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Nintendo has no plans to develop iOS games

updated 12:25 pm EDT, Mon July 5, 2010

Nintendo rejects idea of writing for Apple

Nintendo's CEO and president, Satoru Iwata, rejected the idea of his company developing for Apple's iOS devices in the company's recent shareholder meeting. The executive took an Apple-like approach to software himself and said that Nintendo's games were inseparable from the hardware. Their devices, he told the Sankei Shinbun, were likely to dilute the experience.

"Nintendo is defined by integrated hardware and software," Iwata said. "Others are incompatible with the values Nintendo puts into its hardware. We won't produce software [for them] at all."

The call for support came as shareholders were curious about whether Nintendo would support other, "interesting" platforms. It still has the largest dedicated mobile gaming platform in the DS series, but it has faced a steadily dropping sales rate. Most attribute this not just to the six-year age of the main DS hardware but also the effect of iPhones and iPods as gamers choose just one device over the DS and a separate media player or phone.

Nintendo has had a poor experience with third-party platforms as it outsourced games for the Philips CD-i that were criticized both for their quality and for the choice of console. [via 1UP]

By Electronista Staff
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  1. lamewing

    Dedicated MacNNer

    Joined: Aug 2004



    Sega said the same thing back in the days of the Dreamcast. Now they are software only. I hope this doesn't happen to Nintendo as the iOS platform is not ready for serious games yet...due to lack of hardware controls and an App Store that is very hard to navigate.

  1. iphonerulez

    Dedicated MacNNer

    Joined: Nov 2008


    Does Apple need Nintendo games that badly?

    Have people been asking for Nintendo games to be put on the iOS platform. There are enough developers already for iOS so it shouldn't matter what Nintendo does. I believe Nintendo should continue to plug away and keep their own games exclusive on the Nintendo platform. I think that's the best way for them to survive.

  1. wrenchy

    Forum Regular

    Joined: Nov 2009



    Kind of pointless article is this?? Slow day at macnn I see.

    Nintendo making iOS games is about as likely as Apple allowing their customers to install what they want on their phones. Not bloody likely.

  1. aardman

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Nov 2009


    comment title

    Nothing wrong with Nintendo's strategy as long as they don't mind being a niche player. Only the blindly unobservant haven't notice that handheld mobile is going multifunction and if Nintendo insists on keeping their games exclusive to their own devices they will have to be happy selling only to hardcore Nintendo mobile gamers. And frankly their game offerings seem to be just a procession of remakes of the same tired old games. Mario needs to be put in a home and the apes need to be returned to the jungle.

  1. coffeetime

    Mac Enthusiast

    Joined: Nov 2006


    There's no reason to..

    Nintendo's home console is still the World's best seller versus XBOX 360 and PS3. Lots of great games are still selling for the Wii consoles. They just need to rethink their mobile division. Whereas Apple is just opposite.... iPhone dominates but not the Macs.

  1. burger

    Forum Regular

    Joined: Sep 2000


    comment title

    Kinda of sad, Nintendo could actually clean house making a few great games for iOS. Would it cannibalize their hardware sales? I would guess only minimally. I'd bet they'd make far more than lose.

  1. facebook_Mitchell

    Via Facebook

    Joined: Oct 2010



    They could carrying on mainly developers for their own handheld but it wouldn't hurt to put half a dozen games on iOS. Would love to play a Zelda game on the iPhone.

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