Satoru Iwata says predicting console lifespan is "nonsense"

By Robert Purchese Published 17 July, 2008

Iwata will change when innovation stops.

Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata thinks predicting how long a console will last for is "nonsense".

He believes hardware should only be rethought when developers can no longer innovate on it.

"Deciding upon a certain time period that someone can sell is becoming a nonsense," Iwata told the BBC, referencing Sony's 'ten-year plan'.

"After all, the primary concern for me is not to let consumers purchase hardware but to enjoy software.

"Having said that, however hard our software developers try create new unprecedented titles with great ideas eventually there'll be a day when developers say they have no more means with the hardware, that's exactly the time we need to introduce people to new hardware," added Iwata.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (47) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • the_dudefather #1 4 years ago

    "After all, the primary concern for me is not to let consumers purchase hardware but to enjoy software."

    are accessories hardware?

  • Rash' #2 4 years ago

    I'll be surprised if Wii has a "ten year life cycle"...

    :o)

  • drumbaby #3 4 years ago

    He would say that...having had no experience of regularly creating consoles with 10 year + life cycles.

    Ignoramus.

  • ostrasized #4 4 years ago

    I'll be surprised if the PS3 does.

  • Xerx3s #5 4 years ago

    Yes and no. I just like a new toy every 4 or 5 years.

  • canIdoyabombsforya #6 4 years ago

    Nintendo have still got a price drop or two to gain them an extra few years. With oozes of 1st party quality in reserve providing nobody brings out the next best thing within 3 years, Xbox 720?

    Sony's 10 year plan is a bad bad idea for a media center. I struggle to get 3 years out of a laptop, and that pisses all over PS3 in the non gaming department, doesnt do too badly at games and Backward compatabilty is second to none.

  • smelly #7 4 years ago

    drumbaby.. am i being stupid here (likely) or are you (unlikely - and i just didnt get the irony!)?

    But just in case...

    You're talking about the gameboy right?

  • Rodster #8 4 years ago

    Windows Vista and the Playstation3 share the problem. Both products have PR issues.

  • Cappy #9 4 years ago

    Yes, that must be what happened to the poor old Gamecube, Definitely not Nintendo themselves deciding to cut support.

  • mkreku #10 4 years ago

    Uh.. they sell a souped-up Gamecube for thrice the price and they have the gall to criticise the other brands hardware plans? You didn't even have "new hardware" the day you released the Wii!

  • Monsta #11 4 years ago

    That would be all well and good if games didn't have a 2 year lead time and consoles a 3 (or longer) development period.

    Console developers have to start planning the next gen as soon as this gen is out the door. but plan far enough ahead to take account any major tech leaps that are expected.

    unless ofcourse they just want to add a new gfx chip to their old machine and a novelty controller

  • bad09 #12 4 years ago

    "Yes and no. I just like a new toy every 4 or 5 years."

    Ah Xerx3s, within you beats the heart of a hardcore gamer, just like me! :)

  • SpaceMidget75 Verified Senior Software Developer, Minerva Computer Services #13 4 years ago

    @drumbaby - what are you talking about?

  • ronuds #14 4 years ago

    Someone said it in another thread and I thought it was a perfect point: Companies don't dictate a product's lifespan, the customer does. If the PS3 is selling 10 units a week next year, I doubt we'll see a 10-year cycle out of it. The PS2 only survives because it's still being purchased in huge quanitites.

    So, Satoru Iwatutu is correct....but he's still a jackass.

  • HermitArcader #15 4 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:17:39 22-12-2011

  • timberwolf #16 4 years ago

    say that to the BBC today. back to work planning the wii 2 tomorrow.

  • penhalion #17 4 years ago

    Priming us for new hardware are we Nintendo?

  • Les #18 4 years ago

    "He believes hardware should only be rethought when developers can no longer innovate on it."

    Very true. Unfortunately innovating has never been the strength of the general developer so one might argue a new console wouldn't last a day... And no, increasing pixel count doesn't count as innovation. The only real benefit/innovation that PS3 brought was region-free-ness, something that each and every console should have had from the start. Without that, there would have been no reason to switch from PS2. There's nothing on 360, Wii or PS3 that can touch it's gems.

  • HermitArcader #19 4 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:17:39 22-12-2011

  • Collymilad #20 4 years ago

    I dont think Sony can keep to their "10 year lifecycle" BS. They are just using this now to somehow try and justifiy the ludicrous cost of the PS3, by trying to make out it's futureproof, when it's not.

