Nintendo buries head in sand over mobile gaming

Okay, so you don't expect companies to talk up their rivals when asked. But neither do you expect them to blithely write them off without a care.

However, judging by an interview in The Times with Nintendo UK boss David Yarnton, Nintendo is adopting the latter policy when it comes to the threat posed by Apple's iPhone and iPod touch.

"Mobile phone gaming has been 'going to happen' for a long time," he tells the newspaper. "We’re still waiting."

And while Nintendo is waiting, Apple is pressing on with its digital distribution strategy, its open development platform, and its aggressive marketing campaign to get iPod touches into the hands of Nintendo's core DS demographic.

PocketGamer.biz hasn't always liked Apple's claims to be taking on PSP and DS, but now games are coming through to justify them, we can't help thinking that behind the scenes, Nintendo isn't quite so blase about the threat.