Nintendo may move away from home console development, says company president
"We aren't really fixated on our consoles."
Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has hinted that the hard- and software developer may move away from home console design in the future to ensure the developer remains flexible to the changing demands of the entertainment business.
"We aren't really fixated on our consoles," Furukawa told Nikkei (via, and translated by, Nintendo Everything). "At the moment we're offering the uniquely developed Nintendo Switch and its software - and that's what we're basing how we deliver the 'Nintendo experience' on. That being said, technology changes. We'll continue to think flexibly about how to deliver that experience as time goes on.
"It has been over 30 years since we started developing consoles. Nintendo's history goes back even farther than that, and through all the struggles that they faced the only thing that they thought about was what to make next. In the long-term, perhaps our focus as a business could shift away from home consoles - flexibility is just as important as ingenuity."
Asked about how Nintendo intends to adapt to "fluctuations" in the industry, Furukawa added he was "thinking about little ways we can reduce that kind of instability" and said he'd "like to increase" Nintendo's smartphone game development to secure "a continuous stream of revenue". "We're also dabbling in theme parks and movies - different ways to have our characters be a part of everyday life. I'm anticipating a strong synergy like that," he said.
"I don't want our developers to think too much along the lines of 'what should I do if we fail?'" he added. "My most important role is to facilitate an environment in which they can demonstrate their own abilities. I'm not a pro developer myself, so I leave the actual development to leaders that can tell what a good game is and what isn't."
The Nintendo Switch is the fastest-selling video game system in the US this generation. From launch in March 2017, through to November 2018, Nintendo's hybrid console sold more than 8.7 million units.
