Tidbits from Nikkei about Nintendo/Iwata – theme park had been planned, Wii U, June an important test
Japanese publication Nikkei posted a new article today covering various bits about Nintendo president Satoru Iwata and the company in general. There isn’t really one particular theme here, but we do hear more about smartphones, a theme park in Kyoto that never came to be, Wii U, June being a big test for Iwata, and more.
Here’s a comprehensive summary of Nikkei’s article:
* Nintendo rejected the suggestion of a Hong Kong investor that Nintendo move towards smartphone games with the observation “are there any companies that have had sustained revenue growth from smartphone games?”
* The head of a large Chinese investment firm assigned to analyze Nintendo observed that “Nintendo must leverage its intellectual property, such as its characters.” As a matter of fact, a few years ago Nintendo was planning to open a theme park based on its characters in Kyoto, but the project has apparently been mothballed.
* These comments on Nintendo’s existing properties reflect the irritation of investors who believe that the company has not found new sources of revenue.
*Consolidated profits and earnings for the March period showed a loss of 35 billion yen, (compared to a 36.4 billion yen loss the month previously) representing three consecutive months of losses.
*Iwata said “only after playing the WiiU is it possible to understand its appeal. Low sales are due to the console being not well-enough known.” Within the company, proposals for how to play the WiiU are being considered.
*Current cash reserves are over 500 billion yen, but whether Iwata will be given unlimited time is a separate question.
*At the general meeting in March 2011, Iwata was reappointed with 92.89% of the vote, but in 2013 he was reappointed with only 77.26%.
*This coming June will be a major test for Iwata.
