Nintendo isn't completely discounting the idea, but the high costs involved in cellular carrier partnerships are a roadblock, said Hideki Konno, a top Nintendo producer.
"It's not that I'm uninterested," Konno said through a translator. "However, I look at the business model, and I see so many additional costs that come into play." Splitting revenue with cell operators would affect the retail price of games, he said.
"Would we increase the price of the software itself?" Konno asked. "The distribution couldn't be free."
On March 25, Nintendo released the 3DS, the first mainstream gadget available that can show 3-D graphics without the need for special glasses. Games cost about $40, compared with the free and inexpensive applications available for phones. In addition to games, the 3DS also is designed to be able to download movies or stream them via Netflix.
Some tech bloggers have wondered aloud whether Nintendo should have put cellular connectivity in the 3DS, and some analysts project that smartphones could cut into the market for hardware dedicated to gaming.
But in the U.S., the 3DS sold more units on its launch day than on any other DS or GameBoy system's first day, Nintendo said in a statement. Nintendo didn't release sales figures, but the NPD Group will release a report in two weeks.
LG Electronics and HTC are both working on smartphones with displays capable of glasses-free 3-D similar to Nintendo's. The technology has gotten off to a strong start, especially with children. Yongseok Jang, LG vice president of strategy, recently joked that his kids are "begging" him for 3DS systems. "But I said no way," he said.
