Has it really come to this? According to Kyodo News, sources say that the Kyoto-based game maker is trying to modify its game hardware so it can run smartphone apps.
“The game console and software maker has offered professional-use conversion software to application developers so they can produce smartphone games that can be played on Wii U,” Kyodo reports.
Nintendo is hoping that smartphone games will, thus, boast console sales. The sources also added that Nintendo will “focus” on creating its own new software.
This comes as Nintendo’s newest console, the Wii U, continues to struggle and face criticism that it lacks games. From this year’s release schedule, it sure seems like it does.
Nintendo taps smartphone apps for console boost [The Japan Times]
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10 responses to “Rumour: Nintendo Wants To Modify The Wii U To Run Smartphone Apps”
I would love to see mobile sized games based on Ninty’s IP but that won’t happen.
Be interesting to see how this progresses, especially once sales kick into gear with Mario Kart, Maio, Pikmin 3, Zelda etc later this year. And whatever Retro is working on!
Nintendo.. welcome to the current gen!!!.. Ohhhh. Well nice try.
Not trying to start anything and i will always say that Ninty is a seriously good innovator on the hardware side of things but has done very little to capitalise on the Wii’s success and even less in even catching up with the current gen at the exact point where they are superseded.
Perhaps I should be looking at this another way. Ninty have not actually been a competitor of the big 2 for their last 2 consoles now. Their strategy is differentiation and perhaps this is a market segment that is currently getting no love. There are many ‘non gamers’ or ‘casual games’ that were caught up in the Wii craze so maybe this is the thing that gets the WiiU back in their hands. Just a shame because I was really looking forward to 3 big players but it seems that it will actually be Sony and M$ (and hopefully steam) to fight it out.
I’m giving them till the end of the year. They seem to be setting up to battle it out this coming Xmas. True – things aren’t looking the best at the moment but I suspect a price drop plus big games may change things. The question is… will a Mario or rare game be a system seller? Can ninty rely on its IP to save it again?
Rare was bought by Microsoft about 10 years ago, if thats what you mean…. i don’t think they are coming to save the day this decade.
Sorry retro. Though Banjo would be welcome. 😀
As long as Nintendo don’t license out their characters (again). Other reports claim that it is specifically iOS games that they are offering conversion tools for.
Time for a new CEO Nintendo. You guys are drunk.
Parents are buying their kids ipads, not wii U’s. As a parent I dont see alot of educational stuff on nintendo platforms and thats important to me as well as cool games, as the fat controller.
Nintendo should have built an android based gaming tablet and set to work getting their catalog on to it, as its the ipad they are competing with.
Nintendo, I love you dearly, but as a gamer you’ve lost the plot.
Pack that WiiU up and throw it in the bin, sign a contract to bring your console IP’s to a proper next-gen console.
Focus on the 3DS and then accept that you’re going to end up making premium games for mobile phones within the next 10 years.
The WiiU is going to be a massive flop, there’s barely a game on the horizon and I don’t think many people are going to buy a dying machine to play Pikmin no matter how interesting it looks. Not with the two other behemoths looming large. If you think people are going to choose the quiet launch periods of the PS4/720 to jump on the WiiU train when it’s been out a year and has zero hype or momentum then you’re on crack. Cash conscious people might hold off on the next gen consoles until they have more software, those same people aren’t going to risk their cash on your machine.
I want to play the next Mario and Zelda as much as anyone, but I need more than 2 games a year to keep me occupied and no 3rd party developer has any interest in bringing exclusive games to your system. Best you can hope for in most cases is a shitty port of the 360/PS3 versions of the next gen PS4/720 games. The next Xbox hasn’t even been announced yet but I’m full expecting it to have a better software lineup this Christmas than the WiiU!
Its sales at the same point are outdoing the 360 and ps3 and arguably the WiiU has a bigger upside with some big name IPs on the way. New Mario, new Zelda, Mario Kart, Smash Bros, all system sellers.
Only thing the WiiU hasn’t outsold 6 months in was the Wii and DS. Where the talk of them struggling comes from i dont know but its hilarious.
…I… Uh… It-W-what?
Nintendo are weak. They are just serving up a “me too” offering in hope that they will capture some market share based on the “Nintendo” brand name… They will be disappointed.
Because they milked the Wii by pumping truckloads of crap software onto consumers, people don’t take the platforms seriously anymore. For Wii-U to have a chance Nintendo has to prove beyond a doubt that they are still masters of games. They must put out at least several titles that absolutely wow hard core gamers. Those games must be so good that they are frequently added to the Top 100 Games of all time lists.
Simply sitting on their hands hoping for a few ports to be added and the occasional Mario title won’t revive house Nintendo. They cannot afford to remain boring for too much longer.