????任天堂（Nintendo）的3DS掌上游戲機(jī)能否成為一款流行的電子書閱讀器？日本最大的印刷公司大日本印刷株式會(huì)社（Dai Nippon Printing）認(rèn)為很有這個(gè)可能,。大日本印刷是日本出版業(yè)巨頭,，它日前宣布，將在今年秋天為年輕讀者推出300本可在任天堂熱賣的3DS掌上游戲機(jī)上閱讀的電子書,。

????大日本印刷目前已經(jīng)在通過傳統(tǒng)電子書閱讀器銷售電子書和漫畫,，但這個(gè)市場(chǎng)已經(jīng)相當(dāng)擁擠。漫畫在包括手機(jī)在內(nèi)的所有平臺(tái)上都頗受歡迎,，但普通的電子書就沒那么暢銷了,。身為出版商的大日本印刷表示，特別渴望爭(zhēng)取到年輕讀者,。這家公司聲稱,，年輕讀者往往無法通過其它平臺(tái)看到電子書。通過將這一人群縮小到癡迷游戲的年輕人,，大日本印刷希望電子書的銷量最終能夠出現(xiàn)大的起色,。“我們估計(jì)便攜式游戲設(shè)備,，特別是任天堂3DS,，在日本12歲以下的兒童中很流行，”DNP公司發(fā)言人說,?！暗牵芏嗪⒆佣紱]有電子書閱讀器以及iPad等,，我們開展此項(xiàng)業(yè)務(wù)正是瞄準(zhǔn)了這個(gè)群體,。

????雖然日本消費(fèi)者以喜歡新技術(shù)而著稱，但電子書在這個(gè)國(guó)家卻未能流行起來,。傳統(tǒng)電子書的銷量堪稱慘淡,。雖然電子書在許多發(fā)達(dá)國(guó)家相當(dāng)暢銷，例如每四個(gè)美國(guó)人中就有一人擁有電子書,，但唯獨(dú)日本例外,。任天堂3DS目前在日本已售出1,100萬部，它或許能夠有效地?cái)U(kuò)大電子書的用戶群。目前日本市場(chǎng)的傳統(tǒng)電子書存量?jī)H為100萬部,，大日本印刷預(yù)計(jì),，日本電子書市場(chǎng)有望擴(kuò)大10倍。

????來自東京的技術(shù)顧問Serkan Toto說：“電子書不但能幫助任天堂豐富產(chǎn)品線從而獲取更多收益,，更重要的是,，它會(huì)為3DS帶來新的市場(chǎng)機(jī)遇。任天堂可以更容易地向家長(zhǎng)推銷3DS,，而正是這些人做出決定,，購(gòu)買游戲機(jī)給孩子?！?/p>

????Serkan Toto認(rèn)可3DS電子書的銷量極具潛力,，因?yàn)槿毡臼鞘澜缟祥喿x氛圍最濃厚的國(guó)家。來自日本調(diào)研公司Impress Business Media Corp的分析師表示,，日本兒童圖書市場(chǎng)目前市值高達(dá)7.9億美元,。預(yù)計(jì)到2017年，日本電子書市場(chǎng)有望增長(zhǎng)兩倍,，達(dá)到23億美元,。

????不過，不少分析師對(duì)此持懷疑態(tài)度,。一些人指出,，書籍、雜志和報(bào)紙的讀者數(shù)正呈下降趨勢(shì),。東京的市場(chǎng)調(diào)研公司MM Research Institute發(fā)布報(bào)告稱,，由于電子書價(jià)格高企、種類不足以及來自智能手機(jī)和平板電腦的競(jìng)爭(zhēng),，整個(gè)電子書設(shè)備市場(chǎng)去年表現(xiàn)疲軟,，銷量未達(dá)預(yù)期。這家公司預(yù)計(jì),，今年電子書銷量仍然不會(huì)出現(xiàn)起色。

????大日本印刷將推出面向兒童的電子書服務(wù),，具體做法是在3DS上提供一款免費(fèi)的電子書應(yīng)用供用戶下載,，盡管任天堂女發(fā)言人否認(rèn)該公司正同大日本印刷就此項(xiàng)服務(wù)展開合作。大日本印刷進(jìn)行數(shù)字化的書籍將十分適于在這位發(fā)言人所說的3DS高清觸摸屏上閱讀,。任天堂的這位發(fā)言人說：“我們已通過自有平臺(tái)發(fā)布了腦力訓(xùn)練,、英語學(xué)習(xí)和電子書等軟件。此外,，夏普（Sharp Corp）目前正在日本學(xué)校中利用3DS開展項(xiàng)目,。”

????Can Nintendo's 3DS handheld become a powerhouse e-reader? Japan's biggest printer, Dai Nippon Printing, thinks so. The company, which is a big player in domestic publishing here, announced it will launch 300 titles for young readers this fall for Nintendo's popular portable console.

????Dai Nippon is already selling e-books and manga through conventional e-readers, a crowded market. Manga on all platforms including mobile phones are popular but regular e-books do less well. The publisher says it is particularly keen to go after young readers who, it claims, often don't have access to e-books on any platform. By narrowing their demographic to a gaming-obsessed youth, the firm hopes e-book sales might finally take off. "We estimated that portable game devices, especially the 3DS, is popular among under twelves in Japan," a DNP spokesman says. "But, there aren't many children that have e-book readers, iPads, and so on, so we started this new business to target them."

????Despite a reputation for being early adopters, Japanese consumers haven't fallen for e-readers. Sales of conventional e-books and e-readers have been comparatively poor. E-Reader adoption, well established in other developed nations -- around 25% of U.S. consumers have one -- is low in Japan. With 11 million 3DS units sold so far in Japan, Nintendo's (NTDOY) gadget could be ideal for creating an e-book audience. As there are only about 1 million dedicated e-readers in circulation in Japan, DNP reckons it stands to multiply possible e-book outlets by a factor of ten.

????"For Nintendo, e-books are a new business that will not only allow them to diversify their product portfolio and create a new revenue stream but also provide a new marketing angle: It will be now easier to sell the 3DS to parents -- who mainly make the purchasing decision for their kids," Tokyo-based technology consultant Serkan Toto says.

????He agrees potential sales could be massive in one of the most bookish nations in the world. The children's books market in Japan is worth about $790 million annually. Meanwhile, the market for e-books in Japan is expected to triple by 2017 to $2.3 billion, according to analysts at Japan's Impress Business Media Corp.

????Some are not so bullish. Critics point to falling readership of books, magazines, and newspapers. Tokyo-based market research firm MM Research Institute reports that e-reader demand was weaker in Japan last year than expected owing to the high price of e-books in Japan, their relative scarcity, and competition with smartphones and tablets. E-reader sales are expected to slow substantially this year.

????DNP's e-book service for children will be implemented through a freely downloadable e-books app for the 3DS, although a Nintendo spokeswoman denied the console maker is collaborating with DNP on this aspect of the service. Books digitized by DNP will be easily readable on the 3DS's high-resolution touchscreens she said. "We already distribute brain training and english learning and e-books through our consoles, while Sharp Corp has a program that uses the 3DS at schools in Japan," she said.