Super Nintendo World

Since 2015, Nintendo has been working hard to increase the number of people who have access to its IP. It's doing this by expanding beyond its core business dedicated to video game platforms. This includes opening official stores, theme parks and even a plan to turn Super Mario into a motion picture.

With this mind, president Shuntaro Furukawa has now provided an update during the company's most recent financial briefing. He began by stating how the company was starting to see the results of its efforts and then went on to acknowledge the current status of each initiative. The first one he discussed was Nintendo's Tokyo store, which launched last November:

While Nintendo TOKYO does not greatly impact our financial results, the store serves as a base to convey the appeal of Nintendo's IP, and we believe it will be a highly effective fixed point of contact between Nintendo and consumers.

The plan with the store is to keep an eye on consumer reactions, and then consider the possibility of expanding to additional locations within and outside of Japan.

Furukawa followed this up by touching on Nintendo's expansion into theme parks. He mentioned how the company's partnership with Universal Parks & Resorts was an "especially large" initiative to expand the number of people who have access to Nintendo IP.

The motion picture it's developing in partnership with Illumination is another one of the bigger examples. Furukawa said this particular project was moving along "smoothly" and is currently targeting a 2022 theatrical release:

This is a project that Nintendo is proactively involved in from its development and production, and we will also own the rights so that the movie can be leveraged for business opportunities. The movie will be jointly produced by Mr. Shigeru Miyamoto, Representative Director and Fellow at Nintendo, as well as Mr. Chris Meledandri, founder and CEO of Illumination.Funding for this movie will be provided by Nintendo and Universal Pictures, and Universal Pictures will also be handling the distribution and promotion of the movie.

Lastly was the mention of expansion through mobile devices – with Furukawa reiterating how Nintendo would continue to use smart devices to introduce new consumers to its characters, worlds, and gameplay.

How do you feel about Nintendo expanding beyond its core business? Share your thoughts below.

[source nintendo.co.jp]