A report claims that Nintendo is hoping to attract smartphone software developers to the Wii U.
The company is also distributing conversion software which will allow developers to port smartphone applications to the Wii U with ease, according to the same report.
According to a CVG report, Nintendo has several high profile releases scheduled for the second half of 2013, including a 3D Mario game.
In light of the company's new push for digital distribution across the Wii U and 3DS, Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata has expressed interest in smartphone app payment systems, including free-to-play and subscription models.
Comments
27 comments so far...
diablomaster000 on 6 May '13 said:
The ultimate sign of desperation trying to get cell phone games on a console.
jodders on 6 May '13 said:
This does not inspire confidence in WiiU! It's hardly likely that smart phone game makers are going to start producing things of quality because Ninty asks them! Why play mobile games on your console if you already own a mobile?
Or is this intended as filler until Ninty get's some proper 3rd party love?
I really wanted the WiiU to be something good, with great games but it seems to me it's just endless recycling of every Ninty IP and now mobile games!? I really wanted to see what Ninty's console was all about but I see absolutely nothing to tempt me. I mean ANOTHER Mario game? Big whoop! I thought Ninty were supposed to be some radical left-field thinkers.
Not according to this debacle.
WiiU WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR? Absolutely NUTHIN! as far as I can see at least.
Come on Nintendo surely you can do better, I don't want a two horse console race.
Audest_Oggust on 6 May '13 said:
Steam and Apple (and potentially Android) could take Nintendo's place. Wouldn't be that surprising.
Imaduck on 6 May '13 said:
steve w on 6 May '13 said:
To be honest this is not what you would buy a wii U for, its a bit like what there doing with the vita at the moment getting loads of iPhone/iPad type games and indie games on there.
Games which I would never buy.
AJDarkstar on 6 May '13 said:
PlayStation minis and PS mobile games on Vita.
That is all.
Barca Azul on 6 May '13 said:
Might be ok and you can play them on 3DS too like with PS3/Vita. You can never have too many games.
Balladeer on 6 May '13 said:
I don't see this as being a bad thing. Picking up a couple of smartphone-esque titles on WiiWare for knockdown prices would be nice. Not all smartphone games are bad, people! (He says never having played one, but with so many games the odds are in my favour.)
I agree that such games would be better suited to the portability of the 3DS, however.
flyfletch on 6 May '13 said:
Whats wrong with this? A bit of diversity on the Wii U. We will still get all the other games we want from Nintendo as well. Hats off to them for trying to broaden the systems appeal.
TechnoWolf on 6 May '13 said:
But won't the developers be limited by the single touch screen?
Barca Azul on 6 May '13 said:
Plus its the way the market is going.
These game makers dont care what the device is, providing it works. Take angry birds for example, its certainly on PSN and XBL.
Will be the same for the next MS and Sony consoles.
TheLastDodo on 6 May '13 said:
NO NINTENDO I DON'T WANT A BIGGER AND MORE DIVERSE CHOICE OF GAMES TO PLAY ON MY WII U!!! I'D RATHER HAVE NOTHING TO PLAY AND COMPLAIN ABOUT THERE BEEN NOTHING TO PLAY!!! ALSO SMARTPHONE GAMES AREN'T REAL GAMES, THAT INCLUDES SMARTPHONE GAMES WE PLAYED ON PS2 & XBOX TEN YEARS AGO LIKE GRAND THEFT AUTO!!!
Jon Ahmad on 6 May '13 said:
It's all about glowing spreadsheets at the end of the fiscal year and I think Nintendo are making a positive move to: a) broaden appeal and b) increasing their market share. I do sometimes find it amusing to read the 'dire predictions of the future' regarding the company by certain individuals. These companies have professional market analysts, massive PR campaigns, think tanks working every day and moreover, years of experience, cash and professionally appointed executives. I hardly think that they sit around after a mass p*ss up one night then decide to take a blind risk.
sambrox on 6 May '13 said:
I don't think you should read "smartphone games", but more "smartphone apps". By this, I'm thinking photo apps like Old/Fat Booth, Hipstamatic etc., communications apps akin to Viber, What'sApp and the like, weather apps, social apps... You get the picture. I don't think Nintendo will ease their vice-like grip on the type of game content available on their platform(s) and can only realistically see the 'blockbuster' mobile games making an appearance (Angry Birds et ál, as mentioned previously by someone else), if any.
