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Nintendo: "Switch business has exceeded our expectations", will invest $900m in game development in next 5 years

Woopah

Member
Translated from Nikkei

Nintendo announced that it plans to invest up to 450 billion yen in the five years until the fiscal year ending March 2027, centering on the game console "Nintendo Switch" related business. The key is the in-house production of game development. Focus on hiring and training human resources to enhance content production capabilities. It will also be used for infrastructure development for online members, which will lead to the next growth.

A management policy briefing was held to clarify the strategy of allocating part of the cash on hand to growth investment. President Shuntaro Furukawa explained, "First of all, we will focus on expanding the scale of our own organization," and will invest up to 100 billion yen to strengthen the recruitment of game developers. The number of hires has not been disclosed, but it is expected to reach hundreds.

It seems that the background is that the competition for creators such as global games is intensifying. "We will not deny the use of M&A" (President Furukawa), and it seems that he will continue to consider the acquisition of a game development company.

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More at the Source
 

Fbh

Member
Wait, Nintendo's response is we should actually start making more games for this thing? What on Earth ...

Isn't that how you normally sell the thing to begin with?

raw

They are running out of WiiU games to port.
And if the next Switch is backwards compatible they won't be able to fill up their lineup with Switch re-releases.

Though I guess if the next system is considerably more powerful they can release $60 "enhanced" editions of the entire Switch library with higher res and better performance.
 

Woopah

Member
Wait, Nintendo's response is we should actually start making more games for this thing? What on Earth ...

Isn't that how you normally sell the thing to begin with?

raw
That is how their selling the thing. This is "we are making a of of money from publishing a good quantity/variety of games, and we are reinvesting that into accelerating the growth we've been doing from the past few years."
Interesting wording. Does this imply that the "Switch" brand is here to stay at least for another gen? I mean it can't mean they are expecting this gen1 Switch to still be getting new titles for another 5 years. Right?
I don't think it implying that, I would just read it as hiring more developers for console game development. Next gen is probably at least 2 years away at the very earliest.
 

Kataploom

Gold Member
I'm still waiting for Wind Waker and Xenoblade Chronicles X. I mean, how hard can it be, given that you already brought over the entire software library of Wii U? Why leave those two games on there? Very annoying.
Monolith Soft said it was very hard to bring XCX to Switch due to immense scope of the game... Wind Waker tho? idk, I'd buy it if it comes... unless it comes with it's blind inducing bloom
 

Kataploom

Gold Member
Yeah, I read that. It's a bummer. Still holding out hope though. Game looks fun as hell. Not gonna buy a Wii U though just for that.
I was always hyped AF for that game before it came out, now I just feel like I never paid that debt with myself due to not having Wii U at the time... I'm one of those wanting the game to release on Switch any day :(
 

Woopah

Member
Imagine if Nintendo poured that money into hardware and tried to go toe-to-toe with Sony and MS like they did in the GCN era.
The specifically say that this is in addition to R&D spending, but they have spent a lot on that in recent years.

They've struck gold with the hybrid form fact so the best move for them would be to have an image upscaler through machine learning (either DLSS or their own). That would do a lot to close the power gap.
 

jaysius

Banned
Bargain bin parts sell for almost as much as the competition...
Make It Rain Laughing GIF


Shows the strength of the brand, but unfortunately Nintendo is a dog that keeps shitting on the rug, they won't stop it until they get some punishment.

This doesn't bode well for anyone that wants a "next gen" Nintendo experience. It seems like the people that get those experiences are the pirates that are emulating the games on PC.
 

Bragr

Banned
TLDR: We just got a few billion dollars from the sales of Mario Kart and Animal Crossing, and are gonna use that to buy 2-3 new development studios.
 

kiphalfton

Member
Bargain bin parts sell for almost as much as the competition...
Make It Rain Laughing GIF


Shows the strength of the brand, but unfortunately Nintendo is a dog that keeps shitting on the rug, they won't stop it until they get some punishment.

This doesn't bode well for anyone that wants a "next gen" Nintendo experience. It seems like the people that get those experiences are the pirates that are emulating the games on PC.
Don't have to be a pirate to emulate
 

nush

Gold Member
Interesting wording. Does this imply that the "Switch" brand is here to stay at least for another gen? I mean it can't mean they are expecting this gen1 Switch to still be getting new titles for another 5 years. Right?

That's my take on it, this is ramping up for a Switch 2/pro. In 5 years current Switch hardware even with "Impossible ports" just won't be able to pass with whatever else ins in the market by then.
 

KungFucius

King Snowflake
That's my take on it, this is ramping up for a Switch 2/pro. In 5 years current Switch hardware even with "Impossible ports" just won't be able to pass with whatever else ins in the market by then.
4 years ago it didn't even pass with Zelda. At least not in the lost woods. They still sold 90 million, 2 of which I bought. 1 for me and my kids and one for my nieces. Their market is really just people who like Nintendo games. I hope the fuck they put out something new in a couple of years, but I wouldn't be shocked if they push this thing for another 5. It would still be up against the PS5/XSX.
 

ManaByte

Member
Their market is really just people who like Nintendo games.

That's been their market since 1996.

Doesn't mean they can't aim higher, and they tried with the GCN. Then they discovered the casual Wii Bowling market with two GCNs taped together and never looked back.
 

Kokoloko85

Member
Being mostly finished with the Wii and Wii U ports there gonna be having to make alot more games.

And soon graphically more impressive because indies are starting to make better looking games then some of the biggest hits like Pokemon.
I know Nintendo isnt about the graphics and more the style but by the Switch 2 there gonna have to
 

ManaByte

Member
And soon graphically more impressive because indies are starting to make better looking games then some of the biggest hits like Pokemon.
I know Nintendo isnt about the graphics and more the style but by the Switch 2 there gonna have to

They sold 100 million Wii units built on the back of a simple motion bowling game and endless shovelware flash game ports. The people who continue to buy 20M Switch units 5 years after release don't care.
 

Kokoloko85

Member
They sold 100 million Wii units built on the back of a simple motion bowling game and endless shovelware flash game ports. The people who continue to buy 20M Switch units 5 years after release don't care.

I get that. I just think for the Switch 2 there gonna have to make more better looking games. The novelty of Motion controller and Hybrid won’t Be around next time
 

Ozzie666

Member
Nintendo learning from the dying years of the Wii? amazing. Now just bring your on line service up to 2021 levels. This is great to hear, even as the hardware ages, great games can over come that.
 

darkangel-212559

Dreamcast Love
I'm still waiting for Wind Waker and Xenoblade Chronicles X. I mean, how hard can it be, given that you already brought over the entire software library of Wii U? Why leave those two games on there? Very annoying.
Nintendo gave you Skyward Sword and want you to shut the fuck up about the Zelda games you and other people actually want to play.

Nintendo does Nintendo does Nintendo. They are never rational.
 

darkangel-212559

Dreamcast Love
Nintendo learning from the dying years of the Wii? amazing. Now just bring your on line service up to 2021 levels. This is great to hear, even as the hardware ages, great games can over come that.
Nintendo just gave us Bluetooth in a hardware update. Bluetooth!

I'd be happy if they gave us Dreamcast levels of online. At least that had in game voice chat.
 
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