{"id":60117,"date":"2011-02-02T13:57:44","date_gmt":"2011-02-02T18:57:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nintendoeverything.com\/index.php\/?p=60117"},"modified":"2011-02-02T13:57:44","modified_gmt":"2011-02-02T18:57:44","slug":"iwata-on-the-3ds-competition-pokemon-3ds-lack-of-3g-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nintendoeverything.com\/iwata-on-the-3ds-competition-pokemon-3ds-lack-of-3g-more\/","title":{"rendered":"Iwata on the 3DS’ competition, Pokemon 3DS, lack of 3G, more"},"content":{"rendered":"

Iwata’s response to an opinion that people will expect less from home consoles in the future…<\/p>\n

“The question was if the value (created by home consoles) or ‘the rich experiences which could be realized only by home console video game systems’ have changed. Until recently, it was true that the focus had been placed significantly on the ‘rich experiences’ which were available because of such advantages as it could use the home electricity and, accordingly, home consoles have less restrictions in terms of power consumption, unlike portable devices which require batteries to operate, and that large and dynamic graphics can be created for the large monitor screens. But are these ‘rich experiences’ the only unique characteristics which could be realized solely by home console video games in the first place?<\/strong><\/p>\n

If such ‘rich experiences’ were actually the only uniqueness, home consoles would lose their meaning when battery-operated portable devices become capable of reproducing similar rich experiences. On the contrary, and this is something which started to be discussed when Wii made its debut in 2006, bigger screen TVs were entering our living rooms around that time, which enabled people to use their living rooms for a more broad range of purposes. More specifically, living rooms had morphed into play areas where people could move their bodies. This is one of the unique entertainment features that home console systems, not handheld devices, were able to realize.<\/strong><\/p>\n

With this as an example, even such a distinction that ‘home console machines provide rich experiences but handheld devices cannot’ will change as time goes by, and I believe that there will always be unique experiences that only home consoles can realize. Nintendo has to make efforts to offer the public something only our home console systems can achieve. There are also a number of restrictions with home consoles such as you have to be in front of a TV set, all the players must get together in one place and you cannot play if someone else is watching a TV program. I feel that an increasing number of people, who are playing with a variety of games, are saying, ‘I used to be able to start home console games rather casually, just whenever I felt like playing with them, but nowadays, because I am used to the easy-to-start handheld game devices, I have to have a rather strong determination to start playing with home console games.’ I understand that the situation surrounding home consoles is changing. Home consoles have to provide something unique to users that is only possible on home consoles in addition to the ‘rich experiences. For example, we must focus on what kinds of unique entertainment can be created when a home console can reproduce its images on a large monitor screen which can be viewed by several people at the same time. I think that in the mid and long term, the mission of home console machines will change in this fashion.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

Iwata on the NGP…<\/p>\n

“I was anticipating that some of you would certainly ask me this question today. (laughter) But, Nintendo has been and will continue to be a company that does not think in terms of how to compete with other companies’ products. Our only focus has always been, ‘What kind of new proposals from the company will be able to capture the attention of even those who are indifferent to video games?’ and ‘How can the company create entertainment which has the potential to be appreciated by people regardless of age and gender?” In the end, the question we are always asking ourselves is, ‘How can we surprise people in a positive way?’<\/strong><\/p>\n

In reality, however, our products are sold on the same shelves as other products. But how each one of these products is to be sold in the market is up to the consumers who will decide which product seems more appealing to them, so I do not think I should comment on any other companies\u2019 products.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The only thing I may be able to say here is that other companies are trying to appeal to consumers in quite a different way than we do. I am hopeful that several such products with different proposals shall be offered to consumers and that, as a result, the entire handheld game market will flourish more.<\/strong><\/p>\n

You may still feel that I should share at least my own personal impressions. I think it was at the same Financial Briefing we held this time one year ago that I was asked to share my impressions of iPad, which was announced shortly before our event. At that time, I said, ‘it felt like the introduction of a larger iPod touch,’ and my comment made the audience laugh. Because I was asked to do so, I just shared my honest first impression without any positive or negative inclinations at all. However, my first impression was somehow misinterpreted and spread as if the president of Nintendo had discredited iPad by calling it, ‘merely a bigger version of iPod touch.’ Maybe there was something wrong in the translations from my Japanese comment into English, which were once again translated into Japanese and reported in Japan with different implications than my original comment, but some people thought and commented on the Internet that, ‘Nintendo’s president is outrageous,’ and I had to read their such remarks, again, on the Net, and I felt that the situation had become quite surreal. (laughter) That incident made me realize that I must refrain from sharing even very frank first impressions.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I understand that, in general, people around the world take it for granted that every company must compete against other companies’ products, so it must be natural for many to ask, “How will you compete?” Please understand that Nintendo is not a company which changes its strategy just because another company is going to launch this hardware console or that device. For example, how Nintendo has been persevering with 3D and how extensively we have thought about this new product are now explained in some of the Iwata Asks interviews. We have elaborated on this background in considerable detail and, by now, many of you must have already read the relevant Iwata Asks interviews that we have posted, so I will not spend time to reiterate these points. But in summary, the company has spent many years attempting this, and we believe that the time has finally come to launch this product. This decision cannot be altered by whatever offers other companies may newly make. Let us focus our efforts and energies on helping consumers to understand the brand-new value of Nintendo 3DS, by directly experiencing it, in hope that they will pass on to others their honest appreciation of the product’s value.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

Iwata on Nintendo’s lack of 3DS games at launch, Pokemon 3DS…<\/p>\n\n\n \t\t\n\t\t\t\t