Even with a Pokemon iPhone game, Nintendo still isn't cool with mobile

This whole ground-breaking, free PokemoniPhone and Android game business? Fuhgettaboutit. Well, Nintendo shut that up real quick, didn't it? Bloomberg reports that the stubborn traditional game creator is still not interested in mobile or social games, and that it's strategy to develop games only for its platforms "hasn't changed and won't change," Yasuhiro Minagawa, a spokesman for the Kyoto-based company poised to release its Wii U system, told Bloomberg by phone.

So, how did the Pokemon mobile game, Pokemon Say Tap, get the green light? According to Kotaku, Nintendo only owns 32 percent of the Pokemon Brand, the rest of which presumably owned by developer Game Freak.

Since Nintendo doesn't hold majority rule over Pokemon, it can't dictate where the brand goes, regardless of whether Pokemon has been faithful to the company from the start. Nintendo seems to want fans (and investors) to see this as merely a rare occurrence, and none of Nintendo's in-house brands will leave its consoles.

While the company is interested in opening up its 3DS and later its Wii U console to social channels, Nintendo's relationship with social stops there. So, can this be the final word on Nintendo and mobile/social, or more appropriately free?

[Image Credit: iPhone Theme World]

Are you bummed or surprised to hear that Nintendo is still not digging on free? How do you think the company will survive in an industry that's swiftly shifting towards free-to-play services? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.