Nintendo took away PS2 gamers to their system and kept them happy with games such as Wii Sports and Wii Music. Therefore, the HD systems suffered and so many games that sold into millions last gen flopped on HD or didnt even come out. As a result, while Western developers have been doing well, Japanese developers are as good as dead, hence why this generation lacking so much in choice.

Now with Apple entering the market, they will outcasual Nintendo easily with their devices being marketing to people who know even less than your average Wii-only 'gamer.' Dont believe me? Ask them why they bought a Mac, why offcourse, you can do fun stuff like make websites, i mean when could you ever do that on PCs, i mean PCs just suck (yeah Apple, Mac sooooooo isnt a PC). Offcourse, graphics designers, i have a different opinion but even that is debatable.

Does anyone feel that iPods and iPhones will take away casual buyers from Nintendo products?

I don't think so, or at least not for a good long time.

The iPhone is great for random little games that are nothing more than timewasters, but it isn't really a gaming platform.

Nintendo has admitted that the iPhone has become a competitor. That's a big reason why they released the DSi.

Considering what happened to Wii momentum after the Wii Music release, it surely didn't make gamers happy.

There are two things you can do with practically every electronic device today:
1. Go to internet.
2. Play games.

Considering the two above, i don't see Apple being different.
Apple likely isn't going to eat away Nintendos sales because it would need a game centric device and first party game studios. You can ask any Mac owners how good games Apple is making and judge by that.

I also forgot to say that unless you know exactly what game you're looking for on the iPhone, finding games is a nightmare.

Until they find a way to conveniently search and go through the app store, Apple poses no problem for Nintendo.

It's not there yet, but it's definitely a threat. All the major publishers are on board, but they're mostly servicing iPhone with ports of old mobile phone games and DS games. In addition, there are lots of great indie projects, and a couple up-and-coming publishers that are making a killing, like Gameloft and NgMoco.

The biggest sign of a threat I've seen so far is Sims 3. It's out on the iPhone, but no announcement of one on DS, despite Sims 2 coming to DS and doing quite well. Perhaps EA has decided that the MySims spinoff brand is better suited to the DS, while iPhone users would like their Sims closer to the PC version. On the other hand, while the iPhone has been stealing games like Civilization Revolution and GTA: Chinatown Wars from the DS, iPhone games like Flight Control are now pushing through to DSiWare.

Nintendo still has great 1st party games while Apple has none, and the DS is sturdier and cheaper than the iPod Touch, even if the hardware is bulkier and the games more expensive. I'd say that the only reason the two can't co-exist is pocket space. I love my DS games, but I'm not going to leave my phone behind and carrying both around is too bulky most of the time.

Nintendo is the leading game software publisher and developer in the world. No other software developer comes close. Apple does not publish or develop games AFAIK.

If it came down to it, which I find pretty unlikely, Nintendo could become a multi-platform software company and remain #1.

I'm puzzled by this assertion and I see it made repeatedly. The App Store sorts by category, popularity, and revenue, and is fully searchable. Now Genius functionality will recommend you more apps and games based on the ones you enjoy most. Game ratings and user reviews are available right in the store, and the App descriptions are far more in-depth than the back of any retail box, complete with screen shots.

I've never had a retail experience be as informative or easy to navigate as the App Store, and it simply isn't possible for a brick and mortar store to provide this kind of service.

The iphone/touch does not have a must own game yet, sure you can have fun with the games for an hour or so but they get old quick! If I was Apple I would worry more about the Zune than trying to compete with Nintendo! I own my ipod touch to listen to my music, games on the system are just a nice addition but nothing more!

It does sort things by catagory, but the problem is going into games now this is what I find (I'm not going to do each game catagory because you will see the same pattern):

Top Paid

• Tap Tap Reveng 3 ($0.99)
• Cartoon Wars ($0.99)
• Skee-Ball ($0.99)
• Backbreaker Football ($0.99)
• Frogger ($0.99)
• F.A.S.T. ($0.99)
• Bejeweled 2 ($2.99)
• Max Injury ($0.99)
• Need for Speed ($4.99)
• iPark It! ($0.99)
• Doodle Jump ($0.99)
• Monkey Preschool Lunchbox ($0.99)
• Dungeon Hunter ($6.99)
• Family Guy: Uncensored ($4.99)
• Tiger Woods: PGA Tour ($4.99)
• Cocoto Kart Online ($0.99)
• FIFA 10 ($9.99)
• Tetris ($4.99)
• Super KO Boxing 2 ($4.99)
• SkySmash 1918 ($0.99)
• Boom Brigade ($1.99)
• UNO ($4.99)
• Knights Onrush ($0.99)
• Solitaire ($0.99)
• SCRABBLE ($4.99)

Not a horrible offering and a few of those are worth trying, but most of those are worth the $0.99 they're asking for.  The ones that are worthwhile are time wasters and not much more.

So what about Top Free?

• Marine Sharpshooter
• BeerPong
• Ninjas Live - 30 Honor (not an actual game)
• Cartoon Wars Lite
• Kingdoms Live (since as Ninjas Live, not a real game here, just a promotion)
• Haunted 3D Rollercoaster Rush FREE
• Race or Die
• Stick Escape lite
• UNO - FREE
• Papaya Farm
• Zombies Live
• Word Scramble 2
• Touch Hockey
• Street Racers 3D
• World War Live
• Paper Toss
• Max Injury Lite
• Tic Tac Toe Free
• Wooden Labyrinth 3D FREE
• Fish Food Frenzy Free
• Racing Live
• Deer Hunter 3D Free
• Tap Tap Revenge 2.6
• A Quest of Knights
• Line Up FREE

Just a note- if it has Live it's a promotion for another game of the same game and lite means it's a demo.  As for the other stuff, they usually just aren't that good.  You ocassionaly find a gem, but not often.  When you do find a nice little gem, it's generally just a time waster.

So yeah, it's just not easy to find a worthwhile game unless you know what you want.  For other apps searching is easy and worthwhile because you're looking for a taxi app, or maybe something for flights, or whatever you kind think of keywords but that just doesn't work well for the games.

I'm not saying there are no good full games on the iPhone, they do exist, just most of the actual worthwhile games aren't worth the price or are simply time wasters and not a threat to Nintendo.