Must Read: No niche for iPad: Why I returned mine

Topic: Mobility

Nintendo: Don't expect Facebook games from us

Summary: Nintendo has no plans to develop Facebook games or port its many franchises to the social network. The company's stance is the same for all platforms: Nintendo or nothing.

Emil Protalinski

By for Friending Facebook |

For a while now, Facebook has wanted to to offer more types of games, including first-person shooters and sports titles, mimicking the wide range found on consoles. Nintendo, the current leader in the console market, won't be a partner anytime soon.

In a recent interview with AllThingsD, Nintendo's North America President Reggie Fils-Aime answered various questions about his company's future endeavors. When asked if Nintendo will experiment with free-to-play, Fils-Aime answered as follows:

I have two comments on that. First, we make games for Nintendo devices, and that is a competitive advantage for us. You can only play Mario on a Nintendo device, so from that standpoint, I wouldn't expect to see our franchises on other platforms, and I would argue Facebook is a platform. My second point, on whether we will experiment with other forms of monetization? Certainly. How that comes about, or which ones we do first, that's all experimentation that's going on right now in our various studios.

Remember that Mario Kart Facebook scam? Well, it seems that's the best you're going to get on Facebook: people trying to trick you into thinking Nintendo games have finally arrived on the platform.

Nintendo's stance applies to all platforms. Many believe the company is making a big mistake by avoiding iOS and Android. Nintendo is definitely missing a big opportunity to broaden its horizons and build new revenue streams, but it is doing so in order to avoid devaluing its various popular franchises. I'm sure Nintendo could offer Facebook games and figure out how to monetize them, but the company has concluded it doesn't make sense for it in the long-run.

See also:

Topics: Mobility, Social Enterprise

Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.

Talkback

7 comments
Log in or register to join the discussion

  • RE: Nintendo: Don't expect Facebook games from us

    Yeah well, that's typical! I really wish they would release Donkey Kong in the Mobile Space because it is the one classic that appears to be missing.
    slickjim
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Nintendo: Don't expect Facebook games from us

      .
      Aerowind
      Reply Vote

  • RE: Nintendo: Don't expect Facebook games from us

    Do you honestly, [b]REALLY[/b] believe that Nintendo would even consider such a thing?

    Nintendo has never, ever done such a thing.

    And frankly, Facebook gaming can die, for all I care. It's the worst thing that has ever happened to gaming, legitimizing practices that have no purpose but to suck dry the wallets of those who play them.
    CobraA1
    Reply Vote

    • Facebook gaming can't die ..... IT WILL die and pretty soon

      @CobraA1 Facebook is already in a spiral decline and by the end of 2013 it will be where MySpace is today. Fads only have about a 5 year lifespan ... and Facebook is the current fad.

      Investing on Facebook right now, when it is on the decline is a very bad business move. There isn't enough time for a product to become popular and gain enough momentum to achieve the success required to recover the investment and make money.
      wackoae
      Reply Vote

  • Translation

    "A new business model threatens our old business model. So rather than try to make a buck off the new business model we will be barricading ourselves behind an illusion of superiority and hope our competitors do not mercilessly steal our core concepts for their own."

    You go Nintendo. I will hope it turns out better for you than some others who refused to adapt.
    oncall
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Nintendo: Don't expect Facebook games from us

      @oncall The vast majority of gaming really takes place on consoles or phones. In fact, consoles are pretty much in a golden age right now. Facebook isn't really a gaming platform - it's a social media platform.

      It's turned out to be a horrible gaming platform, as those who make games for Facebook are consistently making decisions that are less about the game experience and more about reaching into the wallets of the players. Virtual currencies only available by pulling out your wallet, can't get past a certain level without pulling out the wallet - stuff like that I've never really seen until Facebook decided to get into gaming. I'm sorry, it's the worst thing to happen to games, ever.

      Sorry, no, it's not a new "business model." It's just a new way to rip off gamers.
      CobraA1
      Reply Vote

  • I Think Nintendo's got it wrong

    Honestly I understand why Nintendo would not want to put their IPs on iOS and Android, but users aren't asking for the latest and greatest. If they ported gameboy (namely Pokemon) and NES/SNES games (ie. Zelda et al), they could stand to benefit greatly without cannibalising the 3DS, which, I assume, is their biggest issue with developing for other mobile platforms.<br><br>If anything, I think porting old games to other mobile platforms would actually help generate interest in the 3DS because people would see how much they enjoy the classics and look to see what else Nintendo has to offer. They would have the potential to capture a market of users older that their target audience who would never buy a 3DS anyway unless something like this prompted them to.<br><br>Its a moot point though. Nintendo is pretty set in its ways and until revenue becomes an issue (which I'm sure it won't in the foreseeable future) they really have no incentive to do anything radical like developing for non-Nintendo platforms.
    ABR2195
    Reply Vote
CNET Join | Log In | Privacy | Cookies Close