During the latest financial briefing Q&A summary, Senior Managing Executive Officer Shinya Takahashi and the one and only Shigeru Miyamoto were asked about how consumer preferences factored into the success of games based on existing IP and titles offering new types of play experiences that weren’t necessarily as popular, in terms of sales.
Here’s what Takahashi had to say:
“It is true that consumer preferences are becoming more varied, but when we make games, the most important points are how we will make each game enjoyable for consumers and how we will create sources of fun, and I see no reason to change that. That said, games are being made differently now in comparison with the past ways of game development before the Internet and some other aspects of the current era, and we are constantly aware of those changes and thinking about how to incorporate them. So I think it is best that we keep thinking of ways to mix the old with the new, to incorporate new ways of thinking and to bring forward any old ways of thinking that are still valid appropriately.”
Miyamoto added to this with the following:
“I don’t think Nintendo developers are hung up on the classics and unable to develop anything new. You do not have to worry because we are capable to respond to the variety of preferences in today’s world.”
He went onto explain how Nintendo took a bold approach to the creation of new games without fear of failure. The current generation of gaming is also apparently a “dream situation” for the company because of the sheer number of consumers who now have access to games and a better understanding of digital media, meaning a good idea can quickly lead to huge success. Miyamoto finished up with the following comment:
“I realized that consumers come back at any time if we leverage these characters and create fun products. Placing value in areas like that is the essence of our IP strategy. It’s not about clinging on to series titles, so please look forward to our offerings in the future.”
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