Since the reports on Nintendo heading into the smartphone gaming industry started spreading like wild fire recently, a lot of conclusions have been drawn on the kind of stuff we might or might not get to see from the company, in association with DeNA, heading into the future.
While we already made a list of the titles that we would definitely like to be ported over to the mobile from Nintendo, in reality, there's more than it meets the eye. There might not be the kind of ports we would like to see on the mobile, and Nintendo would rather invest on new stuff, rather than the usual Zeldas and Super Marios.
"Nintendo has decided to utilize smart devices aggressively," said Nintendo President Satoru Iwata in a joint presentation with DeNA earlier on Friday. "Now that smart devices have grown to become the window for so many people to personally connect with society, it would be a waste not to use these devices."
How the Deal Works Out?
As revealed, part of this new deal will give Nintendo a 10pct stake in DeNA, while DeNA can then buy a 1.24pct stake of Nintendo. The partnership will also mean "all Nintendo IP will be eligible for development and exploration". Following this, DeNA and Nintendo will then develop a new online membership service for smartphones, tablets, PCs and Nintendo consoles like the 3DS and Wii U.
Zelda and Mario on Mobile: To Be?
Reaching out to the topic in a more optimistic manner, if anything is to be made from an interesting little selection from the DeNA statement that states "all Nintendo IP will be eligible for development and exploration by the alliance," it might seem like just maybe titles like Mario or Zelda are indeed on the company's cards for a smartphone port.
While there's an outward indication here that all brands in the Nintendo family are up for grabs, there's still no certainty that we will indeed see iconic titles such as those being readily ported over to the smartphone sector.
Zelda and Mario on Mobile: Or Not To Be?
Speaking about ports, as much as we may want them, Nintendo might just not agree on simply throwing over its more iconic titles into a sector that it's just entering (although we are sure they would be instant hits).
And there are more reasons to let go of any expectations of such ports, going by the mission statement that reads: "Nintendo and DeNA intend to jointly operate new gaming applications featuring Nintendo IP, which they will develop specifically for smart devices."
Apart from that, DeNA just went into more details saying that the games would be entirely new projects "rather than porting games created specifically for the Wii U home console or the Nintendo 3DS portable system."
While Nintendo may have experienced a tough time in the gaming industry in the past with more and more consumers opting for the PlayStation 4s and Xbox Ones, it will still think twice before moving its big guns to a still uncharted sector. And after all, that would also demean the value of its own consoles in the market, no matter how much they have lost their shine over the years.
A Certain Conclusion?
Sure we all want the Zeldas, the Marios and even Super Smash Bros to be introduced to the mobile platform, but things might take a different turn in the coming months. Maybe this kind of concern is unjustified and maybe there will be titles that mark a new chapter in the history of Nintendo. We shall see.
