Interview with Iwata (Chairman of Nintendo Japan)
01net.: Sony and Microsoft announced falls of 20 dollars of the price of their console. Will you make in the same way?
Satoru Iwata: There is still a difference in price of 30 dollars in favour of GameCube compared to its competitors. The more so as, in the United States, we make already promotions by proposing free plays with the console. Therefore, for the moment, one does not smell the need yet to reduce the price of GameCube, and I do not divide the opinion of the analysts whom our console must reach the threshold of 99 dollars to remain competitive.
After the advertisement by Sony of its portable PlayStation, the financial markets have reacts negatively on the Nintendo action. Why?
They undoubtedly remember time when Sony became the number one of the market of the video game with its PlayStation, whereas we were at the time the uncontested leader of the sector. That had then shown in the whole world that it was possible to become the leader of this market from nothing and that the risk exists that that still reproduces on the market of the portable consoles.
What changed today?
We learned from our error, while being from now on very attentive so that will make Sony in this sector and while reacting as soon as we obtain more information on the PSP. But it is nice on behalf of Sony to have informed to us 18 months in advance of its intentions. That gives us also time to prepare an answer adapted to the attack of Sony and to think of the next generation of GameBoy.
GameCube still has the image of a game console for children, malgre the arrival of plays intended for an older audience. How do you position from now on the console?
Sony, Microsoft and before them Sega, present Nintendo like a company only for children. What is obviously false. But it is difficult to change this image the more so as it is true that the first titles published by Nintendo for the console were rather intended for a young public. On the other hand, when one looks at the current catalogue of plays of GameCube, with in particular Metal Gear Solid, Splinter Cell, Matrix or Soul Calibur II, it becomes clear that we address ourselves to a broader and older audience. The editors like Electronics Arts and Ubisoft included/understood it by publishing their titles headlights on our platform also.
What can you tell us forthcoming generation of GameCube?
It would be well to be able to re-use the Games already create for the present generation. And it is something to which we work. Side performances and graphics, one reached today a kind of limit with a quality which is already close to realism and it will be difficult to still much better do. The role of Nintendo is thus to study other ways in order to improve the experiment of the player.
Nintendo misses practically world of the online games. Explain to us your strategy in this field.
As a manufacturer, we left a modem and an adapter high flow for GameCube, so that the third Parties can create plays on line. But, as an editor, we are not convinced yet of the economic model for the plays on line and we have a position of waiting. In an immediate future, we intend to present our vision of online games, without there being inevitably a monthly subscription to pay on behalf of the player.
(01net Source)
Big N geht echt gelassen und schwerfällig an die Sache
01net.: Sony and Microsoft announced falls of 20 dollars of the price of their console. Will you make in the same way?
Satoru Iwata: There is still a difference in price of 30 dollars in favour of GameCube compared to its competitors. The more so as, in the United States, we make already promotions by proposing free plays with the console. Therefore, for the moment, one does not smell the need yet to reduce the price of GameCube, and I do not divide the opinion of the analysts whom our console must reach the threshold of 99 dollars to remain competitive.
After the advertisement by Sony of its portable PlayStation, the financial markets have reacts negatively on the Nintendo action. Why?
They undoubtedly remember time when Sony became the number one of the market of the video game with its PlayStation, whereas we were at the time the uncontested leader of the sector. That had then shown in the whole world that it was possible to become the leader of this market from nothing and that the risk exists that that still reproduces on the market of the portable consoles.
What changed today?
We learned from our error, while being from now on very attentive so that will make Sony in this sector and while reacting as soon as we obtain more information on the PSP. But it is nice on behalf of Sony to have informed to us 18 months in advance of its intentions. That gives us also time to prepare an answer adapted to the attack of Sony and to think of the next generation of GameBoy.
GameCube still has the image of a game console for children, malgre the arrival of plays intended for an older audience. How do you position from now on the console?
Sony, Microsoft and before them Sega, present Nintendo like a company only for children. What is obviously false. But it is difficult to change this image the more so as it is true that the first titles published by Nintendo for the console were rather intended for a young public. On the other hand, when one looks at the current catalogue of plays of GameCube, with in particular Metal Gear Solid, Splinter Cell, Matrix or Soul Calibur II, it becomes clear that we address ourselves to a broader and older audience. The editors like Electronics Arts and Ubisoft included/understood it by publishing their titles headlights on our platform also.
What can you tell us forthcoming generation of GameCube?
It would be well to be able to re-use the Games already create for the present generation. And it is something to which we work. Side performances and graphics, one reached today a kind of limit with a quality which is already close to realism and it will be difficult to still much better do. The role of Nintendo is thus to study other ways in order to improve the experiment of the player.
Nintendo misses practically world of the online games. Explain to us your strategy in this field.
As a manufacturer, we left a modem and an adapter high flow for GameCube, so that the third Parties can create plays on line. But, as an editor, we are not convinced yet of the economic model for the plays on line and we have a position of waiting. In an immediate future, we intend to present our vision of online games, without there being inevitably a monthly subscription to pay on behalf of the player.
(01net Source)
Big N geht echt gelassen und schwerfällig an die Sache
und ich finde gamecube 2 solle sich auf keinen fall in eine mulmedia maschiene verwandeln. 
