Topic: Nintendo making mini-games for smartphones

[alegoicoe]

Not happening

[tendoboy1984]

There is already a Pokedex app, so now all they need is a Miiverse and eShop app. A Mii Maker app wouldn't work because Miis are tied to the console, not the Nintendo Network account. They need to make money with this endeavor, so charging $2 per app is reasonable. Digital books and movies cost more than that, so why should mobile games be cheaper?

But what Nintendo really needs to do is unify the friend lists between the Wii U and 3DS. Combining the eShop accounts is a good start, but why aren't the friends lists unified too?

[UncleBob]

Actually, Miis are tied to the Nintendo Network, to some extent.  When I connected my 3DS to my Nintendo Network account, it asked me which Mii I wanted to keep using, the one already associated with my Nintendo Network account or the one on my 3DS.

With that said, it'd be easy to update the Mii Plaza on the Wii U/3DS so that Miis made with an outside App can be accepted via SpotPass.

[tendoboy1984]

I'm still shocked that Nintendo still hasn't unified the 3DS and Wii U friends lists. We have Nintendo Network IDs on both consoles yet the friends lists are still seperate?

Nintendo is doing a terrible job promoting their online service. If they want online games to be more popular on their consoles they need to market Nintendo Network as a free alternative to Xbox Live and PSN.

[Stratos]

I would probably stop playing online Nintendo games if they charged for it. Its why I haven't paid a dime for Live. I just used my free trial. I grew up on free PC online games like Starcraft, Warcraft, Dark Forces Jedi Knight, Quake and Age of Empires. So I always recoiled at the thought of paying to play online.

I always believed that if you had to pay to play online then you did not have a good enough product or a sustainable system for your game. And with a few exceptions like WOW and the like it is still true.

[BlackNMild2k1]

http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/01/29/live-nintendos-strategy-briefing-to-address-future-direction/

The key question is how is Nintendo going to take advantage of the rise in smartphones and tablets? Investors have long called for its titles to be released on non-Nintendo platforms. Mr. Iwata says Nintendo will “actively” use smart devices to “make connections with customers.” That is, they’ll use smart devices as a catalyst to encourage customers to use its Nintendo platforms. Short answer, he’s not going to release Nintendo’s titles on other platforms.

[ShyGuy]

I'm guessing most of their lifestyle software will be going on phones and tablets in some capacity.