.

Edited August 5, 2014 by Serebii

[liger05]

Maybe if they released a cheap compatible controller for iOS/Android then it would overcome the control issues. That way they'd have popular software on popular hardware.

 

People do not but those controllers. If people want a controller to play games they just get a Vita or 3DS. The vast majority of people that play games on mobile are more than happy with touch controls and have no desire to carry a controller with them as well.

 

Nah, 3DS is going downhill now, we can all see it happening. It's all about mobile now, the 3DS will never do what the DS did, nor will the next handheld.

 

They also can't justify the £30-35 price tag, a lot of people just don't want to pay that much for handheld content.

 

The DS shouldn't be used a barometer for success. The 3DS was never going to achieve what the DS did but even still I don't think the 3DS will sell 70 mil and its main issue as you pointed out is software sales. They are lower than expected and an attachment rate of 3.9 isn't high enough.

 

Now on the flipside I would say mobile gaming is market which in a way is a race to the bottom. If Nintendo loaded up games for 99p - £1.99 I'm sure they would sell plenty however as many publishers are finding out its when you try and sell more premium stuff where an issue arises.

 

People are so used to getting games for free or less than £2 that if a publisher releases a game at say £7.99+ people think its too expensive and reluctant to pay.

 

Its a real problem which the market has created itself with the race to the bottom and I don't see how they can reverse it now.

 

To compete with other games, it'd have to be at a low price. $5 is a bit too high for games to be a success, so $1 would be the price. In order to achieve the same revenue, they'd have to sell 508 million copies. That's twice the amount of Pokémon games, including spin-offs, have sold since the release of Pokémon in 1996.

 

Your missing the 30% Apple take so they would have to sell even more.

[Sheikah]

Wasn't it confirmed that like 0.5% of the games on the App Store make like 80% of the money.

 

Actually the statistic is that 80% of app store revenue is made from 20% of developers. Which isn't a shocking statistic at all, when you factor in all the free app and novice developers.

 

They could easily make beast amounts of sales by selling to the mobile market.

[Serebii]

Actually the statistic is that 80% of app store revenue is made from 20% of developers. Which isn't a shocking statistic at all, when you factor in all the free app and novice developers.

 

They could easily make beast amounts of sales by selling to the mobile market.

The market is so diluted. Do you know how hard it is to stand out in the app store? It's nigh on impossible. It relies solely on human word of mouth or throwing tonnes of money at Apple

[liger05]

Actually the statistic is that 80% of app store revenue is made from 20% of developers. Which isn't a shocking statistic at all, when you factor in all the free app and novice developers.

 

They could easily make beast amounts of sales by selling to the mobile market.

 

Not without killing there handheld hardware business. I don think Nintendo could put one foot in while hoping to maintain a profitable handheld business Its either all or nothing.

[Cube]

@Serebii, you're looking at is as if Nintendo released full games on mobile platforms.

 

The point of them would be to use them to market their actual games.

[Sheikah]

Not without killing there handheld hardware business. I don think Nintendo could put one foot in while hoping to maintain a profitable handheld business Its either all or nothing.

 

The ideal outcome would be for Nintendo's handheld consoles to still sell in large volume and continue to have their mainstay series released on them. At the same time, they could release games that don't clash too much with their handheld content, such as a game with a Jungle Run style focus.

 

Of course, if handhelds fall out of fashion outside of Japan in future generations then they might need to reassess.

[Serebii]

@Serebii, you're looking at is as if Nintendo released full games on mobile platforms.

 

The point of them would be to use them to market their actual games.

Still wouldn't work. It would still devalue the public perception of value for their titles. It would not drive sales.

[Sheikah]

The market is so diluted. Do you know how hard it is to stand out in the app store? It's nigh on impossible.

 

Not if you're Nintendo selling a game with a mascot that is possibly the most famous video game character in the world.

[Goron_3]

Wasn't it confirmed that like 0.5% of the games on the App Store make like 80% of the money.

 

The mobile market is horrific. It is very hard for games to succeed in it. People just look at the handful of successes and think "oh look, there's money there", but unless you either abuse in app purchases (which EU legislation is working to stop) or strike it unbelievably lucky, you'll fail.

 

Look at games like Gunman Clive. That did better on the 3DS than on iOS and Android combined.

 

Also, let's do a wee bit of calculation, shall we.

 

Pokémon X & Y. Sold 12 million units in its first 8 months on sale (on a supposedly unpopular console). Assume $40 per game (yeah exchange rates mean different, but for the sake of argument, let's go with this. In just 8 months on sale, it earned $508 million in revenue.

Now, let's say Nintendo release a Pokémon game on iOS (lol, so many things wrong with that but I'm hypothesising to make a point). Masuda and Nintendo in general are against IAP, especially Masuda, so they won't exist. To compete with other games, it'd have to be at a low price. $5 is a bit too high for games to be a success, so $1 would be the price. In order to achieve the same revenue, they'd have to sell 508 million copies. That's twice the amount of Pokémon games, including spin-offs, have sold since the release of Pokémon in 1996.

 

Nintendo can make money on iOS/Android in the short term. Nobody is disputing that. However, the damage it would make to their entire business would be catastrophic. It would stop people wanting to get their hardware. It would devalue the brands "Why would I spent £20-£50 on a new <InsertFranchise>. I have an iOS game of them here for £0.69". It wouldn't lure people to their hardware, it would damage it.

 

The mobile industry is a cancer at the moment. It is fundamentally destroying perceived value in games. When I revealed Pokémon Battle Trozei and Pokémon Art Academy to people on my site's Facebook, there were posts saying "It should be free". FREE for crying out loud. The sooner this smartphone gaming bubble bursts, like all others before it, the better else the industry IS going to crash and very few will survive it.

 

Can you please READ THE ORIGINAL post instead of just making up a discussion. We are not discussing them releasing full games on mobile platforms. You are the ONLY one suggesting that. You're having a conversation with yourself instead of actually reading what the thread is about.