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[Griss]

Nintendo must know what a terrible idea an advertising app is. People on smartphones have an attention span of about 3 seconds maximum. They aren't even going to bother downloading such an app.

It seems to me like this is a way of Nintendo putting together a mobile team (or two) and testing them out. Once their ad/demo app is made they can analyse it and decide whether they get their mobile team to start working on proper games or not.

I think that if this is the entirety of their plan on the 30th then their stock is going to take a beating.

 

[udivision]

So... if the conference is going to be Wednesday night (US Time) does that mean if there's a ND we'd have already been told about it today?

I'm pretty sure there's not going to be an ND either way.

 

[Father_Brain]

Is the investor briefing or something going on right now? Cause @gibbogame (the analyst guy) is tweeting stuff...

EDIT: Nevermind! He tweeted those without context, and just now said those were quotes from July 2011. My bad.

The fact that they haven't launched anything like this in the two and a half years since this quote really goes to show just how far behind Sony/MS their online infrastructure remains.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

If it's actual bite sized bits or full fledged games then this is the smartest thing Nintendo has done in years.

Dedicated handhelds are a dying breed and smartphones has mass market penetration. The audience and reach would greatly benefit Nintendo.

If Nintndo thinks that an app that allows people to view ads for Nintndo products is going to turn their sales around then I don't even know what to say. I love the company, but if this ends up being their big plan to turn things around then I've lost all faith that they can compete in today's market.

I hope they have a lot more up their sleeve, but I've been shocked by their ineptitude in the past. I wouldn't put it past them.

If it's something like this or anything less relevant than actual games then Nintendo is as stupid as we all have known them to be for a long time.

 

[StreetsAhead]

So... if the conference is going to be Wednesday night (US Time) does that mean if there's a ND we'd have already been told about it today?

I'm pretty sure there's not going to be an ND either way.

If there is to be a Nintendo Direct before the Investor Meeting, they will likely announce it in 8.5 hours.

 

[Roshin]

Too little, too late, no one but the usual Nintendo fans will care. If it's even true at all.

 

[Truespeed]

You can either go mobile or not go mobile. But, for Nintendo to do something this half-baked just shows how much their out of touch.

 

[Mariolee]

Nintendo must know what a terrible idea an advertising app is. People on smartphones have an attention span of about 3 seconds maximum. They aren't even going to bother downloading such an app.

It seems to me like this is a way of Nintendo putting together a mobile team (or two) and testing them out. Once their ad/demo app is made they can analyse it and decide whether they get their mobile team to start working on proper games or not.

I think that if this is the entirety of their plan on the 30th then their stock is going to take a beating.

Worked for Sony and other companies, did it not?

You can either go mobile or not go mobile. But, for Nintendo to do something this half-baked just shows how much their out of touch.

...we still don't even know how they're actually going to do it. Let's not jump the gun here.

Oh wait. Forgot I was on NeoGAF.

 

[Sandfox]

I think the OP needs to be updated with that tweet or something lol.

 

[Truespeed]

...we still don't even know what they're actually going to do. Let's not jump the gun here.

Oh wait. Forgot I was on NeoGAF.

This is Nintendo we're talking about. They'll take their IP to the bottom of the ocean before noticing they're drowning.

 

[Mariolee]

This is Nintendo we're talking about. They'll take their IP to the bottom of the ocean before noticing their drowning.

Yeah, that last Mario game sure was shitty and devalued the IP didn't it? Same thing with the last Pokemon and Zelda.

 

[Log4Girlz]

My perfect imaginary Nintendo demo would be simply called "Mario Playground". In said app, you would control 3D Mario in a single mini-open world stage. No timer. No enemies. No deaths. Just obstacles and a few physical playthings for Mario to run, jump, and bounce off of. A slide to go down, a few pools to swim in, a few trees to climb, maybe a large mountain with some platforms to traverse. A few "secret" areas. Imagine the first playable stage of Mario 64 with no shines.

All this with 60fps, classic Mario 64 controls.

Charge $4.99, with .99 for Luigi/Peach/Toad add-ons. End every play session with a "continue Mario's adventures in Super Mario (insert whatever Mario game is coming out next)."

Print money.

I like your idea. Personally, I think the first step is creating new IP's not associated with Nintendo and try to make a break out hit. Put out the full version on your handheld. The point isn't even really to push the handheld game or hardware, but at least to get some fucking money. They are losing tons of cash.

As for traditional licenses. A pokemon card game, a Mario free-runner and perhaps Mariocraft like game. For the latter, imagine a simple, voxel world that is randomly generated and you have to platform around to get stars, get to castles, save princesses etc.

 

[Randolph Freelander]

Yeah, that last Mario game sure devalued the IP didn't it? Same thing with the last Pokemon and Zelda.

That's a different conversation entirely.

 

[Randolph Freelander]

Stock continues to get hammered here. Down over 4% so far today while the Nikkei is flat. It's about down to where it was when it took that initial drop the beginning of last week after the expectations downgrade, before it recovered.

Ride that wave of confidence.

 

[StreetsAhead]

So I finally got the chance to read the Nikkei. I think it sound sensible, an app to make introduce release dates, videos, characters, and so on for their retail games. This is web content, sure, but no different from a Cracked or Buzz Feed apps.

It also says they will introduce short, fun and free games to encourage purchase of full software and make games purchasable from the smart devices. The goal being to increase their profit ratio with more online purchases.

Improve in emerging Asian markets and increase licensing efforts.

 

[Sandfox]

So I finally got the chance to read the Nikkei. I think it sound sensible, an app to make introduce release dates, videos, characters, and so on for their retail games. This is web content, sure, but no different from a Cracked or Buzz Feed apps.

It also says they will introduce short, fun and free games to encourage purchase of full software and make games purchasable from the smart devices. The goal being to increase their profit ratio with more online purchases.

Improve in emerging Asian markets and increase licensing efforts.

To me that seems like a decent way to improve profits in order offset some of the loses and the real interesting thing to look out for will be what Iwata says about their console related issues.

 

[Alfredo]

Can't wait to get Animal Crossing Calculator and Mario Clock for iOS.

I mean, the iPad doesn't even come with a Calculator, so maybe I'd actually buy Animal Crossing Calculator!

 

[Basileus777]

Sounds like a token effort to silence critics that will have little effect on the company's business.

 

[Aquamarine]

Nintendo stock has entered the oversold area and will continue to plummet going forward until a new strategy is evoked on the 30th. I fear if a strategy is not conveyed or communicated shortly, the stock will take further beating. In addition, Goldman Sachs recently downgraded Nintendo's stock from ''hold'' to ''sell''.

I do hope the Nikkei report is correct in regards to IP licensing as there is so much that can be done. Like mentioned previously, if Sanrio can generate over 800 million of revenue through Hello Kitty annually, Nintendo can atleast meet such targets.

Indirectly holding over 20% of the company through Yamauchi and treasury stock does help Iwata most certainly; however, investors are not going to swallow the ''please understand'' moto as Nintendo has no reason to post such horrid results (yen is in their favor, etc.).

You still holding 7974 Aqua?

I agree. Thanks for the smart, intelligent posts you make.

Yes but I'm not in it for the short-term.

 

[Log4Girlz]

How long will it be before Nintendo posts a profit for a fiscal year?

 

[eyeball_kid]

So I finally got the chance to read the Nikkei. I think it sound sensible, an app to make introduce release dates, videos, characters, and so on for their retail games. This is web content, sure, but no different from a Cracked or Buzz Feed apps.

It also says they will introduce short, fun and free games to encourage purchase of full software and make games purchasable from the smart devices. The goal being to increase their profit ratio with more online purchases.

Sensible? How is this sensible? All a promo app does is preach to the converted.

As for the F2P games, they would certainly make some coin from IAPs, but I can't see these kinds of games leading anyone to buy a Wii U.

 

[DragonSworne]

How long will it be before Nintendo posts a profit for a fiscal year?

Maybe in another 2 years depending on when they abandon 3DS and Wii U.

 

[Basileus777]

The only way this approach makes sense is to promote Nintendo brands, and to do that you need to offer compelling experiences. Glorified ads and promotions for other product won't do much of anything.

 

[Randolph Freelander]

How long will it be before Nintendo posts a profit for a fiscal year?

I'm betting at least 2 more years of low-to-no-to-below profit before any real upturn can take place. The Wii U will be a significant drag and I think FY3/2014 is actually going to be 3DS' peak software year (in terms of units, and hardware may have peaked last year) and it will begin to decline. They'll need to introduce the next handheld (assuming the present business model) by the end of FY3/2016, at which point maybe they can start to see some positive momentum. Until then, I expect revenues to continue to decline (albeit more slowly) and operating income to be virtually non-existent.

 

[hoos30]

This is what you guys get for praising Nintendo Directs...they think the public actually wants that. Prepare for the ND iOS/Android app.

 

[Sandfox]

Sensible? How is this sensible? All a promo app does is preach to the converted.

As for the F2P games, they would certainly make some coin from IAPs, but I can't see these kinds of games leading anyone to buy a Wii U.

The app seems would be useful for people who already own a Nintendo platform and it seems like it would be more helpful for SW sales over helping pushing a lot of HW.

 

[Log4Girlz]

I'm betting at least 2 more years of low-to-no-to-below profit before any real upturn can take place. The Wii U will be a significant drag and I think FY3/2014 is actually going to be 3DS' peak software year (in terms of units, and hardware may have peaked last year) and it will begin to decline. They'll need to introduce the next handheld (assuming the present business model) by the end of FY3/2016, at which point maybe they can start to see some positive momentum. Until then, I expect revenues to continue to decline (albeit more slowly) and operating income to be virtually non-existent.

So one great generation followed by a whole generation of not making money. Ouch.

 

[mrpeabody]

Casuals are not going to play your little smartphone minigames and be like "damn, I gotta buy a 3DS/WiiU." They might play them and say "damn, this is fun, Nintendo should make smartphone games." But that doesn't get you anywhere, because Nintendo would sooner die than make smartphone games.

If this is their strategy for the next 12-24 months, it's going to be a rough ride.

 

[TheCongressman1]

This is what you guys get for praising Nintendo Directs...they think the public actually wants that. Prepare for the ND iOS/Android app.

So liking Nintendo Direct is the problem? Yeah, that doesn't make sense.

Speaking of which, I can't wait for the next Direct. I hope it's this week.

 

[Truespeed]

Yeah, that last Mario game sure was shitty and devalued the IP didn't it? Same thing with the last Pokemon and Zelda.

I don't think we're on the same frequency here as you've clearly misinterpreted what I said.

 

[StreetsAhead]

Sensible? How is this sensible? All a promo app does is preach to the converted.

As for the F2P games, they would certainly make some coin from IAPs, but I can't see these kinds of games leading anyone to buy a Wii U.

Maybe, but as a way of increasing profit by directly selling software it might help, even if just to the converted and will allow them to determine what steps to take on devices in the future.

They're not making F2P games with IAP according to the article unless you count buying the full software for their console via the device so that's all irrelevant.

Whether or not it works is completely different and largely going to be a function of how they implement it and which games or franchises are represented and how good the mini games are. It certainly does open the door for them to bring smart phone only games in the future, as pointed out by Nikkei.

 

[Nothing1016]

Whether or not this is a good idea remains to be seen, but its all ready making its rounds. My local news station just reported this same article saying that nintendo is offering mini games and promotions for the future titles on smartphones. At least its getting talked about?

 

[LizardKing]

eShop mobile app please. That is all.

 

[DragonSworne]

Does Apple allow apps where you can make purchases on other online systems?

An advertisement app will work great if you could directly buy the games from it onto your linked 3ds/wii u.

 

[LizardKing]

Does Apple allow apps where you can make purchases on other online systems?

An advertisement app will work great if you could directly buy the games from it onto your linked 3ds/wii u.

Dunno. Is there a Steam iOS app (I know there is for Android)? If so, dunno why Nintendo couldn't do an eShop one.

 

[Here For The Free Feed]

yeh there's a steam app on iOS

 

[Herb Alpert]

I would be OK with this, as long as it doesn't prevail on their traditionnal software output. It could be a "smart" way to advertise their products.
Though I can't really see how you will be able to enjoy a demo of a mario game with touch control. Let's hope they surprise us. In a good way, I mean...

 

[Mariolee]

I don't think we're on the same frequency here as you've clearly misinterpreted what I said.

Fair enough. I get what you're saying about how Nintendo seems to drown its IPs into irrelevancy as we can see they did with the "Wii" name, but other than that Nintendo has done a relatively fantastic job with keeping its franchises and IPs out of the drain and it seems very shortsighted to call them out because of a few admittedly big mistakes. It's no EA or Activision.

 

[gingerbeardman]

Yoshi Touch & Go Smartphone Edition

 

[Kokonoe]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!1

 

[Griss]

Fair enough. I get what you're saying about how Nintendo seems to drown its IPs into irrelevancy as we can see they did with the "Wii" name, but other than that Nintendo has done a relatively fantastic job with keeping its franchises and IPs out of the drain and it seems very shortsighted to call them out because of a few admittedly big mistakes. It's no EA or Activision.

I'm pretty sure he meant drown their IP by tying them to hardware that no-one will buy rather than any lack of quality.

If, in the future, Wii U's successor sells only 1 million, then Nintendo's IP would be fucked in that market no matter how good the games are. That's how I took it. To keep the IP afloat it needs to be in the public consciousness. At the moment most of Nintendo's audience are on smartphones and tablets.

 

[Basileus777]

I'm pretty sure he meant drown their IP by tying them to hardware that no-one will buy rather than any lack of quality.

If, in the future, Wii U's successor sells only 1 million, then Nintendo's IP would be fucked in that market no matter how good the games are. That's how I took it. To keep the IP afloat it needs to be in the public consciousness. At the moment most of Nintendo's audience are on smartphones and tablets.

The 3DS is enough to keep some of these IPs relevant for now, though if the dedicated handheld market continues to shrink, that'll be a huge issue. Nintendo can't afford to be invisible to their core demographic for an extended time period.

 

[boi]

Doesn't make sense at all. Why invest in mobile development and then only go half-way by offering (i'm assuming) free demo's. Nintendo needs to go all the way or don't do it all. Anyway, I'd rather they don't. They are effectively discriminating their handheld/console userbase who might have bought those devices for virtual console functionality.

 

[BGBW]

Same article.

Another info that is not in the OP (maybe it has been mentioned in the thread): Nintendo plans to make the downloadable games of 3DS and Wii U games purchasable through smartphones to further increase sales of these versions since they have higher margins.

Well to be fair they've mentioned this plan long ago along with being able to do it via your PC. It'll likely just be a website like Miiverse since that covers both devices easily.

Once you go mobile, you can't turn back.

Eh, I had a mobile over my cot when I was a wee abby but I managed to get over it.

 

[Mpl90]

So I finally got the chance to read the Nikkei. I think it sound sensible, an app to make introduce release dates, videos, characters, and so on for their retail games. This is web content, sure, but no different from a Cracked or Buzz Feed apps.

It also says they will introduce short, fun and free games to encourage purchase of full software and make games purchasable from the smart devices. The goal being to increase their profit ratio with more online purchases.

Improve in emerging Asian markets and increase licensing efforts.

This...should be in the OP as well, maybe even an update to the title.

Advertising apps: ok, what we were expecting. Good.

Short, fun and free games. Interesting. I want to see how they're going to do this.

Purchasable games from smart devices: it's about time! Basically, something similar to the Steam app. This also probably means that the Web eShop is on the way.

Improve in emerging Asian market: good enough, especially if that includes China, even if it won't be easy to pull it off

Licensing efforts: ....YES! Maybe, the best news of the bunch, if it means more multi-media efforts. During the NES era, there were so many of them, with DIC, and the Nintendo Power comics. Yeah, I know DIC stuff was...eh, but still: time to go further, with more toys, gadgets, cartoons, movies, etc. etc. This is how you create another source of revenue AND make your IPs even more relevant.

I still hope in those changes in pricing games, though: Iwata talked about the Premium market not working as in the past, and all of these, while being decent / good actions, don't directly address that matter.
...Aaand now that I think about it, given they're going after emerging Asian market, they're possibly working on that as well.

 

[Candescence]

It's a reasonable compromise, I suppose. I'd rather not see Nintendo go all the way. It's been previously stated that Nintendo would rather die than stop developing its own hardware. Smartphones as gaming devices have been utterly crippled by the limited control options and the abysmal app stores, so much potential wasted.

 

[Aad]

Some thoughts on what will be talked about on the 30th

- how they will use mobile to stregnthen their brand
- how they will unify Nintendo of Japan and America
- how they plan to tackle the Chinese market
- information on the new building and merging development groups

 

[Kurt]

I don't see any issue in here.
It's like playing commercials on tv and so on.

A way to introduce their games to the public.

 

[watershed]

I hate to be pessimistic but I feel like whatever Nintendo is going to say on the 30th is going to be underwhelming and not enough to rebound from their current troubles.

 

[zeldablue]

Hmm, more info coming from Nikkei? Or just the same article?

What do they mean by boost copyright business?

Attack Youtube more?