Iwata interview

http://forums.xengamers.com/showthre...threadid=66799

Following the departure of Nintendo patriarch Hiroshi Yamauchi last spring at age 74, control of the company has largely been delegated to 43 year old president Satoru Iwata. Despite a renewed emphasis on software development, GameCube hardware sales have recently fallen below expectations. To discuss his immediate vision for the company, president Iwata-san recently went on record in Tokyo.

Question: Does Nintendo plan to continue partnering with third-party software developers in 2003?

Iwata-san: A year ago I don't think anyone would have predicted the Square and Enix merger, so things are always changing. While Nintendo has partnered with other companies for software development, we have no plans whatsoever to explore a possible merger or buyout.

Question: What are Nintendo's plans this year in regard to the Internet?

Iwata-san: All the talk in the industry regarding online gaming has been misleading. Network swindlers have made it seem like companies can't survive in this business without network compatibility. That's the same type of rhetoric people have been saying about the newspaper business, that the paper-based periodical business will be dead in 3 years. In reality, the number of users willing to pay a monthly fee for online games is small. Many of the American companies who were focusing almost exclusively on network games last year, now view network capabilities as an advertising tool. The fact of the matter is, network games can't provide a stable source of profit for a company of Nintendo's scale.

Question: GameCube sales have been slightly lower than expected. If Nintendo has only sold 10 million units globally by the end of fiscal 2002, can you realistically meet projections of 50 million units by March 2005?

Iwata-san: The domestic (Japanese) battle intensified last year although overall sales were down 30-40 percent, so the situation was severe. However, sales of Pokemon Ruby and Pokemon Sapphire have exceeded 4 million units since their release on November 21, and have also lifted sales of the GameBoy Advance. Going forward, we plan to release more games which feature compatibility between GameCube and GameBoy Advance. Our sales target of 50 million units by March 2005 hasn't changed.

Question: You were inaugurated as president of Nintendo last spring at age 43, your thoughts since then?

Iwata-san: Former president Hiroshi Yamauchi built this company over 50 years, I've only inherited his work. I don't think the transition was difficult because of Nintendo's collective management strategy. That strategy of six representative directors making key decisions for the company reflects former president Hiroshi Yamauchi's philosophy regarding the needs of the constantly changing videogame market.


Ugh... You can stick your GC-GBA connectivity up your ass Iwata...

50 million units? Of what, the GBA or the GC? If it's the former, there's a relatively good chance of that happening. If it's the GC, there's a better chance of the DC being in production again.

He means 50 million GCs. I know, I know.

At least he's right about the whole online push being mostly garbage, for the moment if anything.

Unless they have the lucky wildcard up their sleeves, then I don't know what the hell they are thinking with that projection.

What a boring bunch of bullshit.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Andy

Iwata-san: The domestic (Japanese) battle intensified last year although overall sales were down 30-40 percent, so the situation was severe. However, sales of Pokemon Ruby and Pokemon Sapphire have exceeded 4 million units since their release on November 21, and have also lifted sales of the GameBoy Advance. Going forward, we plan to release more games which feature compatibility between GameCube and GameBoy Advance. Our sales target of 50 million units by March 2005 hasn't changed.

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Japanese for, "We're working on Gamecube Pokemon games now."

50 Million is a LOT. They are shooting way to high. I mean WAY to high. I don't see how the can figure that unless a price drop to like $75 is on the way.

But if they do actually make a Pokemon game for the gamecube thats actually like Pokemon (not Snap, Hey You Pikachu, or Stadium a.k.a. shit). Japan will buy GCs for just that game alone. But Nintendo has to know that, or they are just confused and lack focus.

Sell 40 million more GC's by March 2005? I think it's likely.

GC sales are only going to increase, I think, and a pokemon game alone could sell 2-5 million units worldwide.

PS2's did like 8 million worldwide in Nov-Dec, if Nintendo can take those sales away, they can easily do it.

it just takes one game

if anyone remembers last generation at this point in it the N64 was SLAUGHTERING the PSX and Saturn the N64 sold a million units in something like 3 - 5 months while it took the Saturn 21 months to hit 1 million sold and it took the PSX something like 18 months to hit 1 million sold

its the same bassic difference here, and what changed last generation was FFVII, one game lead to sony's insane sales last generation

all it takes is One game to change the outcome

so it is possible

will it happen, i have no fucking clue

only time will tell

Aren't the days of those games gone, though?

Even FFX isn't of that calibur to swing that much. Pretty much nothing short of a GTA sized exclusive for any console is going to swing it around.

I'm thinking it will be a steady, upwards increase, rather than a non-pokemon game selling like mad.

I'd be more inclined to agree with MVS...but like John said - who knows what can happen.

Also, you have to figure that all the consoles have 3 options:

Increase sales.
Maintain sales.
Decrease sales.

I'm thinking the PS2 has peaked, and is slowly going to decline.

Between XB and GC, I think the GC will pick up the slack, and climb up slowly to perhaps double the weekly amount now in 6-12 months.

To get the 50 million Nintendo will need to find a game that has such an appeal to western gamers that they will buy the gamecube for that game alone, similar to what Goldeneye or GTA3 has done. In Japan they just need Pokemon and continue doing what they have done.

Quote:

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Originally posted by mattvanstone
Aren't the days of those games gone, though?

Even FFX isn't of that calibur to swing that much. Pretty much nothing short of a GTA sized exclusive for any console is going to swing it around.

I'm thinking it will be a steady, upwards increase, rather than a non-pokemon game selling like mad.

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well thats the US

In Japan if they had gotten DWVIII as an exclusive they could have pulled it off (in japan)

but as far as the US the only thing that really seems to sell is GTA right now (though that will change by 2005 when the exclusive is up, if they keep putting out a slightly updated GTA every year in the way that EA puts out a new madden, theyre going to kill the GTA series)

i think what Nintendo needs to do is reverse their actions right now with some things

like the GBA - GC link

right now you need a GBA and its games to unlock things in GC games

wrong

switch it play up on the HUGE GBA installed base

make it so that you need a GC and its games to unlock things in GBA games

then all those GBA owners have to buy a GC instead of vice versa

Kinopio, so in other words, they need something that will get them huge word-of-mouth success. I could have seen Metroid Prime in that role, since so many had doubts about it before it was released. Any one of the Capcom 5 could have that same quality as well.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Jeremy
Kinopio, so in other words, they need something that will get them huge word-of-mouth success. I could have seen Metroid Prime in that role, since so many had doubts about it before it was released. Any one of the Capcom 5 could have that same quality as well.

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no hey couldnt not to sell millions of copies the way GTA does or DWVII did

while the capcom 5 all look wonderful

realise that even DMC on the PS2 didnt sell a million copies yet
before it went to GH standing it had sold about 450,000 - 500,000 units or so i beleive its now at like 700,000 something sold

if anything these games will enjoy that level of success

but they arent going to sell 2 million more cubes when they come out

I'm really not too fussed about hardware sales but 50M units worldwide by 2005 is pretty ridiculous considering Gamecube only sold 1.2M in Japan this year, sales are way down in PAL regions and it continues to trail behind the Xbox in America and Canada. I don't see Super Pokemon Stadium EX 4 selling an extra 40+M Gamecubes within two years.

Looks like there will be no Pokemon MMORPG, Iwata seems adament :(