Despite the lukewarm reception consumers gave 3DS portable gaming system, and investor pressure to develop titles for the iPhone, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata refuses to bring the company’s games to the iOS platform.
Poor 3DS sales, along with steep product price cuts and dropping stock value has pushed investors to pressure Nintendo into releasing games for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, according to Bloomberg. By coding for iOS, investors assume, Nintendo will be able to get its games in front of more buyers and boost up the company’s value.
Super Mario on iPhone? Don’t hold your breath.
Early in July, former Nintendo division Pokemon Co. announced it planned to release iOS and Android versions of its popular games. When Nintendo announced it wasn’t following suit, its stock dropped quickly.
Nintendo’s refusal to embrace iOS is a clear signal the company doesn’t understand the current portable gaming market, according to MF Global FXA Securities Ltd. “Sell the stock,” the firm said in a research note. “Because a management once feted for creative out-of-box thinking have just shown how behind the times they are.”
Despite pressure from investors, it doesn’t look like any of Nintendo’s games will be coming to the iPhone soon. Mr. Iwata said that as long as he’s running the company, its games will be coded only for Nintendo devices — a stance that could push investors into pressuring for a new company president, too.