Nintendo's Fils-Aime Addresses Apple, Facebook, Microsoft Competition

Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime was quick to write off competition from multiple corners in a recent interview. The executive told CNBC that the company's established franchises would win out over free and cheap gaming competition from the likes of the iPad and Facebook. "You win with great content, and we're fortunate to have great franchises like Mario, like Zelda, like Donkey Kong -- all of these great franchises really motivate consumers to buy the software," he said. Addressing concerns that the company should have had a new version of the Wii to compete with Microsoft's successful Kinect, Fils-Aime quipped that Nintendo "had a new version of the Wii... it was red, and that did phenomenally well globally." Fils-Aime also seemed unconcerned with Wii sales marks that were down significantly in 2010 from record highs the previous two years, attributing the drop to the hardware cycle and insisting Wii software was still doing quite well for the company. A July analysis by Gamasutra's Matt Matthews found domestic Wii software sales peaking in 2010, though at a mark significantly higher than those for competing systems. As for the 3DS, Fils-Aime addressed heavy media interest in the system's potential negative effects on young eyes by pointing out the unit's 2D operation mode, and a target audience that includes all age groups. In any case, doctors say concerns over the glasses-free 3D portable's effects on children's visual development may be overblown.