in Question and answer session Following Nintendo's quarterly financial report earlier this week, company president Shuntaro Furukawa addressed the challenges of transitioning between generational platforms, noting that Nintendo will continue to come up with “unique proposals” to stand out from the crowd (thanks, VGC).
When asked what risks the company is considering as it looks to the future and builds on the success of the Switch (which, let's not forget, has been really successful), Furukawa noted that the company has dealt with the challenges of generational platform transitions before and doesn't take anything for granted. as a result.
The following statement was translated for VGC by Robert Cefazon. Keep in mind that some wording may differ from the official Nintendo translation expected soon.
We approach our work every day with a deep sense of urgency. The cross-generational transition of platforms in the field of dedicated gaming consoles is never easy. We have faced significant challenges after pursuing successful platforms several times, so we do not consider our current situation to be completely secure.
Of course, Furukawa is not wrong. The Switch has been a huge success for Nintendo with over 139 million units sold since its launch in 2017. However, times were tougher in previous years when the company transitioned from the smash hit Wii (101.63 million sales) to the Nintendo Switch . Relatively small sales for the Wii U (13.56 million).
But that doesn't mean Nintendo isn't ready to confront these challenges head-on. With the entertainment landscape as crowded as we find it today, Furukawa insisted that the company will continue to come up with “unique propositions” to keep the consumer on board:
Our business is always exposed to great competition. From a broader entertainment perspective, it is not only video games that are competitors in this industry, but also various forms of entertainment. In this environment, there is a growing need, more than ever, to continue providing unique offerings to become a brand of choice for customers.
What these proposals will be, we will have to wait and see.
All signs point to new Nintendo hardware sometime in 2024 after the Switch's successor was shown off to select developers at Gamescom last year. Rumors have since come thick and fast, with claims that the console will be able to run games like Breath of the Wild in 4K at 60fps or that it will come with an 8-inch LCD screen.
While Furukawa didn't mention anything specifically about the company's tracking devices (surprise, surprise), he once again warned people not to believe everything they read on the internet in the following statement. The following quote comes via Google Translate, so, again, the exact wording likely differs from Nintendo's official translation:
Regarding new hardware, we are constantly researching and developing new hardware and software, but there is nothing we can tell you. Additionally, as I mentioned earlier, articles and speculation have recently been published online that appear to be information published by the company. However, information that the company has not officially announced may mislead customers and investors. We would like you to read the information we send on our official website and social media and make the appropriate decision.
In short: Yes, Nintendo is looking into what's next (as always), but they're not ready to reveal anything official just yet, so continue to take these rumors with a pinch of salt.
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