Nintendo 'not concerned about iPhone'

Despite the immense gravity surrounding iPhone and the launch of the App Store in July, Nintendo doesn't see the device as a threat to its four year-old Nintendo DS. Public Relations Manager Eric Walter told us on Saturday in Seattle, "We're not concerned about iPhone."

Nintendo has long held the portable gaming market, the DS being only the latest platform in a long-running handheld dynasty. A slowdown in sales over the last six months could be pointing to a shift, however. That isn't phasing the company. Walter commented, "I'm not worried at all. More units have shipped this year already than last."

Consumer reception of DS stems from a bevy of unique, exclusive titles Walter contended. "You simply can't get these experiences anywhere else." Examples of such games include the upcoming Nintendo-produced Rhythm Heaven, strategy-action game Lock's Quest, as well as the flurry of Square Enix remakes on the way. As Walter put it, "It's more about the games than hardware."

When questioned on the potential for iPhone to bring in new gamers into the fold, Walter asserted that Nintendo had been doing just that with DS over the last four years. "Our games have been inviting new consumers for years and we're going to keep doing that moving forward by introducing new gameplay mechanics and ideas."