Apple hiring PRs from Nintendo and others

[gumby_trucker]

Buzzi said:

Jumpin said:

I don't think there shoyuld be a huge amount of worry from Nintendo about Apple. Apple could sell 500 million iPhones, and I still think Nintendo wouldn't be in any worse of a position to sell 100M of their own handheld gaming consoles.

 

If anything, Apple has contributed to the idea that pricey handheld systems are viable. Nintendo has released its own now, and it has already sold around 2 million.

True. The real fact is that if even Apple tried harder in the gaming department, still they could not attract many developers. Let's say, a full FF game costs millions to be made...selling it at 10$ would be the only way to sell it on the iOS systems, and at that price how many virtual copies are needed just to be a viable option?

Just to say that Apple's attitued in totally uncompatible with the videogaming one. People who buys Apple's systems won't buy expensive games, and expensive games are a reality which is not going anywhere in the near future.

And let's remember that Nintendo still has a loyal fanbase: pretty much 20-30 million people would buy a Ninendo console just for Mario, Zelda and other Nintendo's IPs, so they can't fail right now, even if the sales could decrease in some way if they play their card wrongly.

I'm sorry, I should have phrased my opinion more carefully. Perhaps "Red Ocean" is too harsh a term for what I meant. I am in no way implying that Nintendo are in any immediate danger. In fact, Apple could go as far as declaring war on Nintendo tomorrow, and they would still have enough resources, fans and brand recognition to hold their own for ten years, allowing them to regroup and develop a new strategy. Also, it is true that at least for now the two companies are benefiting one another in terms of growth. Apple is furthering the acceptance of expensive personal devices, as Jumpin said, and Nintendo is increasing the appeal of unconventional games and reaching new audiences.

However, seeing as Nintendo are long-term thinkers, they should be cautious not to find themselves in a situation where Apple is reaching new markets and closing them off before Nintendo have an opportunity to follow through with a move of their own... These kinds of things are incredibly difficult to predict, and in this sense Apple is just as good as Nintendo at coming up with unique twists or original ideas with tremendous consumer appeal. Furthermore, as technology continues to get cheaper it is quite possible Apple will also begin to offer lower end product lines at highly competitive prices, which could also loom on Nintendo's established market... the pricing of the iPad is a precedent for Apple lowering prices.

Personally, I am optimistic and not really worried about Nintendo. They are survivors, but only because they  plan ahead for these types of doomsday scenarios, and are no doubt doing so as we speak.