Boston, MA—Is Nintendo too big for video games? In spite of difficult times in the video game industry over the past year, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata no longer views the Big N as competing with the likes of smaller industry players such as Sony and Microsoft: He believes the real competition is with technological innovators such as Apple.

“It’s all about innovation,” stated Iwata during a recent interview at a gaming convention in Boston. “We must bravely go where no company has gone before. Our new 3DS is just a taste of this thinking. We are working hard to produce many products that today nobody has even heard of but that we believe will change everyday life.”

Asked what those new technologies might be, the wily Iwata simply smiled and asked if the interviewer would like some tea.

Dressed smartly in a barbarian he-warrior furry wrap, Iwata roamed the halls, speaking off-the-cuff to surprised patrons before joining a roundtable debate where he proceeded to drop a few more crumbs for the rumor mills.

“Wouldn’t it be exciting to travel to virtual destinations that are indistinguishable from reality,” Iwata let slip when one panel member asked him if a new Animal Crossing game was headed to 3DS.

Later, Iwata referred to, “the power of imaginary food” and “chasing the ancient dream of the golden butterfly” which seemed to be a reference to some obscure Japanese parable that nobody could confirm.

Asked flatly if he had lost touch with Nintendo’s own past and the roller-coaster ride that had seen the company’s fortunes rise and fall on what some observers have called arrogant assumptions and fantasies, Iwata responded with a question of his own: “Would you rather we didn’t even dream?”

Then, following a standing ovation by the audience and other panel members, Iwata whistled sharply and a large dragon swooped down to the stage, scooped up the heroic, Nintendo leader then flew out of the convention hall and into the sunset.