Iwata Damns Online Games; Hints At Bandai Buyout

In a wide-ranging talk given to the Japan Economic Foundation, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has once again stated his opinion that online gaming is not yet an important factor in the industry. Using examples of franchises where the offline version had sold more than the online version, Iwata claimed that , "most customers do not wish to pay the extra money for connection to the Internet, and for some customers, connection procedures to the Internet are still not easy." Iwata also defended accusations that the company’s first party line up was aimed exclusively at children, insisting that, “Game software should neither be exclusively targeted at children or adults. Instead, we will develop software which anyone can instantly understand." However, he did admit that, “production of software readily acceptable to adults is worth studying." Perhaps in connection with this admission Iwata announced that the company would seek to sign more third-party development deals with Western developers, saying, "We are now holding negotiations with major Western game developers and will be able to conclude a deal by the end of the year if things go smoothly." Finally, Iwata hinted that his company’s intentions towards Bandai may be more than have previously been acknowledged. Still denying plans for a takeover, he did however comment that, "a closer relationship would be beneficial for both sides and it will be nice if the two companies can work together in doing something interesting." Source: Slashdot