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Today Nintendo announced it's first mobile game:
Miitomo.

From the WSJ:

Nintendo has introduced its long-awaited and highly anticipated first smartphone app, called Miitomo, but pushed back the release date to the spring of next year. The title is a new franchise for the company– first of five smartphone apps Nintendo plans to release by March 2016. But we’re not sure whether to call Miitomo a game. Users will design their own avatars, or miis, to communicate with other users.

WSJ

 

[NintendU_the_great]

nm

 

[TotalInsanity4]

my sarcasm meter isn't working, is that sarcasm?

This sarcasm level is over 9000

 

[_v3]

This app makes my blood boil, nintendo still doesn't have a proper chat feature in their 3DS and WiiU but they want to make it for Android and iOS.

 

[Vipera]

Nintendo announces first smartphone

game

 

[CathyRina]

The Day they're going to make smartphones and Handhelds is the day they're going to compete against themselves.

 

[Vipera]

The Day they're going to make smartphones and Handhelds is the day they're going to compete against themselves.

I dislike smartphone gaming, but a smartphone by Nintendo is entirely possible. All they need to do is to make a console with physical buttons and the ability to make phone calls, that's it. They can make their own OS and do something like the Xperia Play tried to do. Have something like the eShop going on but make IM apps like Whatsapp possible. If Nintendo, Sony or Microsoft can make gaming "cool" again by pulling something like this, they will dominate the market.

 

[CathyRina]

I dislike smartphone gaming, but a smartphone by Nintendo is entirely possible. All they need to do is to make a console with physical buttons and the ability to make phone calls, that's it. They can make their own OS and do something like the Xperia Play tried to do. Have something like the eShop going on but make IM apps like Whatsapp possible. If Nintendo, Sony or Microsoft can make gaming "cool" again by pulling something like this, they will dominate the market.

And we both know the almost nonexistent market share of Sony Smartphones right?
Gaming Smartphones with physical input is a niche that no one is developing for. There are more devs porting their games over to Windows app store and adding gamepad support for PC than there were people developing for the PS mobile store. Also with Nintendo's current hatred for basic communication functionality I doubt they would be in for a smartphone, a device that is all about communication.

 

[Vipera]

And we both know the almost nonexistent market share of Sony Smartphones right?
Gaming Smartphones with physical input is a niche that no one is developing for. There are more devs porting their games over to Windows app store and adding gamepad support for PC than there were people developing for the PS mobile store. Also with Nintendo's current hatred for basic communication functionality I doubt they would be in for a smartphone, a device that is all about communication.

There was just one real gaming smartphone and that was the Xperia Play. With a ridicolous price tag, the power of a PSP and Android as an OS it wasn't going to succeed. They also released something like a dozen games exclusive for the Xperia Play and completely blew up the plan they wanted to do to make PSP games compatible with the Xperia Play.

 

[CathyRina]

There was just one real gaming smartphone and that was the Xperia Play. With a ridicolous price tag, the power of a PSP and Android as an OS it wasn't going to succeed. They also released something like a dozen games exclusive for the Xperia Play and completely blew up the plan they wanted to do to make PSP games compatible with the Xperia Play.

There are some 3rd party ones too but you can guess their success if you even didn't heard of them.

 

[Vipera]

There are some 3rd party ones too but you can guess their success if you even didn't heard of them.

Link?

 

[Depravo]

A chat app? It's about time mobile phones had one of those!

 

[CathyRina]

Link?

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...he-gaming-smartphone/articleshow/45591996.cms
Mitashi Play

http://www.snail.com/en/w3d.html
Snail W3D but it hasn't launched yet. Was even showcased here on GBATemp in a news article iirc

http://www.inside-handy.de/news/324...ina-variante-des-sony-xperia-play-vorgestellt
Chinese copy/variant of the Xperia Play

http://vr-zone.com/articles/outrage...in-china-with-more-outrageous-name/12202.html
Whatever that this is

http://liliputing.com/2013/10/much-i5-is-a-5-inch-smartphone-with-built-in-gaming-buttons.html
This thing.

Also dozens of peripherals that add physical input to your smartphone.

 

[Vipera]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...he-gaming-smartphone/articleshow/45591996.cms
Mitashi Play

http://www.snail.com/en/w3d.html
Snail W3D but it hasn't launched yet. Was even showcased here on GBATemp in a news article iirc

http://www.inside-handy.de/news/324...ina-variante-des-sony-xperia-play-vorgestellt
Chinese copy/variant of the Xperia Play

http://vr-zone.com/articles/outrage...in-china-with-more-outrageous-name/12202.html
Whatever that this is

http://liliputing.com/2013/10/much-i5-is-a-5-inch-smartphone-with-built-in-gaming-buttons.html
This thing.

Also dozens of peripherals that add physical input to your smartphone.

...you don't seem to get the point.

The Xperia Play would've been a hit if it didn't cost like an iPhone with the capabilities of a PSP. They didn't release enough Xperia Play games and they didn't make PSP games compatible with the phone. That's the problem. The only good Android game I can think about playing with a controller is Asphalt.
If Nintendo/Sony/Microsoft decided to develop their own OS and their own games into the OS they would dominate the market. These smartphone-consoles aren't a hit because Android gaming sucks and it has been demonstrated by OUYA sales. Out of the three, only Microsoft is on the right road. You can buy many high quality games on WP (even though there are no Lumia phones with physical buttons).

 

[CathyRina]

If Nintendo/Sony/Microsoft decided to develop their own OS and their own games into the OS they would dominate the market. These smartphone-consoles aren't a hit because Android gaming sucks and it has been demonstrated by OUYA sales. Out of the three, only Microsoft is on the right road. You can buy many high quality games on WP (even though there are no Lumia phones with physical buttons).

Microsoft decided to develop their own OS and throw their own games into the OS and they are far away from dominating the market.
You can use a Xbox Controller for the 19 Games that support it and you get Xbox Achievements that boost your Xbox Gamerscore. Yes Microsoft is on the best way to appeal to gamers (at least I'm certainly looking forward to getting a Windows phone after my Samsung S3 finally kicks the bucket) but seeing microsofts market share in the Smartphone department being around 3% I really can't say that Core gaming and Smartphones go well together or are going to boom anytime soon. Handhelds need to die first.

 

[Arwinger]

Well, it looks like it could be popular in Japan at least

 

[Bladexdsl]

it always is with nintendo it's the ONLY market they CARE about

 

[Fredabill]

Holy shit Tomodachi Life on android

 

[osirisjem]

If Nintendo tries to compete with cell phone makers they will go bankrupt.

There is almost zero chance they are. LOL.

 

[Pacheko17]

This isn't at all like tomodachi life gosh dangit.

This is basically a way to chat with your friends and ask questions the app makes you, so more introvert and shy people can socialize or something like that ( That's a big problem in Japan ). But well, it uses Miis, and that's cool.

 

[Subtle Demise]

That is an error in the source article. I updated the quote to 2016.

Still a long ass time for something so simplistic looking lol