Nintendo – more on mobile and IPs, cooperation with Facebook/Twitter
Earlier this week, Nintendo held its latest financial results briefing. The event consisted of both a presentation and a Q&A. The latter part has now been published online as a transcript, though only in Japanese at the moment.
Twitter user Cheesemeister has come up with a few translations of notable topics. These include more on Nintendo and mobile, the company’s usage of IPs and new IPs, and use of Facebook and Twitter. You can read on below for the full translations.
The smartphone app market seems to be out of new ideas and growing boring, do you intend to dramatically change gameplay with your games? The app you just introduced (Miitomo) may just be 1 app, but isn’t heavily emphasizing communication a bit off from Nintendo’s strengths?
Kimishima: Miitomo is a unique app and can be enjoyed by communicating using Miis, even by those not normally in constant communication. Miitomo is closely integrated with My Nintendo and Nintendo Account. We’ve already demonstrated the joy of discovering things about people you thought you knew well in internal tests during development. With the likable Mii IP, smart device users will enjoy it. Other than Miitomo, we’re thinking of apps that integrate w/ consoles, as well as things just for mobile and users who don’t normally play.
Miyamoto: I agree that there are a few popular styles among the multitude of titles on smart devices. If we can expand the challenges we realized on consoles to smart devices using their unique features, we think new styles of games can be created and grow widespread. On the business side, we’re relying as much as possible on DeNA’s support while we focus on what’s new. While the mobile business must generate a profit, we’re stressing the biggest objective of drawing customers to dedicated consoles.
Is it correct that even more than increasing profits, you’re putting more effort into the NX? Is increased licensing to drive your central business in game consoles more than to greatly increase profits itself, and that you don’t plan to seriously enter movies, etc.?
Kimishima: We’re now engaged in many preparations to make the NX into our core business. As we’ll discuss it next year, I’ll stop there.
Miyamoto: As a fellow looking at all of Nintendo’s software, I’m in a position to be involved in development and realize IP utilization. I’m always wanting to increase profits from full IP utilization. The 1st volley was last year’s amiibo, and as shown, it’s contributing. This kind of IP utilization isn’t limited to direct licensing income, but making various uses of IP will improve our business results. For example, this is 1 objective of expanding IP to smart devices, but it also increases console awareness to those not reached by them.
For the Nintendo Account announced today, are Facebook/Twitter just for ease of creation, or will they be integrated in a broader sense?
When people create Nintendo Accounts using Facebook/Twitter, direct messaging and services will be provided. If the appeal of our character IP is felt thusly, purchases will be possible on smart devices, so we also expect it to be connected to game demand. (in cooperation with Facebook/Twitter, etc.) we expect word-of-mouth about Nintendo to spread. I want to cooperate with Facebook/Twitter.
It’s said that expanding character IP is aimed at increasing the gamer population. Splatoon is doing very well as a new IP. Please describe the current tasks related to increasing the gaming population through new IP.
Kimishima: Creating new and appealing IP has already been our job. Also, we don’t know if new IPs will do well until their release. Along with IP, it’s important to hit upon originality and the difference with existing ways of playing. To be frank, at that point originality is lost, so I was only speaking about the direction [of progress].
Takahashi: In terms of creating new IP, Splatoon was the result of youthful energy in one of our developed teams. The task for the young generation to take all of their experiences and come up with new IP is continuing to be solved. The problem of creating character IP is not just in creating new IP, but having children know them better than they do existing IP like Mario or Link, so as Miyamoto said we want to think of ways of using smart devices so that the 3DS is used more.
