Nintendo is on a roll with a new movie
With a new theme park attraction opened last month, an upcoming major motion picture and the sequel to a massive hit video game about to be released, everything’s coming up Nintendo.
Doug Bowser, the head of Nintendo USA since 2019, spoke to The Associated Press at Universal Studios Hollywood’s Super Nintendo World in Los Angeles before its Feb. 17 grand opening.
“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” comes out April 7, this new attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood just opened, and the new Legend of Zelda game “Tears of the Kingdom” comes out May 12. What’s next, a streaming television show?
You’re hitting on something which is really important. This is a milestone, what you’re seeing here with Super Nintendo World. Universal Studios is a great partner to allow us to do Super Nintendo World. I won’t comment on your question regarding a streaming show. But it really is a reflection on this ability to share our IP with people well outside of the video game space.
Would you say video games are now the dominant force in entertainment? They’re clearly a prominent form of entertainment right now. As we came through and out of the pandemic, they became an incredible source if you will, of people’s entertainment. So I do think it’s a form of entertainment going forward that people will continue to choose.
What other characters besides the Mario Bros. would you like to develop new films or attractions around?
We have announced that at the Universal Studios in Osaka there’s a whole new Donkey Kong area being built out with its primary feature being a roller coaster. You can just imagine what a Donkey Kong roller coaster might be like!
We have announced that we are working on other video projects but we’re not at the point where we want to talk about what these characters are. If you’ve noticed with the new Super Mario Bros. movie,
Seth Rogen does play Donkey Kong. So Donkey Kong is a part of the movie. So look forward to that!
When is the next Switch coming out? What kinds of features or new capabilities would you like to see?
Nothing to announce on any future console or device, but we are still feeling very bullish about Nintendo Switch.
It is still truly that unique device that you can play in a variety of ways, at home, on the go. One of the things we look at always is how can we surprise and delight. How can we introduce new unique ways of playing. That’s always in front of our mind.
How did you get to a $70 price figure fo the upcoming Zelda game?
We look at what the game has to offer. I think fans will find this is an incredibly full, deeply immersive experience. The price point reflects the type of experience that fans can expect when it comes to playing this particular game.