Even more so. One of the selling points of their products is the ability to buy now classic games and play them on the Wii or 3DS. Not only are they losing leverage, they're giving people a reason to buy Apple instead of Nintendo. All it takes is one commercial, shot in front of a white background, with a indie track in the background, and a smooth voice going "... now with Ocarina of Time in the AppStore".
Apparently people do not realize the importance of investors, 3DS isn't doing well and because of that I am sure investors and game publishers are pulling away from doing anything 3DS related. Nintendo's next big thing down the pipeline is the Wii U which from what I have seen is laughable, if Wii game sales are down why would you release what is basically a controller with a screen used for the Wii. That isnt a smart move by any means and I am sure investors have come to realize that. When some random pokemon app can make your stocks rise only to see them fall the moment nintendo claims they arent doing anything for iOS, that right there is telling you something. It is something investors want to see, don't give investors what they want and guess what happens??? Nintendo loses money. Consider all the money lost so far in the past month, they need to get their act in gear or it will only go downhill from here. When the star games of your new handheld are just rehashed games, the outlook is rather grim. In a world where people are striving to become healthier which = more active, console gaming is becoming a thing of the past. Mobile gaming is really the only type of gaming that someone leading a active life can really make time for. Coming from a gamer who currently owns Xbox360, PS3, Wii and a bunch of other older consoles I can tell you right now that the home console is losing its edge. I find myself spending less money on console games (about 80% less than I used to about a year ago) and more on ipod/iphone games/apps. I love you Nintendo but you need to do something about this and Wii U isnt the answer to your prayers.
I'm not entirely sure if this is what you meant, but the Wii U is not just a controller for the Wii. It's a new HD console that will allegedly be more powerful then 360 and PS3, and it uses the new controller (as well as Wii remotes).
Either do I. The only real option is Nintendo folding its tent as a hardware developer and going the way of software only. Basically, Nintendo becomes the next Sega. That's the only way you will ever see Nintendo brand games on a smartphone. However, Nintendo is not going to give $40 worth of full-fledged content away for $5, or even $10, so these hypothetical Nintendo games on the iOS platform would be extremely watered down. Think Capcom for every title other then Street Fighter. What you will never see is a complete NDS/3DS-quality Nintendo game on the iPhone. Unless iOS gamers are willing to pay $40, which clearly they are not. Nintendo would likely half-ass their involvement in iOS development and not put forth a genuine effort.
why the heck would a downloadable game need to have the same selling price as a packaged product in a store?? Nintendo could very likely sell their "brilliant" games for $15 a pop on the app store and turn just as much profit as they do selling boxes at Walmart. In any event, Nintendo hardly has the market cornered on creative game design. Some of the most inventive and fun titles in recent memory are games I've picked up for a buck or two over the past couple of years for my iphone. Whether ninty decides to wake up and smell the coffee or not theres a great future in store for IOS gamers...
The only problem with that is the lack of good third party games. Yeah, it's a new HD console. Yeah, it might be more powerful than the 360 or the PS3. How they use it is the most important. Do you see Battlefield 3 coming to the Wii U? Call of Duty MW3? I'm not saying it has to be either of the two. Now, are the developers willing to carry successful games to Nintendo's new console after the 3DS with the same/better quality than the PS3 or 360? Only time will tell.
The biggest problem with the Wii U is that it's one of those awkward mid-generation systems like the Dreamcast. A lot of people I knew back when the Dreamcast came out refused to pick one up because everyone knew the PS2 would be out a year later. If Sony or Nintendo makes a new console announcement next year and releases a far more capable piece of hardware 12 to 15 months after the Wii U that's going to deeply cut into Nintendo's sales before they ever get the machine to the market. I think a lot of developers are going to sit back and wait, third parties do not exactly have the best relationship with Nintendo anyway.
