We recently heard that Nintendo would be open to the possibility of mergers and acquisitions. The company just put up its investor Q&A in English, so we now have Satoru Iwata’s complete comments on the matter. You can find them (plus more talk of character licensing) below.

More: M&A, Satoru Iwata

Iwata on integrating handheld/console teams, next system will “absorb the Wii U architecture adequately”, more

Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 38 Comments

Satoru Iwata delivered some incredibly insightful comments as to what Nintendo has planned for its future hardware during an investor briefing Q&A last week.

As many of you know, Nintendo combined its console and handheld teams in 2013. Thanks to “vast technological advances, it became possible to achieve a fair degree of architectural integration.”

Iwata says that the integration of the two teams can help overcome some technical difficulties. He mentioned, as an example, that it currently takes “a huge amount of effort” to port Wii games to 3DS, and 3DS titles to Wii U. “If the transition of software from platform to platform can be made simpler, this will help solve the problem of game shortages in the launch periods of new platforms,” he said.

Integrating the console and handheld teams will also allow Nintendo to avoid situations in which it previously “ended up developing a system that was completely different from its predecessor.” Aside from the transition from GameCube to Wii, “all the other systems required ground-up effort.”

Iwata left a tease as for what’s to come, stating:

In this perspective, while we are only going to be able to start this with the next system, it will become important for us to accurately take advantage of what we have done with the Wii U architecture. It of course does not mean that we are going to use exactly the same architecture as Wii U, but we are going to create a system that can absorb the Wii U architecture adequately. When this happens, home consoles and handheld devices will no longer be completely different, and they will become like brothers in a family of systems.

Be sure to head past the break for Iwata’s comments in full, as there’s quite a bit more he shared that would be silly to summarize further.

More: Satoru Iwata, top

Nintendo will distribute/publish more Japanese 3DS games in the west, Iwata on third-party Wii U support, more

Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Wii U | 5 Comments

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata addressed the topic of third-party support – for both 3DS and Wii U – during the company’s investor briefing last week.

Regarding 3DS, Iwata says the platform has become “the number one dedicated video game system that Japanese third-party publishers are focusing on” due to its “overwhelmingly strong presence in the hardware as well as software markets”. Nintendo will continue to distribute and publish some Japanese titles “this year and the next.”

The situation is different in the west, as publishers tend to focus more on consoles as opposed to handhelds. However, Iwata noted: “the fact that Nintendo 3DS has now sold over 10 million units in both the U.S. and Europe seems to be news for third-party publishers, and we have recently been receiving more proposals from third-party publishers.”

When it comes to Wii U, “opinions significantly differ among third-party publishers.” There are still some publishers – particular those “that has great affinity with audiences that Nintendo has historically been strong with” – who continue to support the console and even look to assist Nintendo in getting people to upgrade from Wii to Wii U. “On the other hand, software publishers are not necessarily keen on making games in genres that have weaker affinity with audiences that Nintendo has not been as strong with, where making a huge investment does not guarantee a sufficient return,” Iwata explained. Ultimately, Iwata believes Nintendo must “create a strong foundation in areas Nintendo excels at and achieve a sufficient sales volume,” which is the first step for the company.

More: Satoru Iwata, top

Iwata on the importance of momentum, never thought about resigning

Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Wii U | 0 comments

Momentum is something that we often hear Nintendo discussing. The 3DS, for example, saw a tough start, but Nintendo turned things around with a price drop and steady stream of software. This provided a momentum boost for the system.

Unfortunately, Wii U has yet to see any sort of momentum. This is something that Nintendo president Satoru Iwata reaffirmed to investors last week.

In spite of the Wii U’s struggles though, Iwata says he “never thought of resignation as an option, and I believe that my job is to do whatever I can do to deliver results, and I am as passionate about this responsibility as ever.”

Read Iwata’s full comments on momentum below.

More: Satoru Iwata, top

Iwata on licensing Nintendo’s characters

Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 3 Comments

Nintendo announced a new approach to character licensing at its financial briefing last week. Whereas the company previously guarded its characters closely, Satoru Iwata confirmed plans to make IP more widely available and “actively expand” its character licensing business.

Iwata later clarified to investors that Nintendo won’t likely approve each request. Rather, Nintendo “will judge, based on our own criteria, if that licensed product really leads to consumers’ smiles in the medium- to long-term, and if it is in direct competition with our core business.

More: Satoru Iwata, top

Iwata on 3DS/Wii U profitability, Mario Kart/Smash will drive Wii U, more

Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Wii U | 11 Comments

Thanks to the 3DS’ install base, Nintendo now feels that it can turn a profit with the system’s software. President Satoru Iwata mentioned to investors last week that the company has “many key titles to be released in this calendar year and we will strive to drive profits from these titles.” 3DS overall is expected to be “the key profit-driver for the next fiscal year”.

With Wii U, on the other hand, Iwata admitted that “it is not easy to make a significant profit with the current units sold.” But with Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. acting “as our main drivers”, Nintendo “would like to make sure that the markets will thoroughly acknowledge the value of Wii U, including the titles that we have released to date.”

More: Mario Kart 8, Satoru Iwata, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, top

Iwata elaborates on plans and goals for smart devices

Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 2 Comments

Last week, Nintendo confirmed plans to take advantage of smart devices in a number of ways. This will demonstrate “the value of our entertainment offerings, thus encouraging more people to participate in Nintendo platforms.”

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata elaborated on the company’s plans and goals for smart devices during the Q&A portion of its investor briefing. You can find his comments in full below.

More: Satoru Iwata, smart device, top

Tomodachi Collection: New Life seeing localization?

Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS | 3 Comments

Tomodachi Collection: New Life appears to be heading west. Satoru Iwata apparently told reporters earlier this week that Nintendo is currently deciding on what can/can’t be kept for the game’s overseas launch.

“Nintendo is working on the right balance of localizing Japan-oriented games just enough so that foreign audiences can enjoy them,” The Wall Street Journal reports. Iwata believes that the situation is ultimately “all about balance.”

Iwata also said that, at the development stage, Nintendo must “work even more closely with the U.S. team,” to ensure that preferences in the states are considered. The US is an important region for the company, as 40 to 50 percent of its sales originate from the territory.

Source

More: Satoru Iwata, Tomodachi Collection: New Life, top

Iwata on Nintendo’s poor financial performance, “should abandon old assumptions about our businesses”, M&A possible, more

Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 12 Comments

Nikkei has published another interview with Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, this time in English. Iwata spoke about Nintendo’s poor financial performance as of late, those who are concerned about the company’s business operations going forward, and more.

Iwata also mentioned the need to “abandon old assumptions about our businesses”. This includes M&As (mergers and acquisitions), he said.

Head past the break for Iwata’s comments in full.

More: Satoru Iwata, top

Iwata on smartphone apps, reviving home console business, not thinking about successor for the near future, more

Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, General Nintendo, News, Wii U | 4 Comments

Japanese publication Nikkei recently posted an interview with Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. Iwata commented on the company’s plans for smartphone apps, reviving the home console business, and a successor for Nintendo’s CEO position – of which he’s not thinking about in the near term.

Read on below for some paraphrases of Iwata’s quotes.