In a recent interview with The Nikkei, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata discussed a few different topics, including the fate of the Wii U and the potential of smartphone games within the company's catalog.
On the subject of Wii U's hardware sales, Iwata cited this year's release lineup as a positive and also highlighted how Japanese markets differ from other international audiences.
"I believe the Wii U business still has considerable room for growth, as a number of software titles that are compatible with the console are slated for release in 2015," he said. "The way Japanese gamers enjoy video games is different from their counterparts in the West. More and more Japanese gamers play on smartphones and 3DS hand-held devices."
Iwata expanded on the topic of smartphone games and how they compliment Nintendo's handheld system, the 3DS.
"It is also possible to turn smartphone games from other software makers into 3DS-compatible games and offer them for relatively low prices," he explained. "We intend to pursue a variety of options."
Iwata still holds reservations about smartphones and tablets, specifically the idea of introducing Nintendo characters to those platforms. Nevertheless, the company is working on an app to introduce Mii characters to social media.
The Wii U does in fact have a solid lineup for 2015, so it'll be interesting to see how Nintendo balances its focus among the console, the 3DS, and other avenues like smartphones and apps.