Vhyper1985 on 6 May '13 said:
Ah more doom saying already in this thread...
If you look at what a lot of the Indie developers are doing on Kickstarter you could have seen this coming a mile away! A lot of small developers are kickstarting games for mobile platforms with WiiU & PSN as stretch goals if/when they get enough funding, I don't see this as a bad thing to be honest as this means more games for the e-shop, as others have said already on here Angry Birds has appeared on PSN/XBL & you can play Fruit Ninja with your Kinect already so it's not just Nintendo that see the potential of some of these titles.
GlynCR on 6 May '13 said:
If simpsons tapped out was put on wiiU id buy it
runadumb on 6 May '13 said:
Okay folks think about this for a second. Its to get the causal (read wii) players back to Nintendo and away from their tablets.
Its a smart move, at least as something to try. Though as someone else said that single input display might really hinder the effort.
sambrox on 6 May '13 said:
Only with games that specifically require multitouch as a mechanic other than directional input. The Wii U gamepad has 2 sticks and a crosspad, don't forget...
Jigster1 on 6 May '13 said:
Then would you care to explain to me how a company such as THQ who had experience in the industry and listen to these so called "think tanks", "Market Analysts" etc and how they failed?
Takes one decision and things go downhill from then!
I don't think Ninty will fail just that they'll stop making consoles in a few years time!
dwhlufc on 6 May '13 said:
Thats a handheld and you can use two fingers on the vita screen.
I personally don't see it as a bad thing but I'd love to hear from "stealth" he did after all say that mobile gaming is full of utter crap!
kimoak on 6 May '13 said:
Personally, I have always thought THQ were a terrible company and am surprised that they lasted as long as they did.
Farmboy74 on 6 May '13 said:
I've already got my S3 hooked up to a PS3 controller, why would I want to re-download them again for most likely a higher price?
Jon Ahmad on 6 May '13 said:
@Jigster1: I find it incredible you have the gall to compare a company like THQ to someone like Nintendo, who's history and pedigree is steeped in quality control, real talent and success with a sold reputation for long term profitability. However, I really cannot be chewed to explain it.
liveswired on 7 May '13 said:
You hit the nail on the head.
Imagine trying to play Air Hockey with one Gamepad....It's never going to happen...Ouch Nintendo - your insistence on sticking with ancient technology has really damaged your credibility as a hardware developer - the Wii U is completely in the wrong era. Despite being a jack of all trades it has the WORST OF EVERYTHING - from the hardware right through to the design.
Even when the Wii U has lots of good games we will always be thinking 'what if?'
flyfletch on 7 May '13 said:
You can be sure it will be fabulous now, especially with all the playtesting and things lmao
WHERESMYMONKEY on 7 May '13 said:
Have you actually playe don a WiiU? I'm going to guess not. Then again it's not like you actaully have to try something before you can form some kind of credible opinion on it... no, madness lies that way.
The only thing the 720 and ps4 have on the wiiU is raw graphical power. Thats it. The WiiU on the other hand has a swiss army knife for a joypad, that is also one of the most comfortable i've ever held despite its size, and the most critically acclaimed devloper on the planet behind it, that'd be nintendo but the fact remains they're games are always genre defining and some of the best of whatever generation of consoles they appear on.
I honestly don't know what the problem is with WiiU making it easy for companies to convert iOS and Android games to the wiiU. That doesn't just mean mobile, That means ipad and Ouya and indie stuff by the bucketload at minimum cost to the devs and i'll have more stuff to potentially play.
I welcome this move. The more the merrier i say.
Balladeer on 7 May '13 said:
I thought that was why we had consoles? So that we could complain about them.