With Switch 2 Coming, Nintendo Explains Why It Must Go Beyond Traditional Games

2025 is shaping as much as be a giant yr for Nintendo, because the Mario firm is launching a extremely anticipated new system, the Switch 2. However the firm is not going to rely solely on conventional {hardware} and video games to search out success. Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has opened up on why Nintendo should push “past video video games” to encourage folks to interact with Nintendo.

As a part of Nintendo’s latest earnings report, Furukawa mentioned Nintendo is making use of theme parks, official shops, “visible content material,” and cell experiences to “generate curiosity in our core enterprise.” In case there was any doubt, Furukawa careworn that the “devoted online game platform enterprise” is Nintendo’s core enterprise, and efforts outdoors of which might be being undertaken to funnel folks again there.

“Going ahead, whilst we transition to Nintendo Switch 2, it stays vital to extend touchpoints past video video games,” Furukawa mentioned.

The manager mentioned content material and experiences for sensible telephones will play a “essential” position on this effort, and Nintendo will proceed to push on this space, Furukawa mentioned.

Nintendo’s push into the cell market has already reached some 900 million cumulative downloads, Furukawa mentioned, noting that a few of Nintendo’s success within the smartphone enterprise has are available in international locations and areas that do not have help for Nintendo’s conventional recreation consoles.

“I consider this has elevated the alternatives for extra folks to entry Nintendo IP and characters,” Furukawa mentioned.

Nintendo’s large three cell video games in the present day are Mario Kart Tour, Fireplace Emblem Heroes, and Tremendous Mario Run, Furukawa mentioned, additionally mentioning Pikmin Bloom, which Nintendo co-developed with Pokemon Go firm Niantic. Nintendo shut down on-line providers for Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp on the finish of 2024 amid a transition to creating it a paid recreation referred to as Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Full.

“Though we can’t present particulars on future utility releases, we’re persevering with to develop new recreation functions,” Furukawa mentioned.

Nintendo additionally has the Nintendo Music app, which launched in 2024 and continues to get updates that add new tracks. Normally, Furukawa mentioned Nintendo’s goal is to make use of smartphone apps to “create alternatives for customers to come back into contact with Nintendo recreation worlds and music even outdoors of devoted recreation methods.”

He added: “Going ahead, we want to proceed to develop these kind of initiatives, together with integration with video games, for particular person titles.”

Furukawa acknowledged that, for many individuals, their first gaming platform will not be a standard console however moderately a sensible gadget. So Nintendo is attempting to fulfill folks the place they’re, with the belief being that someday they may choose up a Switch console and video games, along with no matter they may use and revel in on their sensible cellphone.

“We’ll proceed to deliberate on this matter,” Furukawa mentioned.

Even earlier than Furukawa was named president of Nintendo, the corporate acknowledged {that a} rising share of individuals first encounter Nintendo experiences outdoors of a platform that Nintendo sells. For instance, earlier president Tatsumi Kimishima mentioned fewer and fewer younger individuals are discovering out about Nintendo video games via… video games. As an alternative, they’re discovering Nintendo and its characters via issues like officially licensed Mario toothbrushes. He mentioned in 2016 that folks can count on these sorts of licensing offers to proceed and probably enhance, and certainly they’ve.

The Tremendous Mario Bros. Film, launched in 2023, is probably Nintendo’s largest non-gaming success story so far–it introduced in additional than $1.3 billion on the field workplace. It is without doubt one of the top 20 highest-grossing movies in history and the No. 1 online game film of all time. A number of extra Nintendo films are on the best way, together with a live-action Zelda movie and The Tremendous Mario Bros. Film 2.

Then there may be the Tremendous Nintendo World theme park attraction, which expands in a giant manner this Might when it opens at Common Studios in Orlando. And anybody who’s been to a grocery retailer or a division retailer is aware of full properly what number of licensed Nintendo toys there are.

As for the Switch 2, the brand new console launches later this yr. Nintendo will share extra particulars in regards to the system throughout a Nintendo Direct in April.