Should Nintendo Go Mobile?
Yesterday, Bill Mudron tweeted:
I'm kinda wondering if we won't see Nintendo start releasing super-simple games on smartphones within the next 2 years.
–@mudron
First things first: Bill Mudron is a Nintendo fan. This isn’t some anonymous internet troll clamoring for Nintendo to go third-party. This is an admirer of their wares with a genuine interest in the company and upon posting this tweet several others rose to agree with him. This isn’t a new sentiment; Nintendo’s own shareholders have wondered why Nintendo doesn’t sell games on Apple’s App Store. I've been hearing this a lot lately, however it's this tweet that pushed me to address it.
With that said, let's take a quick look at why Nintendo should publish content on mobile devices. Putting their games on another platform increases their visibility and creates mindshare. People want Nintendo software on their phones because phones will always be more convenient than a dedicated gaming handheld. It is a bigger market and let's face it there is a lot of money to be made on the App Store. But while doing so would certainly bring a short-term boost to their bottom line it would damage their current business ventures in the long run. Let's look at the reasons for this.