Nintendo's Iwata "Mistaken" About Social Games, says Harrison

by Jeanine Celestin, posted on 15 March 2011 / 1,099 Views

Lately there's been some disputes about the future of mobile, social, and console games from the "big-wigs" in those industries. Recently at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata took a negative tone towards mobile and social games, saying that he feared  “[our] business is dividing in a way that threatens the continued employment of many of us," and speaking of a need for quality over quantity. Iwata never named any specific platform, but stressed that social-network games were not the same as social games, which - to Iwata - were games in which people participate with other people with, like in multiplayer games.

IndustryGamers decided to ask former Sony Worldwide Studios boss Phil Harrison his opinion on Iwata's comments.

"Iwata-san has done an incredible job rebuilding Nintendo over the last few years. He is a great leader of that company, but in this particular case he is wrong. He is mistaken if [he thinks] this is some kind of fad that will go away. Social networks, as a way of powering our game and entertainment choices, is here to stay," Harrison told IndustryGamers.

"I thought it was fascinating that pretty much simultaneously with Iwata-san talking about Nintendo, in a hall across the street Steve Jobs is talking about the iPad 2, which got massive pickup and global coverage. ... Some people are talking about 50 to 80 million 'smartpads' being sold a year for the foreseeable future. It's going to create an enormous market, dwarfing every other market."

One could say that iPads selling well does not necessarily mean that a majority of them may be used for games, but it cannot be denied there is a large market there. With Nintendo seemingly nervous about mobile and social games threatening them, perhaps more game developers will be pushed go for "quality" instead of just the quantity we have been seeing more and more of in the past 10 years, if only to survive.

What do you think? Will mobile and social games eventually kill off console and PC games? Is there room for two markets to co-exist or do mobile and social games not have a place in the gaming market?

 


15 Comments

Tammi
Tammi (on 29 June 2011)

The very idea of games only being on mobile devices is depressing. It would ruin gaming.

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MARCUSDJACKSON
MARCUSDJACKSON (on 11 June 2011)

well im not a fan of mobile gameing but i look at it as another source of income for game dev.

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sepoer
sepoer (on 11 June 2011)

Personally? I will always open for any gaming experience. I never call myself as kind of hardcore, casual, or etc2....

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Black Fist
Black Fist (on 16 March 2011)

I think that all you guys are missing the point here, the problem about mobile games are not the platform the games are on, but the notion that games are expendable, the notion that video games are played for 10 minutes and then you jump to the next and so on. Sure, not all mobile games are like that, but the majority is. Is the same problem with MP. Multiplayer is making games be no more than virtual competitions, no more than mere games almost like "virtual chess". Narrative is becaming a thing of the past, and that is what made the industry what it is, is that blend of gameplay and narrative that made video games unique. Just look at the FPS coming out nowadays, COD, Medal of Honor, Homefront...they all have 4/5 hours campaign, with the main focus being on the MP, even when companies say that they really focused on the story. When something loses the one thing that make it stand out, when they lose the one thing that make them unique, that you can�t find anywhere else, is the day they die, because when the next big fad appears, people will jump there in a heartbeat. Like i said, if things don't change fast, this industry will fall

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Zucas
Zucas (on 15 March 2011)

Well I'm sorry Mr. Harrison but Iwata-san never stated that social gaming as he described it was a fad that is going to go away. Actually on contrary he stated how it is a "threat" to that of what Nintendo offers because it is such a viable market. Indeed what Iwata-san is stating that the need to continue to prove that the price of their games is justified by their quality and why it is a viable market. If anything, Iwata-san is showing respect for the growing industry of social/mobile gaming. I do disagree with Iwata-san on the point that it is a threat though. Personally, I think gaming is gaming. Handheld console gaming never killed home console gaming. PC gaming hasn't been killed by either of it, although maybe not as popular (although other reasons probably better explain this one). Social/mobile gaming across phones and social networks aren't going to simply make other experiences go away. If anything it is going to fuel them. Get more people involved in gaming than ever before. People who play games on mobile phones will look to expand to deeper and grander experiences on consoles and handhelds. I see them as a gateway to other gaming experiences rather than a threat. I think Mr. Harrison would probably agree with this and maybe Nintendo and Iwata-san do considering they have done similar models of starting simplistic to move to more complex gaming.

