Nintendo stock drops post-3DS event
Monster Hunter 4 not enough for investors.
Nintendo's share price dropped by five per cent following yesterday's 3DS showcase in Tokyo, according to Reuters.
The platform holder announced a fistful of new titles at the event yesterday, including Monster Hunter 4, Monster Hunter Tri G, a sequel to big-in-Japan casual game Tomodachi Collection, Mario Tennis, a new entry in its Fire Emblem strategy franchise and a brand new RPG IP from Square Enix.
That's alongside a healthy slate of titles already announced for the next 12 months or so, including Mario Kart 7, Super Mario 3D Land, Luigi's Mansion 2, Animal Crossing, Paper Mario, Resident Evil: Revelations, Kid Icarus and Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater 3D.
However, it seems all that isn't enough to impress investors, with Nintendo's stock duly taking a fall.
"I don't think the new games will make any difference," said Mitsushige Akino, chief fund manager at Ichiyoshi Investment.
"Nintendo succeeded by pulling in people who weren't gamers and their needs now are no longer being filled by Nintendo, they are happy playing games on their mobile phones," he said.
Makoto Kikuchi, CEO of Myojo Asset Management, had a different slant, suggesting it needs to concentrate on home console development, rather than portables.
"The only possible way for Nintendo to revive would be to stop concentrating on mobile games and switch to Wii-type games for the whole family," said Makoto Kikuchi, CEO of Myojo Asset Management. "However, at the moment, I can't see this change coming."
Nintendo's share price has fallen around 50 per cent this year, following disappointing sales of the its new handheld.
Monster Hunter developer Capcom reportedly saw its share price fall 8.3 per cent following the conference.
The last main handheld iteration of the beast battling series, the PSP's Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, has sold nearly five million copies in Japan alone.