It's safe to say the Nintendo Switch is a landmark console for the makers of Mario, in that it perfectly captures the broader gaming audience because it's both a handheld device and a standalone home console.
As a result of bridging the divide between those who only touch handheld systems and those iffy of them for their typically lower-tier specs, Nintendo has managed to put itself in an opportune situation where it's able cater to two kinds of audiences at one, which is why it should come as no surprise that the company might move away from developing home consoles going forward.
Is Nintendo Done With Home Consoles?
In a recent interview with Nikkei, newly anointed Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa hinted that the company might be shifting its business by changing current priorities and that could include moving away from designing new home consoles in the future to ensure Nintendo remains flexible to the fluctuating demands of the video game landscape.
"We aren't really fixated on our consoles," Furukawa told Nikkei, as 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."
However, technology always changes, according to Furukawa.
"We'll continue to think flexibly about how to deliver that experience as time goes on."
It has been three decades since Nintendo first started developing home consoles, he said. Nintendo's history stretches farther back than that, of course, and throughout all its struggles, one that it's always focused on is what to make next. This principle still applies to Nintendo's business today, as Furukawa states that "flexibility is just as important as ingenuity."
Nintendo To Make More Smartphone Games
Asked about how the company plans to adapt to the gaming industry's rapid changes, Furukawa added that he was thinking about how to reduce instability, and one way to do so could be to increase Nintendo's smartphone game effort in order to ensure a "a continuous stream of revenue."
Not only that, the company is also investing in expanding its franchise extensively, with theme parks and movies planned in the near future. Clearly, Nintendo is making sure its brand becomes a bigger part of people's everyday lives.
It'll be interesting to see how Nintendo fares with a new president on board and if his statements mean that the Switch is the last home console in its portfolio. Rumors say new Switch models are on the way, including a "Lite" version and a "Pro" model. Make sure to check back with Tech Times as we learn more.
