I dislike Pachter as he always claims that Nintendo is doomed at any given oppurtunity.
That said though, I disagree with Iwata on this, and think that it could cause problems in the long run. Nintendo, the forebearers of the disruption era of gaming (ie. Making games that are cheaper to make, cheaper to sell and have a broader appeal) are now ignoring that Apple is doing it to them. My DS hasn't been touched in almost a year (will be picking it back up for Pokemon though) and in the next couple of weeks the 3DS comes out; leaving me with a tough decision:
Do I spend $249 on a system with a sub 5hour battery life and games that will cost $40 or do I buy an $230 iPod touch where the games only cost $5. For me, as a customer, the best option isn't being clearly spelled out as Nintendo.
However, I also do believe that Iwata's comments do hold some worth: most iDevice games contain little content and thus hold little value. If I buy an iPod, I might get Angry birds, but nothing else will hold my interest, conversely, I REALLY want that Paper Mario 3DS game they showed off a while ago (However, to a new customer who doesn't have any bias, a game like that doesn't upset the power balance).
Overall I'd say that Nintendo's biggest problem isn't Apple, but itself. In the past all of their Portable devices have succeeded because they are customer oriented: they are cheap devices designed entirely around playing games in a portable environment. The 3DS is an outlier, it is exprensive (it's launching at the PSP's price for heaven's sake!) has a bunch of features that no one will care about (Many people who have played it lament that the 3D gives them headaches) and it has pathetic battery life. Nintendo shouldn't try to fight Apple, it should be trying to fight disinterest in its product. Mark my words: The 3DS will sell out at first, but after the buzz dies down (which it will, as the 3DS isn't customer oriented) it will not sell well at all.
Edit: Also, to all the people who say that Facebook/iPhone games are just "Cheap, gimmicky products" because we don't like them even though it is clear that they have mass appeal, I must ask: Haven't we seen this exact situtation before? The company that makes the product that the customers want wins, there are no exceptions.
That said though, I disagree with Iwata on this, and think that it could cause problems in the long run. Nintendo, the forebearers of the disruption era of gaming (ie. Making games that are cheaper to make, cheaper to sell and have a broader appeal) are now ignoring that Apple is doing it to them. My DS hasn't been touched in almost a year (will be picking it back up for Pokemon though) and in the next couple of weeks the 3DS comes out; leaving me with a tough decision:
Do I spend $249 on a system with a sub 5hour battery life and games that will cost $40 or do I buy an $230 iPod touch where the games only cost $5. For me, as a customer, the best option isn't being clearly spelled out as Nintendo.
However, I also do believe that Iwata's comments do hold some worth: most iDevice games contain little content and thus hold little value. If I buy an iPod, I might get Angry birds, but nothing else will hold my interest, conversely, I REALLY want that Paper Mario 3DS game they showed off a while ago (However, to a new customer who doesn't have any bias, a game like that doesn't upset the power balance).
Overall I'd say that Nintendo's biggest problem isn't Apple, but itself. In the past all of their Portable devices have succeeded because they are customer oriented: they are cheap devices designed entirely around playing games in a portable environment. The 3DS is an outlier, it is exprensive (it's launching at the PSP's price for heaven's sake!) has a bunch of features that no one will care about (Many people who have played it lament that the 3D gives them headaches) and it has pathetic battery life. Nintendo shouldn't try to fight Apple, it should be trying to fight disinterest in its product. Mark my words: The 3DS will sell out at first, but after the buzz dies down (which it will, as the 3DS isn't customer oriented) it will not sell well at all.
Edit: Also, to all the people who say that Facebook/iPhone games are just "Cheap, gimmicky products" because we don't like them even though it is clear that they have mass appeal, I must ask: Haven't we seen this exact situtation before? The company that makes the product that the customers want wins, there are no exceptions.
