Video Gamer is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices subject to change. Learn more
Nintendo may distance itself from console development at some point in the future, company president Shuntaro Furukawa hinted during an interview with Nikkei (translated by Nintendo Everything).
Furukawa-san stressed the importance of flexibility within the video games industry, stating the Big N isn't 'fixated on our consoles.' For now though, the company is clearly focussed on supporting the Switch, which is approaching its two-year anniversary.
'At the moment we're offering the uniquely developed Nintendo Switch and its software – and that's what we're basing how we deliver the "Nintendo experience" on. That being said, technology changes. We'll continue to think flexibly about how to deliver that experience as time goes on,' he commented (via Eurogamer).
'It has been over 30 years since we started developing consoles. Nintendo's history goes back even farther than that, and through all the struggles that they faced the only thing that they thought about was what to make next. In the long-term, perhaps our focus as a business could shift away from home consoles – flexibility is just as important as ingenuity.'
Elsewhere, Furukawa added that he's keen to see the Big N 'increase' its smartphone game development in ordere to secure 'a continuous stream of revenue.'
'I don't want our developers to think too much along the lines of "what should I do if we fail?"' he continued. 'My most important role is to facilitate an environment in which they can demonstrate their own abilities. I'm not a pro developer myself, so I leave the actual development to leaders that can tell what a good game is and what isn't.'
The Switch launched in March 2017 and has sold over 22 million units worldwide, with Super Mario Odyssey currently the system's best-selling title. Last month, the House of Mario confirmed Switch is the fastest-selling home console of the generation in the US.
