Why Apple Should Not Buy Nintendo

Next, it keeps comparing the non-sequitur of Apple buying Nintendo with the absolutely unique Apple purchase of NeXT, which was unlike any conceivable purchase because it amounted to Jobs taking a sabbatical to, having experienced creating Apple, see what he could do with a complete ground-up reboot of the process, and then folding that work back into Apple as a means to better advance the company without the consternation of wrenching the original company in that direction before figuring out where the target was. It amounted to branching the vision, doing independent work, then merging that branch back into the mainline.

Apple should not buy Maker's Mark either. Purchasing a flash storage fabrication facility was a much better decision.

I think assuming that the lack luster online services from both companies is the reason to avoid the merger is pretty absurd. Apple knows how to do online servies iTunes, AppStore, iCloud all serve massive audiences. And are just that, connected services.

Microsoft is also not a threat, their empire is slowly dwindling and I'm very literally, willing to bet, that it's going to get the nail in it's coffin with SteamOS pounding the head of it. Hardcore gamer's are what drive Microsofts platforms currently because your average consumer is voting with their dollars for Android and iOS (not Desktops/Laptops and not Microsoft products). SteamOS is the chance to remove one of the biggest arguments for Windows, that has existed my entire life, "it plays games, and your Mac or Linux box can't!" ... if a Battlefield or Call of Duty is releaed for the SteamBox I think it's game over (BOOM, PUN!).

The Xbox One falls flat for that market, as well-- out the door the PS4 is just better. Sony knows this is it's chance to rally, and that Microsoft is weak, and I think they've taken the opportunity to it's max by making a console that's just dollar for dollar unmistakbly better.

For one, Apple and Nintendo do one brilliant thing well, and it's the one thing that matters, they enchant their users. They provide an almost whimsical experience with their products that sets them far from the rest of the pack. They both drive innovation.

If Apple and Nintendo were to merge, we would finally see real first party titles showing up on the Mac, iOS, and most presumably the AppleTV (Wii-U tech would do wonders here since their airplay gaming sucks [latency]). Apple would begin to have a foothold in the one industry it has typically done so poorly in-- gaming.

Culturally, they both strive for excellence. It's better to not release something at all than release it, if it's not perfect (grain of salt with that one, but most will follow me on it). Apple knows how to make great software, and hardware, nintendo knows how to translate these into story telling-- to enhance and enchat the viewer into a stouper not well known on other platforms.

Finally, in regards to "what customers actually want" I'd like to point out that one very famous person said quite the contrary. Customers don't know what they want, it's their job to tell them. Because their customers are not the innovators, they're the consumers. I forget the guy's name, he ran some big fruit company or something...

[edit] For those who are like, WTF prompted this article, I think this is just a nerd fantasy that makes its rounds every few months (it's one of mine!).

They are already exclusive and this wouldn't change their business model much but it might mean less hardware from Nintendo, they haven't really been the best at hardware even though I loved the original NES that was better hardware.

I am positive developers would love this because developing for the Wii and Nintendo hardware nowadays means developing for a very small target, weak hardware and limits what can be done. Makes modern day ports a nightmare and we live in a multi-platform world for most games, starting with mobile (the new handheld) now.

Nintendo has made the best of that but kids all play tablets now. If they want to reach the kids they'll have to do something like this soon so they don't skip a large part of this generation. They were everywhere in the 90s, and a spike again with the Wii before mobile but their hardware just isn't as attractive now with all purpose devices like tablets and minis.

They are rolling on some nostalgia fumes still, but the Wii U might be a sign of things to come. Of course you could also say they didn't differentiate the Wii U enough, most people don't even know it is a new device, they think it is an add-on to the Wii. Horrible branding. They should have called it the Nintendo Revolution as is brought in their first tablet like device. (Nintendo Revolution was the code name for Wii during early dev).

Right now Apple makes platforms. Developers develop for those platforms and make lots of money. No shortage of good games on iOS, in case you haven't looked. And while I haven't seen anyone playing a Nintendo portable in a year or so, I see Android/iOS games everywhere. Nintendo haven't even got a worthy console in this generation. What does Nintendo even have that Apple would want?

Should Apple want Nintendo's IP (characters etc. - and I don't think that is Apple's style at all, just the only vaguely valuable thing there) they just have to wait a bit longer. If they did want Nintendo, the only risk to waiting would be that some other company would snap them up first. Nintendo certainly isn't going to worth _more_ in a year.

This should hopefully save some Googling. There is no official talk of an Apple purchase of Nintendo.

Pretty much everything a game console has going for it Apple has - standardized hardware and software, reasonably powerful hardware, and a large audience hungry to play games. That is in fact why a lot of large companies make mobile games - because iOS and Android have a lot in common with game consoles. Heck, with Airplay + controllers or devices like OUYA, iOS and Android are nearly indistinguishable from other game platforms.

I am a gamer so I understand how gamers might bristle at the notion of this, but Neil Young, former exec at EA and founder of ngmoco started ngmoco based on the premise that the iPhone was a game console and he went to build a very successful game company doing it.

Apple could very much make the Apple TV into a game console if they wanted, but I'm not so much sure that the product designers care that much about games as part of the core product concept.