For many decades, the mention of Nintendo brought to mind a powerful video game company making revolutionary games and consoles. Founded in 1889 as Nintendo Karuta by the Yamauchi family, the company has undergone various evolutions. Now in its second century, the Japanese gaming giant wants to do more than make games.
In April, Nintendo released the Super Mario Bros. movie, and it turned out to be a megahit. Eventually, that led to the unveiling of the themed Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood. On 1 September 2023, the company hosted the Nintendo Live 2023 at the Seattle Convention Center.
The 4-day event invited fans of the company’s franchises to take part in “playing Nintendo Switch games together, enjoying live stage performances, watching exciting NintendoVS championships tournaments, taking photos with family-favorite characters, and more”.
“We’re actually evolving into being an entertainment company with gaming as a nucleus of the overall business model,” revealed Doug Bowser, president of Nintendo of America.
Think of that statement as Nintendo trying to walk on the same pedestal as Disney. However, the difference is that while movies and Mickey Mouse are at the heart of Disney’s business model, games and Mario will be at the heart of Nintendo’s business model. Therefore, it is safe to say that more Nintendo theme parks will likely emerge in the coming years.
The Nintendo Live event which started in Japan in 2018 is part of the company’s strategy to push its intellectual property (IP) across multiple platforms. The event was scheduled alongside the famous PAX West gaming convention in Seattle in an attempt to attract an international audience. What is not clear is whether this will be a one-off event or the start of a long rebranding journey.
Nintendo’s strings of successes empower the company to dream bigger
Everything that Nintendo touches at the moment seems to turn into gold. The company’s latest game, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has sold over 18 million copies. Sold at $69.99 per copy, that equates to over $1.2 billion in revenue from the game. So far, It is the second best-selling game of 2023.
Since its launch in 2017, the Nintendo Switch has now sold over 129 million units. This massive feat has made it the third most sold gaming console in history just behind the Nintendo DS and Sony’s PlayStation 2.
“A big part of this [success] is how you continue to not only bring new players in, but how you keep existing players engaged by having content in a steady drumbeat, that makes the difference,” Bowser said.
ALSO READ: Super Mario RPG Hit #7 On Amazon Despite November 17 Release Date
As of August 31, 2023, The Super Mario Bros. Movie has earned over $574.9 million in Canada and the United States as well as $784.8 million across other territories. That brings the total earnings of the movie to $1.36 billion. In just one week after its release, it became the highest-earning video game movie adaptation. It was only recently toppled by “Barbie”.
Nintendo Fans can’t wait for the next console
While other console makers have since brought in next-gen consoles, Nintendo has remained stuck with the Switch. The yearnings of fans of the franchise are the reason why “Switch Pro” and “Switch 2” are constant trends on social media.
Nevertheless, instead of yielding to the speculations, Nintendo has announced two new versions of the Switch Lite editions with Animal Crossing branding. Also making a return is the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe bundle. The company also announced the special Mario edition of its OLED Switch model. It will come days ahead of the Super Mario Bros. Wonder release.
According to Bowser, the release strategy for Switch is part of the company’s goal of retaining its multigenerational media image. For example, the Animal Crossing bundle comes with “New Horizons” which sold over 42 million copies across different gender and age demographics.
ALSO READ: Player Beats Baldur’s Gate 3 in 4 Minutes After 2,048 Attempts
“It’s for the family, quite honestly, that’s looking to get one more Switch, if the kids are fighting over the existing Switch,” Bowser said. “Every year, there are millions of households that have kids turning 6, 7, or 8, which is typically when people introduce their children to video games, and we think we’re a very logical and obvious choice for those families.”
Nintendo seems to be loosening its guard on its intellectual property. This is evident through the partnership with Lego as well as the Universal Studios theme parks. One thing is clear, Nintendo’s business model is oddly unusual—but every recent available statistic shows it is working.
Nintendo has perfected the act of keeping its big moves secret. When The Washington Post asked Bowser what fans should expect from the franchise in 2024, he laughed and said, “You can continue to look forward to that great beat of content to keep people engaged”.
Remember to share and bookmark this website to stay up to date on all the hottest news in the gaming industry.
