Publishing giant Nintendo has debunked claims that it has given up on its mobile division.
In a Q&A meeting with investors – following a report that claimed the company would slow down its mobile output – company president Shuntaro Furukawa explained that while the mobile platform is not a massive earner for the company, it does expose more people to its various IPs.
"In addition to generating revenue and profit, our basic strategy with the mobile business is to expand the number of people who have access to Nintendo IP," said Furukawa.
"For example, we have broadened the fan base for Nintendo IP like Animal Crossing, Fire Emblem, and Mario Kart, and in doing so increased our points of contact with consumers. The mobile business is also strategically important for the expansion of Nintendo Accounts, which support our relationships with consumers."
In May, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp cleared $150 million in lifetime revenue after the game saw a surge in popularity following the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons for Nintendo Switch which shifted 11.77 million copies in 11 days.
Furukawa continued: "Sales from the mobile business do not account for a very large percentage of Nintendo's overall business, but the mobile business itself is significant in that it provides a wide range of consumers a way other than Nintendo Switch to continue to enjoy playing games using Nintendo IP over a long period."
Not switching it up
When it comes to hardware, the Japanese firm's latest console has proven to be very popular. So much so, that despite it being in its fourth year, the company is determined "to extend the life cycle of Nintendo Switch." However, further down the line, it will take lessons learned from the production of the Switch and apply them to future generations.
"Through Nintendo Switch, we've made many discoveries about where a dedicated video game platform can fit into a consumer's daily life," said Nintendo director and senior executive officer Ko Shiota.
"We see scenes on social media of children and their families sitting around a game console to play, which gives us a renewed sense of the value of our dedicated video game platform. We will utilize these experiences in carefully considering the form our future game consoles will take."
Ever-increasing in popularity, sales for the Switch have more than doubled in the UK over the past year. Furthermore, in Q1 2020, the hardware experienced a rise of two per cent year-on-year as it generated $773 million.
