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Nintendo’s Iwata Discusses Flat iOS-like Architecture Across Handheld & Console

During a Nintendo’s Corporate Management Policy Briefing, President Satoru Iwata discussed the nature of the company’s console development as well as the plan to create a flat architecture between both handhelds and home consoles moving forward.

Nintendo's Iwata Discusses Flat iOS-like Architecture Across Handheld & Console

 

In the Nintendo Q&A, Iwata agreed that it’s time for a change and stated,

“However, I think that we no longer need this kind of effort under the current circumstances. In this perspective, while we are only going to be able to start this with the next system, it will become important for us to accurately take advantage of what we have done with the Wii U architecture.

“It of course does not mean that we are going to use exactly the same architecture as Wii U, but we are going to create a system that can absorb the Wii U architecture adequately. When this happens, home consoles and handheld devices will no longer be completely different, and they will become like brothers in a family of systems.”

Iwata then discussed Apple’s iOS architecture, which works across iPhone, iPod and iPad devices, allowing the same games and experiences to be enjoyed across all formats. Iwata wants this technology for Nintendo via a shared platform.

“To cite a specific case. Apple is able to release smart devices with various form factors one after another because there is one way of programming adopted by all platforms. Apple has a common platform called iOS. Another example is Android. Though there are various models, Android does not face software shortages because there is one common way of programming on the Android platform that works with various models.

“The point is, Nintendo platforms should be like those two examples. Whether we will ultimately need just one device will be determined by what consumers demand in the future, and that is not something we know at the moment.

“However, we are hoping to change and correct the situation in which we develop games for different platforms individually and sometimes disappoint consumers with game shortages as we attempt to move from one platform to another, and we believe that we will be able to deliver tangible results in the future.”

What are your thoughts about Nintendo introducing shared architecture on future hardware? Do you think this will help Nintendo’s financial status? Let us know by commenting below.

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