Nintendo: No Fear of Competitors
Japanese videogame maker Nintendo has had a successful run in recent years with both its Wii console and DS portable game device outselling rival devices. But now industry watchers are asking questions about how much longer Nintendo can keep up its momentum. In a presentation on Wednesday, the company unveiled a number of new games it hopes will continue to drive growth in the short term.
Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime spoke to the Wall Street Journal about his thinking beyond the new games:
WSJ: In Nintendo’s presentation, the first two pieces of software discussed for the new DSi XL portable game device were “America’s Test Kitchen,” a collection of recipes, and “100 Classic Books.” Is Nintendo positioning the DS to be a broader entertainment device?
Fils-Aime: We’ve always said that both the Wii and DS are entertainment platforms. (The brain teaser quiz games) Brain Age and Brain Age 2, for example, aren’t traditional games. These are ongoing initiatives to expand our user base.
WSJ: But at the same time, consumers have a broader selection of entertainment options with devices like Apple’s (AAPL) iPod touch, iPhone and the soon-to-come iPad and free-to-play games on Facebook. How do you compete with that?
