NOA boss talks competition from Apple, declining Wii sales, Nintendo's demographic

Nintendo of American president Reggie Fils-Aime has appeared on CNET to demonstrate 3DS, chatting with the host on Wii's declining hardware sales; Nintendo's demographic; and competition from the iPhone, which he waved away by explaining that, "You win by great content."

"We're fortunate to have franchises like Mario, like Zelda, like Donkey Kong. All of these great franchises motivate consumers to buy the software, and what they're looking for is that in-depth, great experience - and that's what we offer," he continued.

When challenged on the Wii's declining sales, Fils-Amie dismissed concerns.

"It's important to remember that the gaming industry is cyclical. There're lots of systems sold early on, and then later on it's driven by software. So for us, 2008, 2009 and 2010 were fantastic software years and that's where the profit is made," the COO said.

He also said that the recent red Wii had performed very well.

Demoing Zelda on 3DS, Fils-Aime replied to controversial concerns regarding young children and the potential harm of viewing of 3D images, suggesting that Nintendo's market extends far beyond small children:

"For Nintendo, the age segment that we cater to is really all consumers, from 6-96. And so for us, the fact that younger consumers we're recommending not (to) view the 3D images not a big issue for us."

"Plus, there are ways that you can manipulate the device to have only 2D visuals shown, so really, it's going to cater to all consumers. The 2D screen that is here is dramatically better than even our current DS."

Thanks, GoNintendo. Image via GameRant.