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Xelestial
Xelestial (on 15 March 2011)

Personally I can't see console games dying unless you mean living on in a kind of undeath like how in Mass Effect you see these advertisements for really terrible generic games...It's disturbing.

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elmerion
elmerion (on 15 March 2011)

PC'S will kill console gaming! Cellphones will kill console gaming! Palms will kill console gaming, Social GAMES..!, Social Network GAMES..., APPLE!, SONY!, HOLOGRAPHIC GAMING...! BLA, BLA, BLA... At the end of the day, Nintendo will release a new Mario game that looks exactly like SMB1 it will outsell (and be far more profitable) than any other game out there and everyone will shut their mouths

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Buzzi
Buzzi (on 15 March 2011)

I can see why Iwata is worried: what about thousands and thousands of app every month for e-services? In this kind of market you can sell even 10 millions of devices every month, still the profits will be smaller than a "worst-selling" console. Sure, Angry Birds and Farmvill made money, but what about Ghost Trick or other multiplatform games? They clearly gave the most profit on consoles, showing that the market for games is on consoles and that smaller prices are not what only matter (someone said controls??).

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oniyide
oniyide (on 15 March 2011)

I think this Iwata dude is just scared. But i dont know why i dont think it will effect consoles. The type of people that play those Farmville games arent the ones who play that much console games to begin with, at least from what ive seen

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superchunk
superchunk (on 15 March 2011)

There is also a significantly larger market of PCs, yet that has done nothing to the continued growth of console gaming. As such smartphones/pads won't largely affect it either. Simply two different markets with only minimal overlap.

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Black Fist
Black Fist (on 15 March 2011)

Phil Harrison is a failure outside Sony. He left Sony, went to Inforgrames with the notion that social was going to be the next big thing, now look at Atari, it's a shadow of it's former self. Iwata is the only one with a brain in this all industry, and that's why it will die sooner than we think. Video Games were always about narrative/gameplay, it was that combination that made the industry, it was characters like Mario, Link, Kratos, Gordon Freeman, Master Chief...that made the industry what it is. Now, all of that is dying, all that matters is 10 minute games (mobiles) and kill treaks galore (multiplayer). And social....since when it video games the new "Friendship Hotline"? There is a place for everything, there is room for everyone of those things, but when they became the main focus of an all industry....yeah....gaming is dying by the second

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cory.ok
cory.ok (on 15 March 2011)

i occasionally play tetris on my phone when im waiting for something. theres this nifty thing, i click, two minute game, and i play a two minute game, about once or twice a month. thats all ill be doing with my phone

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TheWon
TheWon (on 15 March 2011)

When Youtube destroys the Movie Industry! Let me know until them I'm playing my DS,Wii, and PSP! I tell you I feel sorry for Nintendo. No matter they say or do it seems wrong in the eyes of the industry. Even though at this time they seem to be the only one doing it right. To understand what Iwata was trying to say. Go ask EA about NBA Jam! They released it on Wii with out online, and then on HD with online for the same price. Both of them bomb! Finally to piss everyone off by putting on the Iphone for $5.00. In other words the just bombed any chance they will ever have. For releasing similar content like that on a console every again. Gamers are not going to set back and watch a developer try to rob them. When you try to play all the markets against each other. You just end up losing!

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Black Fist
Black Fist (on 15 March 2011)

Is there room for the two markets to co-exist? Yes Will mobile and social games eventually kill off console and PC games Yes The reason that mobile and social games will eventually kill the industry is because, insted of companies trying to save the industry, they are jumping into what makes money, not caring for the consequences. But is not only mobile and social that are killing the industry, multiplayer is also playing a huge part in the video game demise.

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ssj12
ssj12 (on 15 March 2011)

Phil Harrison still knows his stuff.

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