Nintendo thinks big picture with new gaming console
Versatile Switch system will be part of broader ecosystem of accessories, president says
Nintendo’s new Switch gaming console is part of a bigger plan that will include more accessories, a deeper lineup of software and possible tieups with other technologies.
In his first interview since unveiling the brand-new flagship product, president Tatsumi Kimishima said details about add-ons will be available in the new year. Kyoto-based Nintendo said earlier on Thursday that it will announce pricing and a specific launch date for Switch on Jan. 13, followed by an event where the public can try it out.
“By no means was that everything,” Kimishima said, referring to a video a week ago that introduced the product’s name and showed Switch being used as both a console and portable device featuring modular controllers and accessories. Nintendo’s stock declined after the three-minute clip was released, which Kimishima said was unexpected.
“To tell you the truth, I was surprised,” Kimishima said. “I don’t understand why.”
Getting Nintendo back on track is a top priority for Kimishima, who became president a year ago after the death of his predecessor, Satoru Iwata. Quarterly results released this week underscore how Nintendo’s core business is getting weaker due to a stronger yen that reduced the income earned abroad, as well as sharp declines in hardware and software sales. Even the success of Poke- mon Go wasn’t enough to make up for sluggish sales, which have declined every fiscal year since 2009, when the Wii console was at the peak of its success.
Kimishima suggested that the Switch is part of a bigger ecosystem. “It may be appropriate to call them accessories. Or it might be better to call them add-on hardware. It’s probably more correct to call them accessories. You can assume that there will be a wider array.”
The new device features a tabletlike display unit that can dock at home and connect with a TV, or be taken out and about with two detachable controllers. Nintendo is betting the hybrid approach will help the Switch become a hit like the Wii, its most successful console thanks to its motion-tracking controllers.
As for software, he said Nintendo made a deliberate decision not to disclose specific titles: “One thing we still can’t show is the software lineup. We want people to touch the device in January and experience the software for themselves.”
Nintendo envisions many different scenarios where Switch can be used, Kimishima said. “What you see in the video, however, is the core product,” he said.
Asked whether Switch would work with hardware from other companies, Kimishima ruled out the possibility for now, but said “we are interested in (virtual reality).”
“VR offers new ways of playing, but that depends on what kind of software can be played,” he said.
“If you ask us whether there are any possibilities, we can’t say no. It may be that we will build VR software titles, I think that opportunity is available to us.”