Nintendo explained what they have planned to expand their IPs outside the world of video games, and what their line of thinking is when they set about this initiative.
Nintendo just published their latest Q&A with investors, with official translations so that both the meaning of the investors’ asking questions, and Nintendo’s answers, are clearly understood. One investor wanted to know what Nintendo was planning after the Super Nintendo World theme park attraction, and the Super Mario Bros. Movie. Nintendo Fellow and board member Shigeru Miyamoto provided this detailed rundown.
Their next big non-video game project is the Nintendo Museum in Uji City, Kyoto. This museum was built in a former Nintendo headquarters, and will be a showcase for the company’s history. Nintendo is currently preparing for the museum’s opening.
Super Nintendo World is coming in Orlando, Florida’s Universal Epic Universe, where it is set to join attractions such as Dark Universe, an attraction that acts as a tribute to the Universal Monster movies. There will also be a Super Nintendo World coming to Universal Studios Singapore. Finally, Donkey Kong Country is opening as a new attraction in Universal Studios Japan, Osaka.
Miyamoto provided no dates for any of these attractions, presumably because work is ongoing and they haven’t finalized those dates yet.
Miyamoto sums everything up like this:
“What’s important is not what Nintendo games people buy, but how we can encourage people around the world to choose Nintendo. It’s important for us to create occasions where parents not only want to give Nintendo products to their kids, but also want to play themselves.
So, we encourage our employees to all work together to create reasons for people to choose Nintendo, and we pursue those kinds of initiatives. By working this way, any of our products can potentially be chosen by people all over the world. Nintendo is not in the business of making products that are daily necessities or commodities.
Through our repeated efforts to create new added value, generate interest, and always aim for home runs — products that become big hits — I believe Nintendo will remain an important brand for families going forward. We would like to continue these efforts.”
It’s a surprising shift for Miyamoto, when he had previously talked about all of Nintendo’s efforts being focused on getting audiences to go back to the video games. But it reflects a better understanding that even if Mario fans won’t buy Nintendo’s consoles and play Mario games, Nintendo can use the opportunity to just make money with their characters by meeting the fans where they are.
