Nintendo's Big Cheese Stands Alone
 

Nintendo Big Cheese Stands Alone

Following the departure of Nintendo patriarch Hiroshi Yamauchi last spring at age 74, control of the company has largely been delegated to 43 year old president Satoru Iwata. Despite a renewed emphasis on software development, GameCube hardware sales have recently fallen below expectations. To discuss his immediate vision for the company, president Iwata-san recently went on record in Tokyo.

Question: Does Nintendo plan to continue partnering with third-party software developers in 2003?

Iwata-san: A year ago I don't think anyone would have predicted the Square and Enix merger, so things are always changing. While Nintendo has partnered with other companies for software development, we have no plans whatsoever to explore a possible merger or buyout.

Question: What are Nintendo's plans this year in regard to the Internet?

Iwata-san: All the talk in the industry regarding online gaming has been misleading. Network swindlers have made it seem like companies can't survive in this business without network compatibility. That's the same type of rhetoric people have been saying about the newspaper business, that the paper-based periodical business will be dead in 3 years. In reality, the number of users willing to pay a monthly fee for online games is small. Many of the American companies who were focusing almost exclusively on network games last year, now view network capabilities as an advertising tool. The fact of the matter is, network games can't provide a stable source of profit for a company of Nintendo's scale.

Question: GameCube sales have been slightly lower than expected. If Nintendo has only sold 10 million units globally by the end of fiscal 2002, can you realistically meet projections of 50 million units by March 2005?

Iwata-san: The domestic (Japanese) battle intensified last year although overall sales were down 30-40 percent, so the situation was severe. However, sales of Pokemon Ruby and Pokemon Sapphire have exceeded 4 million units since their release on November 21, and have also lifted sales of the GameBoy Advance. Going forward, we plan to release more games which feature compatibility between GameCube and GameBoy Advance. Our sales target of 50 million units by March 2005 hasn't changed.

Question: You were inaugurated as president of Nintendo last spring at age 43, your thoughts since then?

Iwata-san: Former president Hiroshi Yamauchi built this company over 50 years, I've only inherited his work. I don't think the transition was difficult because of Nintendo's collective management strategy. That strategy of six representative directors making key decisions for the company reflects former president Hiroshi Yamauchi's philosophy regarding the needs of the constantly changing videogame market.

Translation Asst. Tsuno Okashi

AH!
 

Only 10 million sold WTF is wrong with gamers these days. Cube is by far the best system out there with titles such as Metroid Prime, ED:SR, SMS, Pikmin, PSO 1+2, Lost Kingdoms, Starfox Adventures, SBA2 etc. I dont think I have ever been this angry in my life. *spends about fifteen minutes to cool off*
Anyways way I still believe Nintendo's got something up their sleave. Praise Nintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto.
I own two cubes
I guess I have to buy a used PS2 now so Sony doesnt get anymore money. grrrrrrrrrr!:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
%*&# im so angry

Re: AH!
 

Laughing Out Loud.

Well, um that character sure is interesting.

I really do hope Nintendo has some plans for online games, I may some of them would be so much better online, but eh. Nintendo hasn't always made the right choices.

part of the problem with console on line games is that many of them require the montly payment

and the number of users who want to pay the monthly payment is small.

i sure as hell will not pay anything extra to play a game.

console games have it a bit rougher cuz unlike computers. people cant setup dedicated servers.

Playing games online is a big thing. Nintendo is a bit blind in that reguard. Online games are NOT going away. online games have been around on computers for years and years now. they get stronger and stronger. i dont see why nintendo cant see this.

it just sounds like nintendo sees no way to play them besides nintendo setting up a server. in which case it wouldnt be profitable. but to include a way to connect to other users does not cost them money. users dont really NEED nintendo's servers.

personally i dont get consoles for online games. my PC is what i use for online games. but there are some console exclusive games that would be fun to play online.

Sooner or later Nintendo will be forced to see the internet is important. just gotta hope they see it soon.

The question is what is wrong with the big N. The games you list are good but they do nothing to attract casual gamers. Nintendo
just doesn't have a broad enough title range to bring in the fence
sitters in the console wars. Where are their top-of-the-line sports
or driving games? Don't get me wrong Nintendo does have great games but they are too limited to games that have a very deep immersion level. They need more "popcorn" games before they really start moving high console numbers. Mass game appeal moves more systems than Mario.

Thats why Nintendo has Factor 5, Silicon Knights, Retro, and Capcom making exclusive games for it. But still most people whi buy cube dont buy it for sports games, or at least not repurchase one every year. Madden 2002 sales were significantly better then 2003, and THPS3 sold better on cube then THPS4. Its a similar case for other sports.

Re: AH!
 

Ok, Mr. Fanboy :rolleyes:. I agree that the Gamecube is an excellent machine. It does have very good games. But, it doesn't have a lot of the little games that PS2 and X-Box have. It also needs more mature games. I know that it's getting a little better at that, but the intended age range is still too small to attract lots of gamers.

Ehh, n/m. The rumors have come back. And it still stands as a 50/50 chance they get ported later on in life. But, this is comming from a capcom USA rep guy, and they dont seem to know as much about these games as the main capcom does. I also dont thing they would make this page totaly exclusive to cube games and show them exclusivly to cube with videos and junk, and say all this stuff about it, then add "Oh and BTW..."

you would think so, wouldn't you?

hmm......

hey, wasn't Resident Evil dubbed GAMECUBE EXLUSIVE?

now maybe I'm wrong, but I seem to have read that this interesting new title 'Resident Evil Online' is being produced for Sony's Playstation 2. Oh, and that new FP/3PS...Resident Evil: Dead Aim...I believe that's slated for a Playstation 2 release as well.

hmm.......

Only the specified titles in were announced exclusive (REmake, RE0, RE4, and RE2/3). Capcom USA even said before their release that they MAY not be cube exclusive. Now, who has been playing RE0 on their PS2?

Though they may have announced 2/3 releasing after the announcement, I forget.

All of the MAIN RE games are exclusive to 'Cube.(ie: RE1, RE2,etc....) Any of the "spinoffs" can go wherever Capcom says. But Nintendo will realize online has possibilities if they include it in either the new F-Zero or the new Mario Kart or both! But until then, I'm content with offline multi with real friends around me. (Don't make any stupid replies saying "You have friends?!")

The problem si there its these casual gamers. Gaming has somewhat gone downhill in quality since the beginning of 3D gaming. In the ancient past gaming was an underground thing. It appealed to an elite sect of nerds. It s pity that we have to lower the quality and difficulty of our games to appease there fence sitters. Nintendo is the only console system that is keeping true to gaming's origins(not that ps2 and xbox dont have their share off good hardcore games, but they are all third party)
I miss when it was just Sega and Nintenod. Those were the days :(

While I will agree the Industry has gone downhill in the last 2-3 years, I dont think it went downhill right after 3D gaming started. There were so many great 3D games made...

Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire will have a strong effect. I don't their solely going to make the goal themselves but they'll definatley be an influence.