I can't think of a more natural alliance than that of Apple and Nintendo.
Both have mainstream appeal but also command a rabid fanbase. Both have an affinity for stylish looking products and both innovate to a high degree in their own way. Hell, the Wii and DS are effectively Apple products from the outside: many people I know who aren't into gaming mistake them for some kind of iPod product at first, due to their aesthetic similarities in both function and looks.
With Nintendo becoming rich off becoming the gaming world's Apple, surely it would make sense for them both to collaborate? Of course, they have no real financial gain to do so; they're both printing money like mad at the moment. But I would certainly be much more interested by future Nintendo products if they had both the Western sensibilities of Apple, mixed with the Japanese, out of the box madness Nintendo has become so well known for.
So, how would you feel about a merger between two companies like Apple and Nintendo? Can you think of any other companies which merge well, and why?
A Nintendo and Apple alliance - could it ever happen?
Honestly, I don't think it's a good fit. I don't think Nintendo and Apple are that similar - Nintendo's strength isn't it's styling, it's nostalgia, strong intellectual properties, and wide consumer appeal.
If anything, I think Nintendo and Apple would be the most natural competitors if Apple entered the video game market. After all, I assume that Apple would target the same broad "casual gamer" market that Nintendo has done so well in. I believe that Apple will focus on the iPhone and try parlay that into the preeminent portable gaming device and leave consoles alone for now.
I doubt there will be any big entries into the gaming hardware market in the current economy. It costs a lot of money and the competition is already savage, making it a money-losing proposition.
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