Game Boy creator Nintendo said on Thursday it will reveal details of a new game product next year but was coy on details, only saying it will be a surprise.
"We are preparing a new product which will give a fresh surprise to consumers," President Satoru Iwata told a news conference on the video game maker"s business strategy. Iwata said the announcement would be aimed at helping investors understand where the industry veteran is heading and what it is focused on.
Poor explanation, poor results
Iwata said a poor explanation about Nintendo"s mid-term business strategy was partly to blame for a plunge in its share price after archrival Sony Corp unveiled plans to launch its own handheld game device in 2004 which will play music and movies.
"Basically I believe Sony"s multi-function handheld device will not have big impact on our business, but we are, whether Sony releases a new product or not, preparing for our future...and we"ll be able to tell you specifics next spring," he said. Asked if it would be a next-generation game console or software, Iwata declined to specify. It was also unclear when the product would go on sale. Nintendo"s once dominant position in the home console business has been hacked away by rival Sony, whose PS2 can be found in more than five times as many homes as its GameCube.