Nintendo working on social ‘Mii’ smartphone app

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Nintendo is working on a new smartphone app, the company’s President Satoru Iwata told business magazine Nikkei on Thursday. It’s in development now, and should be finished around the time Nintendo reports its annual earnings in May.

According to Iwata, the app will feature Miis—the lovable, customizable avatars that represent players used in Nintendo Wii and Nintendo Wii U. Players will be able to customize their Mii characters, and share them on their social networks.

But just because Nintendo is wading into the smartphone space, doesn’t mean we’ll see game ports anytime soon. Iwata is still very much against the idea, and says he’d rather use smartphones and tablets to push new users toward consoles.

There was similar talk around this time last year, right after Nintendo reported dismal holiday earnings on the back of poor Wii U sales. Many pundits believe the company should focus less on hardware sales, and more on mobile gaming.

Source: Nikkei via IGN