    Lets say MS release a console in 2010, and it has graphics that blow away the previous gen (like PS3 compared to PS2) - what are Sony going to do? Sit there while people slowly think about moving onto the new hardware, because a LOT of people will jump ship rather than wait 4-5 years for the new Playstation to come out.

    No, it didn't happen last time with the PS2 but lets look at the difference situations. In the PS2 era Sony still retained most of their exclusives and MS hadn't broken into the console market to anywhere near the degree they have now. If Sony wait to bring out comparable hardware again I think that will be a mistake - MS are far more noticed in the console market now and are making far more deliberate and calculated steps to "win" than they used to - as well as reigning in a lot of previously PS exclusive titles (as well as securing 360 versions of MANY more 3rd party titles than the Xbox had)

    People stayed with PS2 because of the exclusive games, amazing 3rd party support and brand loyalty. 3 things MS were only just building up with the original xbox. All 3 of these areas have been chipped away at and I really don't think they are left strong enough to keep people on inferior hardware for 5 years.

    I just can't see with the way the situation has changed how it's feasable to talk about a 10 year life cycle. I mean - why did they release a PS3? They obviously think that it doesn't matter if you have an inferior piece of hardware for 4-5 years (because MS will most likely release a new console around 2011) - so why not just let the PS2 go against the 360? Because if they do a 10 year life cycle, it amounts to the same thing down the road, doesn't it?
    Edited by 2 at 17/07/08 @ 21:28

  • Les #21 4 years ago

    "Lets say MS release a console in 2010, and it has graphics that blow away the previous gen (like PS3 compared to PS2) - what are Sony going to do?"

    Simple: They'll let MS take the non-profitable hardcore market, if they're smart. Releasing such a powerful machine so short after the previous gen is way too costly to ever generate you money if you don't break into the casual gamer market within a year or two. And casual gamers don't care about extra pixels.

  • Xerx3s #22 4 years ago

    "Ah Xerx3s, within you beats the heart of a hardcore gamer, just like me! :)"

    The runup to and opening a new console box is like christmas for adults.

  • Les #23 4 years ago

    "@Les to be fair with PS3 Sony have been able to integrate a online service in a way they didn't with PS2"

    True, but as I have a life, I don't care much about online gaming. Once or twice every month or two/three I fire up Warhawk and enjoy it a bit while I get my ass kicked but afer an hour or so I've had enough. I just don't have the time to hone my multiplayer skills enough to actually enjoy playing online. And I guess most of the casual gamers will feel the same about it. As the Wii proves, online isn't that important when it comes to selling consoles to a broad audience.
    Edited by 1 at 17/07/08 @ 21:48

  • Darren #24 4 years ago

    I think Iwata is just bitter at Sony's PS3 lifespan comments because he knows deep down that the Wii won't last ten years because its hardware is already dated. I mean I own a Wii but even I'll admit its basically a last gen console technically with a neat control method and a few good games.

  • kestral #25 4 years ago

    the shorter the lifespan the less attractive it is as an alternative to pc upgrading cycle. so keep the xbox running microsoft. hehe.

  • malloc #26 4 years ago

    He's only saying this from Nintendos perspective, not the entire industry, which is fair enough.

  • muftak #27 4 years ago

    "I dont think Sony can keep to their "10 year lifecycle" BS. They are just using this now to somehow try and justifiy the ludicrous cost of the PS3, by trying to make out it's futureproof, when it's not.

    Lets say MS release a console in 2010, and it has graphics that blow away the previous gen (like PS3 compared to PS2) - what are Sony going to do? Sit there while people slowly think about moving onto the new hardware, because a LOT of people will jump ship rather than wait 4-5 years for the new Playstation to come out. . "

    they release a new one
    but keep the ps3 going on for the 10 year life just like they did with the psone and they will with the ps2 , they arnt the company as ive said before drops an old for new policy like ms and nintendo

    Nintendo can really talk seeing as they only make a new console when Shigeru Miyamoto says so so he can live his dream of making the same game over and over again just a little different.
    Edited by 1 at 17/07/08 @ 22:35

  • GingerNathan #28 4 years ago

    "I think Iwata is just bitter at Sony's PS3 lifespan comments "

    I think he's too busy counting money then to be bitter. :/

    I do like the way Eurogamer has summarised the entire BBC article to imply he's having a go at Sony, well done Eurogamer these fools are too stupid to see through your cunning plan.

  • Gastrian #29 4 years ago

    Tut tut Eurogamer, you are quoting a source that misquoted their own interview.
    The BBC asks the question
    "Your competitors have talked about a ten year life span for their consoles how long will the Wii last as a platform in the market place"
    Iwata is translalated as saying "Deciding upon the certain time period one can sell is becoming a nonsense".

