• February 10, 2004    Home > Games News > Article

    Awful Day for Nintendo PR Teams

    Nintendo PR had its work cut out today (and we don't mean the latest press clippings) after an NCL source hinted at hardware exit. Plus - touch-screen for DS?

    Japan's top business newspaper, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, has published an article about the future of Nintendo, quoting an anonymous senior source from the company's Kyoto head office as saying, "There is no way we are going to win competing in the same arena as electronics and computer makers. Our best option is to build on our software development abilities."

    Somebody in this building is in trouble.

    The staggering statement hinted at a Sega-style exit from the hardware business for the videogame giant, and threw the credibility of Nintendo's next major console, currently known as N5, into question. The source stated that this is the possible way forward for the company.

    But Nintendo's overseas offices wasted no time in attempting to tidy up the disastrous mess.

    Damage control: Llewellyn
    First, an official statement was issued, saying, "Contrary to what has been reported in one Japanese publication, Nintendo is staying in the console hardware business and still plans to launch our next home console in the same timeframe as our competitors. In addition, we are working on a number of complementary technical advances that we believe may significantly enhance the gaming experience."

    Next, Nintendo of America's PR Director Beth Llewellyn told GameSpot, "much of the Nikkei article is speculation. We are staying in the hardware business. We're working on our next generation console system and it will launch it at the same time as our competitors. We're in this business for the long term. "

    While NCL's PR director and everyone's favourite interpreter, Yasuhiro Minagawa, echoed to Reuters, "Other companies aren't expected to come out with next-generation consoles until late 2005 or 2006, and Nintendo will be launching its next-generation unit around the same time."

    Saving the day: Minagawa
    So either the "senior source" quoted anonymously by the Shimbun was bogus or full of crack, or it's Yamauchi going crazy again, or both. What is certain is that N5 is still happening. In fact, the latest of a series of announcements from Kyoto promise that the GameCube successor will be unveled at next year's E3, just a little over a year away.

    In other Nintendo news, Spong.com reports that the recently announced dual screen handheld, Nintendo DS, will boast touch-screen technology on at least one of its screens. In response, a European Nintendo representative offered, "I cannot confirm nor deny any information relating to the possibility of touch-screen usage for the NDS", but the report described the source as "clearly surprised" when presented with the possible find.

    Finally, in the latest Nintendo Official Magazine, Shigeru Miyamoto reminds us that Mario 128 is imminent, and explained the secrecy surrounding the project to date. He said, "These new ideas [in Mario 128] are prone to lose their freshness or to be imitated once they go public, so we must be extremely careful when we discuss such things... Would you please be patient?" An unveiling is expected at E3 in May.

    Adam Doree
    Director, Kikizo.com

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