The biggest name in Japanese video gaming is reportedly looking at smartphones and tablets as a means to save its struggling business.
Nintendo, which ruled the home console arena for throughout the 80s and well into the 90s – and made a striking comeback in the mid-00s with its seminal games console, the Wii – is believed to be looking at mobile platforms in the hope of countering disappointing sales figures for its latest machine, the Wii U.
The company recently announced that it expects to post an annual loss of around £145m, having shifted just 2.8 million Wii U consoles – despite predicting that around nine million would be shipped.
Industry analysts believe that Nintendo – which is responsible for a number of world famous video game characters, including the moustachioed, tortoise-stomping plumber, Mario, and the swashbuckling hero of the Zelda series, Link – is losing some of its long-standing market appeal.
While the company has previously stated that it is unlikely fans will see Mario games coming to devices like iPhones or iPads, the president of Nintendo, Satoru Itawa, has hinted recently that the firm’s attitude to embracing mobile devices has altered.
Itawa explained:
“We are thinking about a new business structure. Given the expansion of smart devices, we are naturally studying how smart devices can be used to grow the game-player business.
“The way people use their time, their lifestyles, who they are have changed. If we stay in one place, we will become outdated.”
For some, it will come as no surprise that Nintendo may be considering tapping into the rich potential offered by the mobile arena. After all, companies across various sectors are looking at the increasing use of mobile and examining how it can be turned to a business’ advantage. From a website marketing perspective, reaching out to customers with an approach targeted and tailored to the platforms they use makes a lot of sense.
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