Nintendo recently held its latest General Meeting of Shareholders Q&A session, and while many queries were understandably aimed at the lengthy lifespan of the Switch and its inevitable successor, one attendee seemed particularly interested in Nintendo's thoughts on the metaverse.
It's okay though, don't start sweating just yet. Nintendo's President Shuntaro Furukawa expressed a rather vague interest in the concept of the metaverse, but ultimately stated that it would be "difficult" for Nintendo to approach at this moment in time.
Here's exactly what was said:
Q: Recently, the concept of the metaverse – where multiple unspecified users can play together in a shared virtual space – has emerged. What do you think about this?
Furukawa: Although the enthusiasm may not be as high as before, the metaverse continues to capture the attention of many companies around the world, and I think the concept has potential. But though we sense its potential, we also believe it will not be easy to clearly define what kinds of fun and surprises it can provide to consumers.We might consider something if we can find a way to express it with a Nintendo like approach – which is to say, one that is easily understood by many consumers – but I believe that this would be difficult at the present time.
So there you go! It doesn't sound like Nintendo is about ready to jump into the metaverse just yet, but it's definitely something to keep an eye on in the years to come.