Japan's Nikkei Shimbun recently interviewed Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa about Nintendo's business model and the future of the company. NintendoEverything translated the interview, and although it was a fairly short article, Furukawa's comments caused a bit of a stir in the gaming world, especially regarding the future fate of the House of Mario.
The main cause of concern is Furukawa's comment that the company will not develop “traditional” game consoles in the future and will instead focus on smartphone games. But while it seems very unlikely that Nintendo will move away from console development completely, and even less likely that it will become exclusively a mobile developer, it certainly seems like there is a change in Nintendo's outlook. .
Whether these are positive things remains to be seen, but Nintendo's recent track record with the Switch and its departure from the Wii's heyday suggests the future is bright, and gamers have a lot to look forward to. ing.
The future of the switch
The concept of innovation was the main focus of the interviews. Furukawa was understandably cautious in discussing what happens next, saying that the Switch is currently Nintendo's vehicle of choice for innovation and the company's primary route to market. Stated.
Furukawa said that contrary to what Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé and others have previously led fans to believe, Nintendo is not focused on its next console, and that the company is He said he operates on the principle of seeing what can be made.
Of course, this has led some to think that Nintendo isn't actually working on a new console at all. Especially since Mr. Furukawa followed up on this comment by saying that the company may withdraw completely from developing home game consoles in the future.
But it's not as alarming a prospect as it might first seem, and here's why.
First of all, the Switch is not a console. It's a hybrid. If Furukawa's comments are taken literally, they simply mean that Nintendo has finally realized that it cannot compete in the home console space and needs to adopt a different approach to survive. . That's exactly what the Switch does, and so far it's working very well.
Second, the console industry is in flux. Instead of the predictable cycle of console development, release, and decline that many of us grew up with, we now have a mid-generation boost, a release that completely breaks that cycle (like the Switch), and the impending rise of subscriptions and streaming. The outlook is being seen. A base service replaces or exists alongside the regular console.
During his intensive interview at E3 last year, Fils Eme mentioned several times that Nintendo expects the Switch to be around for a long time. As with the 3DS family, the company will continue to provide software that people want.
Nintendo's move away from console development as its primary form of innovation simply means that it needs to develop ways to keep consoles around longer, instead devoting resources to software development and, of course, the oft-mentioned “new ways to play.” Add-ons like Nintendo Labo could mean focusing on pouring.
Will there be a switch 2?
If point 2 is true, that doesn't mean there won't be a new console, and the possibility of a mid-gen upgrade isn't ruled out either. Even though internet tabloids have been touting the Switch 2's impending arrival since before Christmas, the upgrade is likely to be several years away. Most analysts expect 2019 to be the last year for this generation of consoles, with the PS5 and Microsoft's new beast likely to be announced this year and launched next year.
It would be foolish for Nintendo to release a semitone variation after all these years. Not only will it be hidden away, it will probably also alienate consumers. He spent $300 on a new system, and not many people would be happy to buy the original system and immediately find an upgraded, possibly cheaper version available.
Meanwhile, Nintendo is instead focused on increasing the Switch's library and online classic offerings.
Image via AminoApps
But with the focus potentially shifting to new engagement methods, and Furukawa saying he will give developers a lot of control when deciding on new projects, the upgrade will likely happen in the next few days. It will be done. Several point. In fact, if Nintendo wants to continue expanding the Switch's game library the way it currently is, an upgrade will almost certainly be necessary.
A more powerful Switch means it could run more demanding games, which could make the porting process much easier. Even if Nintendo doesn't launch new consoles and release their latest releases at the same time as other platforms, that means we'll get more games like: Dragon Quest XI (and hopefully persona 5 R or Swhatever it is), and even older games like Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age.
And so far, it's an approach that's already working.Square Enix finally pays attention to Nintendo again with more than a spin-off title, major port FF After years of blatantly ignoring Nintendo, they added more titles to the platform. Switch doesn't have it all FF Of course it's the title (though some may say it's okay) If it's something like Final Fantasy VIII Never come to the switch), but it's a big step in the right direction.
Nintendo is actively courting developers, rather than expecting them to develop just because they're the Big N.
A different kind of innovation
“That's great, but no one buys consoles to play old games. Nintendo woo!”
However, this is not always the case. Some developers such as Nippon Ichi Software pointed this out. Consumers hit double-dip with the switch., buy the game on the platform you already have on PS4. And in many cases, the Switch version sells twice as much as it does on other platforms.
