Nintendo’s President Wants to Ride the Momentum Train
Nintendo is aiming to sell 20 million Switch consoles this fiscal year. Considering worldwide sales have already surpassed the 10 million mark in under a year, Nintendo’s latest projection doesn’t seem that unattainable. In fact, Nintendo’s President has called 2018 a “crucial” year for the Switch, going so far as to explain how the company intends to hit their target.
Speaking in an interview with Mainichi, Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima went on to explain how important it is to continue to ride the Switch’s sales momentum:
“In order to be playable in the long term, the second year is crucial,” Kimishima said. “Our task is to add more users, including people who barely touch game consoles.” He also said that expanding the game library and attracting new players will allow the Switch to be “a game console with long lifespan.”
Nintendo’s focus on the casual gaming market has been a key business strategy ever since the Wii. Now with a handful of quality mobile games under their belt and strong first-party titles that cover a range of genres, Kimishima wants to push the “family demographic” on Switch. In the future, he hopes that more genres will be covered by third-parties and indies, which will help with expanding the user base.
When asked if the Switch’s sales numbers could ever reach that of the Wii, Kimishima thinks it is possible because of how the worldwide momentum is rivaling the Wii era. He also remarks that the Switch’s ability to go portable is one of the reasons for its quick success.
Kimishima commented on the current state of the game industry, stating that continuing to bring new and innovative ideas to their beloved franchises was a big reason for the console’s success.
Let us know what you think Nintendo should do in 2018 in the comments below.