Miyamoto says Nintendo didn’t pursue smartphones previously since they weren’t powerful enough
We’ve finally seen Nintendo dip its toes into the mobile market this year. As for why it didn’t happen sooner, Shigeru Miyamoto told The Wall Street Journal that smartphones weren’t powerful enough. However, Miyamoto says that there are now “more opportunities for consumers to come into contact with a mobile phone than our own gaming devices.”
As for Nintendo’s next mobile effort Super Mario Run, development took about a year. Miyamoto noted that it was designed the way it is since most people hold their phones with one hand. To compensate for the narrow width of phone screens, the team focused on making Mario climb and drop to collect items.