Iwata - Dedicated Gaming Handhelds Will Not Die

Stephen Totilo interviewed Nintendo president Satoru Iwata in San Francisco some time ago and it looks like he got a lot from Iwata-san. His thoughts on Mario, on gaming, on handheld gaming, and the industry as a whole.

The Proof

Let's get to the part that matter for our 3DS blog - handheld gaming. You say the market for dedicated handhelds for gaming is shrinking? Iwata told Totilo the facts, actually these facts are available online:

• The 3DS hardware is selling faster than the DS hardware in the same life-span
• The 3DS software, that is, the games, already exceeds DS software in the same period of time as well.

For Iwata-san, this is proof that even though smartphone and tablets sales are increasing, the market for which the 3DS will thrive is still there. But Iwata also mentioned:

"I don't think there's not a bright future for handheld devices but I understand that the competition, again with the rise of smart devices is different, and I do recognize that."

The 3DS' Market Environment Has Changed

For him, and to everyone in the gaming industry, they have all realized that the environment has changed.. radically. The times when Nintendo have been enemy-less in the handheld gaming space is now gone. I bet you can still remember that there was only the Game Boy. Sure it has its share of competitors, but the Game Boy made everyone bit dust. And just when you think the Game Boy will die, Pokemon came. Years have passed, the Game Boy Advance proved to everyone that sprite-based games can co-exist with the likes of the Playstation 2. And just when people think that HD is now needed for handheld gaming to continue, the Nintendo DS brings a touch-screen based experience that brought the fun back in gaming. Oh boy, that massive library of games.

A Richer Experience

He didn't, though, dismiss the fact that some games in the iPhone are rich and fun experiences, but Iwata knows the differences - what sets itself apart from Apple, Android and the likes:

"I think within games you have two needs that people fill. One is the time-filler need. The other is that it's a very important time for me and I want to have a rich experience. Those are two separate needs, I think."

He knows it from the heart. Frankly, I bet that's what separates them, Sony, and Microsoft from Apple - they make games themselves too and recognize the need for a richer experience that will coincide with what the people will pay.

An Example

Let's take, say. Uncharted 3. The amount you pay for it is equal to the value you will get from playing it. Do you think people will pay $1.99 to buy it? I doubt it. Because at that point they will think that is too good to be true.

That, my friends, is value. Okay, I mentioned Uncharted, and not a Nintendo game. But basically, the notion is the same. Sony makes the PS Vita and I hope it will sell well. Let's forget industry-centric competition at this point and focus on how we can save the industry as a whole.

Do you think there will come a time that dedicated handhelds will be gone and replaced by iPhones and tablets?