Nintendo: Retail games our heart and core, download services complement

Laurent Fischer, MD, marketing and PR for Nintendo of Europe, discussed the differences between their physical and digital platforms at Nintendos media summit

While digital distribution may be heralded as the way of the future for the video games industry, Nintendo (at least for now) considers retail to be their main interest. "For us this download model has nothing to do with the retail model," said Fischer. "The retail model, with the game and the package and disk, is still the heart and core of Nintendo. We think that, basically, DSiWare and WiiWare are just two additional components. Something that will offer no direct competition with the existing retail market."

He also added that the WiiWare and DSiWare platforms enable developers and publishers to make available a larger and more varied range of products:

"The core point is the fact that a DSiWare or WiiWare release for a developer is an entry point to distribute unusual ideas and things like that, that would have never been able to be launched in time at retail. The market for video games is changing, reaching different people and in different ways. Wii and Nintendo DSi are also part of a new way to develop, deliver and experience games – by download. Exciting new, smaller developers are able to use the Nintendo Shop to reach consumers where they may have struggled before. This is encouraging different types of games to reach people, and encouraging customers to play those games direct from their consoles. We believe that this will complement the traditional retail model and in fact expand the overall gaming market, offering unique, innovative games that will appeal to all types of gamers. We also believe that the download phenomenon will encourage more creativity, co-creation and sharing of experiences between gamers themselves."

Nintendo certainly had plenty of this creativity to show at the event, with titles being displayed included LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias, Night Sky, Toribash, Flight Control, and Flipnote Studio.

Source: MCVUK