I was thinking the same thing. Especially since Iwata, and Nintendo's other execs in general, never really talk about their competitors much, and when they do, it's usually in very mild terms. They never talk about 'enemies' or stuff like the so-called 'console wars'.

Did you read the article.  Iwata said they've already beaten Sony, and that Apple is now their competition.

Clearly the marioPhone would be Apple's doom.

Even at 99% shitty stuff that leaves 2000 good stuff.  Of course developers with the sense to advertise their apps will see better sales and great content will be helped by word of mouth like all other games.  Give it a little time to evolve, even with the DS and Wii it took a while to get used to the platform for many developers.

Illegal stuff like emulators shouldn't happen because there is control over that.  Apple must approve all apps on the app store. 

DSIware?

Well, more likely 3DSware

"understood" mind as well mean the reporter pulled this out of his ass.

If the quote was real, Iwata acknowledging that Apple were a possible "enemy of the future" basically means that he sees the possibility for Apple to disrupt Nintendo's handheld business in the future if Apple continue to increase their focus on games. As has been said earlier in the thread, the iPod Touch could very well become "good enough" in terms of the games it offers and then become a direct competitor to the 3DS in the future.

Now I say iPod touch and not iPhone because it's the iPod Touch that really allows Apps to flourish. It's a system built with Apps as one of it's main draws and the advertising for it is all about Apps and more specifically, the games available on the App Store;

iPod Touch: "The funnest iPod ever"

The fact that Apple are playing up the "fun" aspect of the iPod Touch is obviously seen as a threat to Iwata as he has continuously mentioned that Nintendo is in the business of creating "amusement products." One can see how the iPod Touch and the DS and soon to be 3DS are not mutually exclusive, their IS overlap, just as their was with the DS and PSP.

I think the main difference between Apple and Nintendo is that Nintendo had the experience and knowledge to pull off the disruptive strategy in the gaming industry rapidly, whereas Apple are still feeling the waters, they are going about it very slowly and some have commented they are finding themselves in the gaming market "by accident."

Whether the quote was genuinely Iwata's or not, I think he knows that Apple is a possible threat for the future growth of Nintendo. The 3DS and it's features will be telling of what kind of plan Nintendo has of fighting (or not fighting at all) Apple and also disinterest in Nintendo's current offerings.

I am more and more convinced that this article by the Times Online was based on nothing other than wild speculation and guesswork, not any quotes or facts. I emailed the Times Online to ask them about this myself.

what? another thread on the BS piece about Nintendo reading for WAR on Apple?

I think it would hurt both businesses if they went up against each other. It would not be crazy to see Apple break into the handheld market. Even though the Ipad may be taking some market share, the Ipad is not made soley for gaming applications.

Of course a Nintendo cell phone would be kinda wicked. Who wouldn't want a Mario phone?