Through Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun, Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima has published his plans for Nintendo for 2016.
The president starts his points by confirming that he plans on releasing details surrounding the “next generation gaming console,” the NX in 2016, though what realm these details could be in is still unknown. Kimishima stresses that the NX is not the successor of the existing home console, the Wii U, but that it is instead something based on an entirely new idea. The Nintendo president also makes a point to say that he wants to continue to surprise fans with new ideas, instead of building on top of old ones, claiming that the gaming industry would get boring otherwise.
He also touches on the subject of Nintendo’s expansion of its IP through the use of mobile devices, which has been a common theme in Nintendo interviews as of late. Kimishima tells us that while Nintendo is expanding through smartphones and theme parks, it is also progressing in the expansion into film and television, mainly through character licensing. The first smartphone app is confirmed to be released in March, and fans who have an account in the new Nintendo rewards system will be able to earn points towards that system through playing the software.
Additionally, the president promises that fans will see more smartphone apps, particularly ones with Nintendo’s famous characters, by the end of 2016. He claims that it is vital for Nintendo to experiment with new business models, which is a lot of what this coming year seems to be about.
Lastly, Kimishima makes mention of Nintendo’s financials, saying he wants to bring them to a new level. Especially through businesses utilizing Nintendo’s software and characters, he hopes to produce a large mass of new revenue. The plan, according to the president, is that in a few years profits are to reach 100 billion yen, which is equivalent to about $855 million. This is four times Nintendo’s profits from last year.
Fans need not worry, though, as at the end Kimishima does take note on the game business’ “immediate core,” and states that despite the focus and interest in the future of expansion, there’s still a main focus in gaming’s origins.
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Written by George Comatas
As a wannabe social media personality and professional in the world of sarcasm, George does his best to always adapt to the changing world around him. He considers himself a maverick: a true-to-heart gamer with the mind of a pop star. Whether this makes him revolutionary or a setback, he's yet to find out. But one thing’s for sure; he's one-of-a-kind.
