Tanabe/Kelbaugh on keeping Nintendo games off mobile devices
Veteran Nintendo producer Kensuke Tanabe and Retro Studios CEO Michael Kelbaugh have both weighed in on why the Big N is against putting its games on mobile devices.
Tanane told GameSpot that translating the controls available with traditional games is “a really, really difficult task.” Also, when all is said and done, “I want Nintendo games to be played on Nintendo hardware,” he stated.
Tanaba’s quotes in full:
“With games like Mario and Donkey Kong, the control input is such an important part of that; I think if you’re trying to replicate that feeling of control that you have traditional to those games, translating those to a smart device, that’s a just a really, really difficult task. Of course I’m not ignoring the fact that the marketplace is flooded with these devices and that there are a lot of games created specifically for them. Personally, as I mentioned earlier, I don’t have a curiosity of or feeling of needing to create or wanting to create games for those devices. I want Nintendo games to be played on Nintendo hardware.”
Kelbaugh also mentioned that making Nintendo games comes to the forefront, whereas hardware takes a back seat. Retro concentrates on “making a great game” and allows Nintendo to “decide what box they want to put it in, how they want to package it.”
“We make games, and more importantly, we make Nintendo games. That’s where our emphasis is and that’s what we want to do. Hardware to us is kind of secondary. We put everything we have into making great games and we’ll make those on whatever hardware Nintendo supports.”
“What we’re focused on is just making a great game. Wherever it ends up, that’s not our decision, so I think we need to concentrate on making great content and let Nintendo decide what box they want to put it in, how they want to package it. Watching this whole debate going on right now…I don’t give it a whole lot of thought just because I’m concentrating on making a fun, great game and hardware’s always kind of a revolving target I guess.”
