In a Washington Post interview, Nintendo’s American president Doug Bowser reiterated its desire to expand beyond video games.
Bowser said Nintendo is “evolving into being an entertainment company with gaming as a nucleus of the overall business model”. Nintendo has dabbled in love hotels and playing cards, but its recent push in theme parks and the movie industry has changed the game. It has released mobile games with LEGO and other toy brands.
The NoA president said Nintendo competes for “people’s entertainment time” and prioritises IP exposure and engagement when launching new devices and platforms.
Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has stated that the goal is to expand beyond gaming and increase global access to Nintendo IP. Mario’s creator Shigeru Miyamoto has said Nintendo wants to collaborate with other companies to expand its characters’ fields.
The Mario Movie, which opened this year to 168 million viewers, became the highest-grossing video game adaptation and one of the biggest animated films. Nintendo wants more movies, too: