Nintendo Reportedly Porting Mobile Games to Wii U

[Sarah LeBoeuf]

Nintendo Reportedly Porting Mobile Games to Wii U

Sources report that Nintendo has offered conversion software to mobile developers in an attempt to increase Wii U sales.

Nintendo has always had Japan Times [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/103925-Nintendo-Admits-Its-Third-Party-Sales-Are-Pretty-Terrible], the publisher wants to make smartphone apps playable on the Wii U in order to widen the console's appeal. To do this, Nintendo is offering "professional-use conversion software" to app developers.

The report, which Nintendo has not confirmed, comes from anonymous company sources. There aren't any specifics about which developers were offered the conversion software or what kind of smartphone games the publisher expects to port, but the Big N hopes that the increased support from third-party app developers will bolster Wii U sales. The sources also said that Nintendo will be developing software of its own, but it's unclear whether that's referring to mobile apps, Wii U apps, or something else entirely.

Plenty of games have found success on consoles and mobile platforms, such as Telltale's The Walking Dead series, Plants vs. Zombies, and the mobile mega-hit Angry Birds. However, given Nintendo's lack of third-party game support and its absence in the mobile space, this is an odd way to try and increase Wii U sales. I would think first-party Nintendo titles like the its annual E3 press conference nixed [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/123715-New-3D-Mario-Reportedly-Hitting-Wii-U-in-2013?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=news], it's hard to know when we might hear more about Nintendo's plans for the Wii U, but we'll be keeping an eye out.

Source: ZD Net [http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/05/06/business/nintendo-taps-smartphone-apps-for-console-boost/#.UYgiKoLi7fa]

Permalink

 

[Ne1butme]

The Wii U's screen is a resistive touch screen, meaning only one point of contact is registered. It's also the reason why you can use anything as a stylus.

Most mobile ecosystems are based on multi-touch with a capacitance touch screen. Moving from multi-touch to single-touch isn't trivial.

 

[dragongit]

Meh... It's that argument again. People who want to play mobile games already have either an Ipod or Android. I doubt this will be the killer app that makes WiiU a universal household item. You'll be able to play these games around the house but the appeal of the Tablets is the gaming on the go. As far as I know at least you cant play the Wii U outside of your own home, or far outside of the room it's in.

Having the option to buy these games, however, will be a benefit, even on a smaller scale to both Nintendo and the developers. Having a new venue to sell their stuff will always increase sales. It won't however cause a massive flux in sales of WiiU's. I still have no interest in picking up one, neither any of the Mario games, nor a Wind Waker HD will be enough to convince me to dish out 400 bucks. At least with the PS4/Box we don't know where it's going. With the Wii U... we kinda see it's peak, and the slope to the bottom already.

 

[Rad Party God]

I think it would work if Nintendo start releasing those app ports for free, also, most of those games use multi touch, is that even possible with the Wii U tablet/controller-thingy?

 

[twaddle]

I still think they need to port ds games to the wii u. It would make so much damn sense

 

[Nowhere Man]

It looks like Nintendo is trying desperately to win back the user base that moved on from the Wii and over to mobile gaming. They should probably show mow support for its ardent users by porting some DS games rather than the angry birds and plants vs. zombies variety that the flakier demographic abandoned them for long ago.

And wheres my Pikmin 3 dammit?

Edit: I have nothing against the smaller indy titles being developed/ported for Wii U. In fact I welcome it. I was just kind of hoping this topic was about getting some older DS games on there as well. That may not work though with how you have to keep looking down at that 2nd screen. They should probably work on that.

Edit 2: I still want my Pikmin 3

 

[PoolCleaningRobot]

Hun. That's actually a good idea. Suddenly the Ouya has competition from where I least expected it

 

[Mr. Omega]

I don't really care about it, but more options is never a bad thing in a market. Plus, Nintendo got a big new audience with the Wii, it's only natural they'd try and keep some of them on with this. And they could try and build up third-party support through indies and mobile devs as opposed to the big, bloated AAA market. It isn't for me, but I won't deny it's a smart move.

If they can start getting the bigger name apps onto their system, this could be very marketable. I can see the commercials now: "Hey! You like Angry Birds? And you like Mario? Well now you can play Angry Birds AND Mario on the same system!"

 

[V da Mighty Taco]

Because as we all know, the one thing the Wii U really needs right now is more ports from other systems. XD

Seriously Nintendo, you need unique IPs and you need them fast. Get them already. Waiting for Bayonetta 2 to save you next year or whenever it releases might be too late.

 

[Azaraxzealot]

I still think they need to port ds games to the wii u. It would make so much damn sense

I concur with this. Why don't they have a cross-buy system or a DS slot in the Wii U touchscreen? it would be perfect!

 

[weirdee]

They could probably re-port the tablet version of TWEWY in the most backwards process possible.

 

[AzrealMaximillion]

Hun. That's actually a good idea. Suddenly the Ouya has competition from where I least expected it

No kidding. The Ouya has enough trouble finding people that actually want the damn thing to begin with. Now every portable electronic device AND Wii U sold is a reason not to own an Ouya.

 

[heroicbob]

im going to go out on a limb and say that most people who like cellphone games own a cellphone

 

[Guffe]

Ok...
Nintendo I usually stand up for you since I've played all the consoles and like your stuff
but this?
Mobile apps to the console? I guess they're called mobile apps because they're supposed to be played on a mobile phone, no one's going to carry around the WiiU gamepad to play plants vs zombies... Start porting old gameboy and DS games instead, that will help!

 

[demoman_chaos]

Good games sell consoles, like Mario, Metroid, LoZ, etc. Nintendo, please start doing what you did when you first started. Start getting some awesome games on your system, like Double Dragon and Megaman did for the NES.