Nintendo Denies Report of Plans to Release Demo Games on iOS

A Monday report from Japanese business newspaper Nikkei claimed Nintendo is planning unveil an iOS app to market content for its Wii U and 3DS, with the app allegedly featuring information about new games from Nintendo and the mobile initiative potentially also including playable demos of console and handheld games. In a statement provided to Engadget today, however, Nintendo has denied it is planning to offer such minigames on smartphone platforms.

nintendo-logo

"Nikkei's article contains information previously stated by Mr Iwata during past press conferences, including statements which relate to Nintendo's willingness to make use of smart devices to promote our products.

However during such past announcements Mr Iwata has also stated that Nintendo's intention is not to make Nintendo software available on smart devices and as such, we can confirm that there are no plans to offer minigames on smartphone devices."

Nintendo is at a crossroads as mobile gaming makes gains on both the console and handheld market. The Japanese game maker reported its third consecutive annual loss and adjusted its forecast to reflect a 35 billion yen ($335.76 million) operating loss, instead of the previously projected profit of 100 billion yen. The company also slashed it sales forecasts for the Wii U from 9 million to 2.8 million units and cut its estimates for the 3DS from 18 million to 13.5 million units.

Many investors and Nintendo fans have called for the legendary game company to embrace mobile platforms, but the company's executives have so far remained steadfast in focusing their valuable game franchises only on Nintendo-branded hardware.

Popular Stories

Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
iOS 19 Roundup Feature

iOS 19 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday April 15, 2025 7:37 am PDT by
The first iOS 19 beta is less than two months away, and there are already a handful of new features that are expected with the update. Apple should release the first iOS 19 beta to developers immediately following the WWDC 2025 keynote, which is scheduled for Monday, June 9. Following beta testing, the update should be released to the general public in September. Below, we recap the key...
CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
Apple 2025 Thumb 1

10 Products Still Coming From Apple in 2025

Friday April 11, 2025 4:14 pm PDT by
Apple may have updated several iPads and Macs late last year and early this year, but there are still multiple new devices that we're looking forward to seeing in 2025. Most will come in September or October, but there could be a few surprises before then. We've rounded up a list of everything that we're still waiting to see from Apple in 2025. iPhone 17, 17 Air, and 17 Pro - We get...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.4.1 With Bug Fixes

Wednesday April 16, 2025 10:11 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4.1 and iPadOS 18.4.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.4.1 and iPadOS 18.4.1 come two weeks after the launch of iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. There have been complaints about ...
iPhone 6s MacRumors YouTube

Apple Says These Products Are Now Vintage

Tuesday April 15, 2025 9:53 am PDT by
Apple today updated its vintage products list to add the 2018 Mac mini and the iPhone 6s, devices that will get more limited service and repairs now that they are considered vintage. The iPhone 6s initially launched in 2015, but Apple kept it around as a low-cost device until 2018, which is why it is only now being added to the vintage list. The iPhone 6s had Apple's A9 chip, and it was...

Top Rated Comments

rudychidiac Avatar
146 months ago
Your pride will be your downfall
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
koban4max Avatar
146 months ago
if nintendo CEO doesn't do anything about it quick, Mario is going to end up working as a plumber.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Reason077 Avatar
146 months ago
So, in other words, Nintendo just don't get it. They're doomed.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
theydonotmove Avatar
146 months ago
this would be a good move for Nintendo, demos for the mobile sphere, and save your real games for your devices.

If Nintendo steps into the mobile gaming market they will waste a lot of energy trying to compete in a whole new area of gaming. they will be developing new software or porting old software to two new platforms (android and iOS), that are fragmented over different types of hardware, and competing with developers who have been there for many years already.

Go play Super Mario 3D world and then tell me you can replicate that on a phone. I'm sorry but you can't.

Nintendo's place is in the living room or a mobile device of their design, not your smartphone.

The next Smash Bros,. and Zelda, and Mario Kart, and other 1st party titles will be a shot in the arm for Wii U sales, the console will likely go the route of the Gamecube, which was not a success but was still profitable by the end of it's run.

Nintendo's next move should be as the recent rumors have pointed to; a console/handheld fusion device with backwards compatibility to Wii and Wii U, support from Nintendo's online market, and specs at least somewhere in the ballpark of the current offerings from Microsoft and Sony.

A seamless mobile and living room gaming experience.

Did mac clones help Apple? No.

Then why would Nintendo commit suicide just so you can play Mario on your iPhone?

Aside from top notch game making and an earned reputation for making some of the best games in the business, the most valuable thing Nintendo has is its catalog of retro games and its intellectual properties.

Putting those games and/or properties on other devices is like throwing money away for Nintendo.

When you buy a game on Nintendo's virtual console they earn 100 percent of the profit, if they were bleeding them off onto other devices they would be earning less than if they sold it themselves.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pichael Avatar
146 months ago
This is what happens when the same company develops hardware and software.

Are you kidding me? What does Apple do? I'm pretty sure they make hardware and the software that runs on it.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
polterbyte Avatar
146 months ago
Iwata's actions, if true, look like the Germanic tribe response to the Roman army in the initial scene of "Gladiator".

The dialogue between Quintus and Maximus at that moment is also very appropriate:

Quintus: People should know when they are conquered.
Maximus: Would you, Quintus? Would I?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)