EA: Nintendo needs to offer Apple-like support

EA boss John Riccitiello reckons Nintendo needs to take a leaf out of Apple’s book when it comes to third-party support.

The publisher’s CEO cited the iPad manufacturer as a prime example of how a platform holder should help external publishers and claimed Nintendo is too focused on its own IP, according to Industry Gamers.

It’s a frustration for all third party publishers when a platform holder does less to promote third-party content,” he said. A great third party company is Apple, a company that’s all third party content. There’s often tension in a company between first and third party content.

Nintendo’s unique in the world. They’re a great company because of the blend of first and third party content. First party hardware and first part content is what makes them great, but it’s actually pretty tough.

I can come up with a dozen titles in the last decade, but it’s really tough to come up with a dozen great titles that have been platform-defining for them that weren’t their own. I don’t care where it’s Mario, Twilight Princess or GoldenEye: it was their own content.

I’m going back to N64 and I can go back to SNES if you want, but they’ve never really been a heavy third party-supporting system. It’s not lack of trying: they start the morning thinking what’s best for their own intellectual property.”