I was having a look at an article written by Chris Kohler over at Wired, in which he asserts that Nintendo should not put any content on mobiles, and I was disagreeing slightly on one of the key points from the start, so much that I stopped reading normally and skimmed the rest, so I could come and write this.
Nintendo shouldn't be putting their old games on mobile, just as Kohler says... but they should be releasing content for mobile. Specifically, they should be using mobile (as I say in the thread title) as a stealth advertising medium. Here's how it works:
1. Make a variety of microgames based around certain Nintendo IPs, for sale on mobile app stores at very low prices, that are designed to capture the interest of the player. These could be, for instance, something like Donkey Kong Crash Course (from Nintendo Land) - a game that would only require the features found in mobiles, that would increase the attention of smartphone owners. Such games should also be made available on the Wii U and 3DS, which both have the necessary features... perhaps for free on Wii U and 3DS while having a small price on mobile (say, 99c each).
2. Create and release a variety of official themes, etc, so that people can have their smartphones decked out in Nintendo IP, serving as another mode of stealth advertising.
3. Organise for a set of classic games that suit mobile (like Chess, for instance), and have them skinned with Nintendo IPs (Mario Chess, to continue the example). These should all be relatively easy to make, and further whet the appetite of the player.
Not only would they be able to make money out of mobile without any major shift, but they'd turn it into a new avenue of advertisement, drawing more people into the idea of buying a 3DS or Wii U. And at the very worst, it ensures that a lot of kids will be exposed to their franchises, as many families now use mobile games as a way to entertain the kids. So even if it didn't help in the short term, I'd expect it to be effective in the long term.
What does everyone think? Is this a sane approach to the question of mobile gaming for Nintendo? Or have I failed to account for something that would make it ineffective?
