Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has fielded a number of questions relating to handheld gaming – competition in particular. Head past the break for his comments on what it would take for his company to stop making dedicated gaming handhelds, the threat of smartphones, how the two platforms differ, and more.
Retail games still have a strong presence in the industry, but selling titles digitally has become increasingly popular.
Now that there is such a focus on digital downloads, EA Games executive vice president Patrick Soderlund believes retail releases could be on the way out.
When asked if he believes EA will still be selling physical content at retailers in ten years, Soderlund said:
“I don’t know, it’s a hard question. We know that packaged goods work, and the majority of our current revenue comes from that. That’s still a viable business model. In the long term, we’ll see more and more people gravitate to downloaded content. I happen to think that there’s something about physical content, like books, that’s collectable and satisfying to own. I still want physical content but I’m not part of the new generation of gamers. I remember a time when I bought a cartridge and excitedly read the manual on my way home, imagining what the game was going to be like. Maybe kids don’t have that anymore.”
Soderlund added:
“I think it’s going to be sooner than people think. I think it’s going to be sooner than ten years. That’s my personal opinion, and might not be what EA thinks.”
THUNDER, THUNDER, THUNDER, THUNDERCATS HO!
The hit animated high-action series claws its way onto the Nintendo DS™! Become Lion-O and battle Mumm-Ra and his evil forces as you run, jump, and slash your way through action ripped straight from the new animated series. Wield the incredible power of the Sword of Omens in this epic side-scrolling adventure.
Fractured Soul has finally been approved, according to the game’s Facebook page.
It still doesn’t have a release date, but receiving approval from Nintendo is one of the final steps of the process. Now that this step has been completed, we could be seeing Fractured Soul on the eShop soon.
“Some good news: Fractured Soul has been approved by Nintendo today. We still don’t have a solid release date yet, but it couldn’t take too long for us to be given one… could it??”
Fishing Resort was a bit of an odd localization choice for XSEED. The company traditionally brings over Japanese RPGs and quirkier titles rather than more casual experiences.
XSEED recently explained its decision to localize the game and also commented on Fishing Resort’s sales. Expectedly, the company wishes it had sold more.
XSEED’s Jessica Chavez noted:
“We published it because it is an awesome game. Seriously. It may not be our usual pick, but that game was the most relaxing fun I’ve ever had working. That and Yuji Naka is a cool guy. As for how it did… I’d like it to do more. It’s a criminally overlooked title for how good it is. Call me crazy, but once you wrestle with an alligator gar you won’t be able to put it down.”
