Alright so I just read in a thread about how Nintendo investors are wanting Nintendo to shift focus and develop games for phones. Those same investors talked about Nintendo using its 10+ billions of dollars to aquire other assets and change how they do buisness. Then Iwata said yet again that Nintendo will not make games for any products they don't develop.

So this got me wondering why doesn't Nintendo do both. Investors want phone games and Nintendo won't develop for competitors hardware. So why not build a phone yourself? Sony just recently co-developed the Xperia Play but they aren't supporting it with much software. What if Nintendo bought up some smaller phone game makers , put together a phone device and launched a phone.

Nintendo wouldn't have to do much, maybe even partner up with a current phone manufacturer like say RIM. Research In Motion's Black Berry has been taking tons of flack the company is in desperate need of a device that can compete against Android and IOS. What if the next Black Berry was a Nintendo Black Berry?

I think it would be awsome to see Nintendo expanding into other markets. I'd buy a Nintendo phone day one it could have all the VC games from the 3DS VC store. It could then also see like 10-20 cheaply developed phone games launched by Nintendo each year. Not to mention a Nintendo developed phone would get all the support from third parties as much if not more so then I-Phone.

I think Nintendo could kill with a phone, what do you think?

Absolutely not. I cannot stress this enough.

Apple - 50,000 employees
MS - 90,000 employees
Nokia - 132,000 employees
Sony - 170,000 employees

Nintendo - 5,000 employees

Asking Nintendo to suddenly make mobile phones is not only a silly notion in concept but a man power impossibility even if they wanted to. Bump up their work force from 5,000 to 30,000, 40,000 or much more just so they can sell Mario and Pokemon on Nintendo branded cell phones?

MMMMhhh mayb enot, app for mobile phones maybe!

No, they are a games company not an electronics company.

in the future maybe, but only with a collaboration with another phone-maker. Maybe Sony-Ericsson? XD

Should be something like a first phone for kids that parrents approve. Focus on games and music. And a remote control app for android and ios.
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They should expand their business, but that doesn't mean develop a phone. For example they could use the power of the iphone to incentive their IPs, other companies are doing this (for example you have apps for MMOs) and this is not decreasing their results. I know they want to maximize the value of their platforms, but this will happen through retail games and key features, expanding their digital development to other markets wouldn't hurt IMHO. About the OP, no, the phone market is too advanced for Nintendo, they'd be killed in no time. Maybe a strong partneship with a phone manufacturer would help both though: one makes the phone, the other develops dedicated software.

It wont be able to compete

todays smartphone market is either android or iOS,and ninty could only utilize android or build their own operating system

if it goes the android route,it will beg the question how will ninty differ themselves,if on android.why should devs pay ninty to make the game as they would have a much bigger market and slowly smartphones should easily reach 3DS graphics if they alredy haven't.

it will also beg the question thaat why would somebody in our crazy soceity carry around a big phone with button in todays world.it would be like going back.they would have to make the buttons cool again

if ninty goes the second way and does its won operating system,why will people develop apps for them with a small market.

there is one good thing,android has a version problem unlike handheld and they aren't forward compatible.

they need to partner with somebody big to make buttons cool in the soceity once again for people to even consider buying phones with buttons and especially game buttons.the only partner that would even think of it and can make it successfull is SONY.

SONY should let go of ericcson as thaat isn't helping their name so  much.VITA and 3DS both going down as gthe smartphone market expands,they will only be able sustain a part of the old handheld audience this gen.

SONY and NINTY would come together and bring all franchises which could save them together but that would need alot of compromise  on both party which would be the biggest problem.

they can also reinven the button system with somekind of new hardware so that we don't have actual button  which people don't like to have these days for the asthetic eye

If they both come together,they could really bring back the buttons with their legendary franchises,make it cool again and be successfull.that is the only way both ninty and sony will survive in the handheld place  in the longterm.they would be making tons of cash.this could rival iOS and android

they could combine both PSP and DS audience and bring something NEW and COOL to the smartphone market which will again start to stagnate in a few years

knowing nintendo, the phone would only work from a wifi hotspot in order to save money...

But then that wouldn’t be a phone -_- nice try though :P