There is a rumor going around that Nintendo is bringing a new Skylanders/Infinity style game to Toy Fair 2014.
Nintendo has not participated in the Toy Fair since 1989, around the time the NES first gained traction in North America. As a little time capsule, within that era, toy companies like Mattel and Hasbro were experiencing slipping profits, and seeing Nintendo’s $ 2.6 million profits ($ 4.88 million today, adjusted for inflation), eyed the company as a rival for attention with their core market. Nintendo did not have an exhibit in the fair, but held an informal press conference. There, marketing VP Peter Main explained that the company succesfully expanded their market share from children to adults.
Fast forward to today, and Nintendo is needing a lot more attention from both children and adults. Satoru Iwata outlined in a recent press conference the company’s plans to expand their licensing business, to include companies that they previously would not be working with. He also revealed plans to make more use of the Gamepad’s underutilized NFC function. So, is a Skylanders-type game in the horizon?
Speculation seems to be fueled by the overall success of Skylanders and Disney Infinity, particularly on Nintendo’s consoles. Nintendo also already made a similar game, Pokemon Rumble, but at the time they seemed to dally into it rather than take the idea seriously. When you bring this and Iwata’s statements together, making a Skylanders style game just makes a lot of sense.
While we don’t know Nintendo’s plans, we do know they are showing up in the Toy Fair as both a buyer (Nintendo World Store as retailer) and exhibitor. It’s most likely they’ll be revealing their newest toys in the display as well as some new licensees and product lines. If there was a prime opportunity to announce such a game, this would be it.
Would you welcome such a game coming from Nintendo? If so, what characters and franchises would you like to see get the Skylanders/Infinity treatment?
Image is from Skylanders Swap Force.
