Bushnell: Nintendo could be on a path to irrelevance

One of gaming’s most legendary figures has questioned the long-term future of Nintendo.

Speaking to the BBC, Atari founder Nolan Bushnell warned that the Japanese platform holder could be on a "path to irrelevance" and that changes to the games market have left in a "very difficult position".

"I don’t think handheld game-only devices make sense anymore," he stated. "Not when you have an iPod or an Android microtablet.

"When it comes to the console market, I think the market is truncating. Nintendo always had a soft spot for young people – they sort of did the 12-and-under pretty well, and the other guys did the 12-and-over.

"And now I think the other [consoles] are good enough on those things, and the rush to upgrade from the 12-and-under is not nearly as important."