Once upon a time, in the glorious age of 2008, Nintendo became a hero in the gaming marketplace. Their profit posting of over 555 billion yen brought smiles to the faces of Mario fans, and warmed the hearts of nostalgic 80’s kids everywhere. Alas, as 2009 stormed the castles of the economy, it brought with it the troubling times of 2012, whereupon our hero Nintendo began to struggle, verily, for its mightiest weapon could find no purchase upon the shelves.
Literally. Like, no one was purchasing it.
BUT! Our story trudges onward, and as victories are few, the truth is that victories are coming—small as they are—and in the midst of battle, there are many voices shouting for a chance of tactics.
“Abandon the hardware!” shouts one voice.
“Conquer the tablets and smartphones!” pleads another.
Ah, but even with Japanese analysts weighing in—predicting double or triple the profits, should our hero listen to those voices—the resistance is great.
Our hero Nintendo has said: “Performance is temporarily getting better, you can’t get a true feel for Mario on smartphone or tablet, and this would also lead to a decrease in brand value over the long term.”
Indeed, the warrior’s spirit is strong in our hero, and much experience brings wisdom. Touchscreen-only devices lead to a lack of precision, and a simplification of controls? Would be more like kicking chickens than slaying dragons.
Can our hero rise once again to the heights of greatness? Is there value in this stated wisdom? Will our hero, ultimately, rescue the princess… or will she forever be in another castle?
Only time will tell…
