Q: Microsoft had a shortage of consoles. Is there a lesson in that as you launch the Revolution?
A: In general, the platform business is a business of momentum. Idea is maintain and build momentum. Microsoft had problems with strategy. There were markets where they had consoles left on store shelves. I think I understand where their problems were. I don’t want to give an answer because I don’t want to give them any help.
Q: It seems Microsoft is thinking about a handheld game player?
A: I read the report on that. Unfortunately, there isn’t much information and so there isn’t much we can say about that. It doesn’t have an effect on us this year. We see the DS as a platform of possibilities. We are excited about the DS and its future.
Q: Will you invest in online gaming with the Revolution?
A: Taking advantage of the Internet will continue. Especially with WiFi. Wireless chat capability on the DS has made it possible for many people to chat online. You don’t have to worry about wires. With the earliest online gaming, there were a lot of headaches associated with it. Even with Microsoft, only one in ten gamers plays online. Our concept is to get 80 percent to 90 percent of the players online. That was the reason we build Nintendo WiFi networks. You can expect this to continue with the Revolution.
O rly?
If I were to compare this to the book industry, huge thick volumes of encyclopedias would be on the shelves of bookstores and nothing else. There would be no paperbacks, no trashy romance novels. When an industry gets there, then it can no longer sustain itself. I’ll talk to developers about how to come up with a system to create paperbacks for consumers.
Okay, whatever he said, that scares me...