    Taking into context the question and that he says its "becoming a" nonsense, the nature of his answer implies that companies talking about and willy waving over life cycles is becoming silly which a good few of us have mentioned in the comments for stories relating to that. He's not directly saying that a ten year business plan is nonsense, just that bragging about it and bringing it up in press releases is.

  • yagisencho #30 4 years ago

    The primary difference here is that Nintendo profits from sales of its new hardware from day one while Sony only sees a profit after half a decade.

  • ekko #31 4 years ago

    The Will will stick around, they've not even got to releasing the primary coloured versions out yet.

  • Doctor_What #32 4 years ago

    As others have pointed out, he would say that given the Wii seems to have new hardware released every three months.
    Edited by 1 at 18/07/08 @ 11:47

  • varsas #33 4 years ago

    Are we not close to the point where improvement in graphics will be marginal? How noticeable will the difference be between this generation and the next? I guess improved frame rates...

  • spazmo #34 4 years ago

    The graffiks next gen will be almost, *almost* what they promised last gen...

  • spazmo #35 4 years ago

    "He would say that...having had no experience of regularly creating consoles with 10 year + life cycles.

    Ignoramus."


    I hate people who 'sign' their posts.

  • bitesize #36 4 years ago

    Nintendo can really talk seeing as they only make a new console when Shigeru Miyamoto says so so he can live his dream of making the same game over and over again just a little different.

    i think maybe you need to look up the list of games miyamoto has worked on, and the sheer variety of styles, before you start making comments about making the same game over and over. might stop you from looking really really stupid again...

  • Les #37 4 years ago

    "I think Iwata is just bitter at Sony's PS3 lifespan comments because he knows deep down that the Wii won't last ten years because its hardware is already dated. I mean I own a Wii but even I'll admit its basically a last gen console technically with a neat control method and a few good games."

    You're thinking way too much like a hardcore gamer: as Wii's success shows, consumers don't care about the dated tech inside the box, it's about what they can do with it. Things like 'last gen' are irrelevant to those people. Thinking like this is what has gotten MS, and to a lesser degree Sony, into trouble.

  • Razz #38 4 years ago

    He would say that...having had no experience of regularly creating consoles with 10 year + life cycles.

    Ignoramus.

    Err....

    /points at Gameboy

  • Dan234 #39 4 years ago

    I don't think Sony knew the PS2 would last 10 years, they probably expected 5 like the PS. People bought the PS2 because it was sold at the right price and had backwards compatibility with the PS1, they stayed with it because developers put out the games they wanted to play, and this in turn attracted new punters and built up a momentum.

    I'm not sure if the PS3 can manage that. For a start it's too expensive and they've clobbered backwards compatibility. Then there are the games, where even this early in the lifespan some big titles have been knocked on the head because more expensive to develop games in HD and the user base isn't there.

    So basically he's right, even though it hurts coming from Nintendo. :)

  • kingkatt #40 4 years ago

    Wii = Was Initially Interesting

  • rgame1 #41 4 years ago

    believe me he is chatting fu ck crap.

    They intriduce new hardware when money can no longer be made on the old one. Devs are still making games for PS2...hardware that is inferior to lame fucking cube.

  • Dan234 #42 4 years ago

    Notice he said it was the software that mattered, not the hardware?

    You've just agreed with him!

    Edited by 1 at 18/07/08 @ 11:54

  • SpaceMidget75 Verified Senior Software Developer, Minerva Computer Services #43 4 years ago

    Dan234 you're wasting your breath mate. Idiots like muftak and drumbaby just can't see truth from inside Sony's arsehole.

    They refuse to comment on the fact that if the PS2 had bombed Sony and more importantly Devs would not be supporting it for 10 years.

    They refuse to see the difference between PS1/PS2 and the Saturn/DC/GC/Xbox.

    They refuse to see that when other consoles such as the NES and GB are successful they get a 10 year lifecycle. 20 years in the case of the Famicom!

    The correlation is with success, not with some c*nt in a suit deciding that's their plan.

  • dom6918 #44 4 years ago

    PS3 needs a new Gfx card (RSX is too old!) and more memory!

  • zzyzx #45 4 years ago

    So, Satoru Iwatutu is correct....but he's still a jackass.

    Thread over. Ronuds wins.

  • captain_MAXIMUS #46 4 years ago

    I dont think the ps3 can last 10 yrs technology is advancing well fast there will probably ba a new console announced in 5 years

  • smelly #47 4 years ago

    This gen will last another year.. when msoft will announce the xbox 3