Combined with the Switch's generally easy development process, the console gives companies more incentive to develop with Nintendo. More importantly, it reflects what consumers want: the ability to play their favorite games, old or new, in a way that works best for them.
Ideally, that means the Switch likely won't need new, high-quality software in the future, regardless of Nintendo's focus on new consoles.
If this is Nintendo's way of innovation in the future, it would represent a positive shift away from the gimmicks that have held the company back since the days of the DS and Wii. And Nintendo seems to recognize the need for this shift. After Nintendo announced his Switch, consumers often heard about its amazing ability to count virtual ice cubes in a non-existent glass, before introducing the digital breast squeeze feature. 1-2 switch. Fortunately, since then, his HD functionality on the Joy-Cons has gradually been de-featured in his Switch's marketing.
Motion controls and new ways to interact with games may have wowed the market a decade ago, but today they're shallow ways to get attention and therefore short-lived.
Let's take the Wii U as an example. It was revolutionary in the same way that talking toilets are revolutionary. While it's unique, it's largely useless and the novelty wears off quickly (especially when combined with confusing marketing).
Switch brings innovation in a more practical way. And, as Furukawa alluded to, there aren't necessarily many ways to further innovate with the Switch or its successor. It is impossible to compete directly with Sony and Microsoft at this point, and if possible, in order to avoid repeating the failure of Wii U. Nintendo learned its lesson And we will look for smart and sustainable ways to innovate and develop in the future.
Mobile scenes and other approaches
People are concerned about the future beyond the seemingly inevitable upgrade.
Of course, future developments and innovations must include Nintendo's mobile products. Considering the large profits Nintendo makes from the handful of games it has available, it's no surprise that producing additional viable mobile games will be part of the company's focus in the future.
Charts via SensorTower
fire emblem heroes That alone raised nearly $250 million. Animal Crossing Pocket Camp and dragalia lost Each will realize approximately $50 million. super mario runProfits are down significantly, but that's not surprising. You won't have to spend any money and there will be even less reason to spend a lot of time on the game.
Regardless of your views on mobile gaming or Nintendo going mobile, mobile means big money.
That fact, along with Furukawa's statement that Nintendo may be moving away from console development and that the company wants to focus more on smartphone games, has some people worried that the company will only develop mobile software. there was. However, the possibility of that happening is very low.
Revenue from all four mobile games combined remains Mr. Furukawa's predictions for 2018 What do we need to create in order for mobile games to become a major pillar of our company? That may change in the future, as he wants to increase Nintendo's mobile offerings, but there's another reason why mobile-only wouldn't be a good idea.
Nintendo's mobile games don't exist in a vacuum. Popular due to its association with established franchises.take fire emblem heroes As an example again. It couldn't exist without the franchise's vast roster of characters and the relationships players have built over the decades.Get rid of it — stop making consoles (or handhelds) FE A passion for games and passion for new things. FE Mobile games will disappear quickly.
The same applies to Nintendo's other businesses. Theme parks and movies are great, but you need a foundation to attract people, and that foundation has always been Nintendo games. Furukawa could point to Nintendo's history of innovation, going from card maker to game developer, but Nintendo's franchises are so deeply ingrained in gaming culture and culture in general that a fundamental shift away from development is inevitable. I can't imagine that happening in the same way.
So what the heck is that?
Perhaps Furukawa is talking about a general change in Nintendo's business model. Rather than putting all its eggs in the console development basket, the company intends to branch out and find ways to stay involved with its products for longer periods of time in as many ways as possible. I will continue to do so in the future.
It's a smart model, and one that takes a more holistic approach to Nintendo's franchise and its place in the gaming world.
This leaves room for a rather extreme path that Nintendo may ultimately choose: developing software without developing hardware. Although not very likely, it could still happen if the company decides that it is more profitable to produce games and game-related media or experiences than to develop new hardware every cycle. there is.
After all, the slogans of the past don't always stick. Former Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi's infamous comments about his RPGs certainly don't sit well with his 3DS' status as an RPG machine, nor his burgeoning RPG library on his Switch. And more importantly, despite always insisting that Nintendo products only appeared on Nintendo consoles, Nintendo games are now available on mobile devices as well. These are being touted as an introduction to console gaming, but that's always subject to change.
No matter what happens in the future, Nintendo fans can rejoice in the Switch's vast game library and the promise of even more games coming in the coming years. Unless they do something stupid, Nintendo will probably always develop new software to attract people and capture the market.
What do you think about Nintendo's future? Let us know in the comments.
