You could be playing some of your favourite childhood games on your phone soon as Nintendo looks to finally make a major move into mobile gaming.
As its Pokemon Go game begins rolling out to iOS and Android app stores around the world, the Japanese gaming giant has said in a shareholder meeting that it's looking at investing more in the smart device market.
Mobile gaming, that being games you play on your smartphone or tablet, has destroyed the market for handheld gaming devices such as Nintendo's 3DS and Sony's PS Vita. Nintendo has drastically cut its estimates for how many 3DS's per year it would sell because of the rise of apps.
Nintendo has toyed with entering the mobile gaming market recently, with the augmented reality Pokemon Go game as well as the social gaming app Miitomo, but has ignored longtime cries for them to bring premiere titles like Mario Bros. and the Legend of Zelda to smartphones and tablets.
All about the controller
They have given a reason for taking their time by saying that they believe their action games require physical controllers rather than on-screen controls. To fix this, Nintendo itself is exploring the idea of producing their own controller to pair with your device, as well as new ways of playing their games.
We've already seen their first attempts, with a little sensor device they released which works with Pokemon Go, alerting you to actions in the game when you're not playing it.
This controller-orientated thinking is what has given us the odd offerings from Nintendo so far, a social lifestyle game and an augmented reality game that relies on your phone's geolocation and camera. These are far from the sword and shield or side-scrolling games that Nintendo fans want from the company.
Nintendo seemed adamant for years to stay clear of mobile gaming, preferring to fully focus on their own hardware offering. But as their hardware side of the company is hitting a big transition with a new console due out next year, it's likely to see the 3DS phased out too.
With the handheld gaming market more or less nothing, it's the right time for them to get into mobile gaming. They could very easily become a dominant force in that market in no time at all, by simply relying on their tried and tested franchises.
