Why doesn't Nintendo release games for smartphones?

[Digglett]

Smart Phone gaming is as much gaming as playing Oregon Trail at Elementary School, or playing Bejewled or Farmville. AKA: Not so much.

[paperfire]

By the way, smartphone gaming is very plausible. Just get a 4.5" android phone, and get some emulators. On a big screen, the controls are surprisingly good. You can play any game up to the N64/PS1 era.

[insmek]

By the way, smartphone gaming is very plausible. Just get a 4.5" android phone, and get some emulators. On a big screen, the controls are surprisingly good. You can play any game up to the N64/PS1 era.

For RPGs that's doable, but with platformers touchscreen controls just don't cut it.

[sety7000]

Nintendo doesn't release games for smartphones for the same reason Apple doesn't sell OS X to non-Mac users; the software sells the hardware. If you could play Nintendo games without having to buy a Nintendo system, the company would end up leaving the hardware business and go pure third party like Sega did, which I think would be a hard pill for the Big N to swallow since their developers would be forced to use whatever interface Microsoft and Sony used.

I remember when the only way to play a Sonic game was to own either a Genesis or a Game Gear, but now Sonic is just about on every platform.

This will be Nintendo soon, just look at there stock price, and look at apples, ah hem cough cough Mario on every platform.

Also we will see how the newly announced Nintendo network will do, but I don't think paying $10 for an old game that isn't even re made and has all the same stuff as the original is just plain stupid, I would rather play roms then pay money for old outdated games.