Nintendo’s mobile business is here to stay

© Nintendo Life

Last month, a Bloomberg report said Nintendo was looking to downsize its mobile gaming business.

While this could be interpreted as the beginning of the end for the entire division, it seems unlikely. As company president Shuntaro Furukawa previously mentioned in May, Nintendo is still “continuing to develop” new applications, but it is not yet at a stage where it can announce any new information.

Now, during the question and answer session for Nintendo’s 80th Annual General Meeting, the president has gone into detail on how the company’s mobile operations remain a “significant” part of the plan as it keeps consumers connected with Nintendo:

In addition to generating income and profit, our basic strategy with the mobile business is to expand the number of people who have access to Nintendo IP. For example, we’ve expanded the Nintendo IP fan base like Animal Crossing, Fire Emblem, and Mario Kart, and by doing so, we increase our consumer touch points. Mobile business is also strategically important to the expansion of Nintendo Accounts, which support our relationships with consumers. Mobile business sales do not represent a very large percentage of Nintendo’s overall business, but the mobile business itself is significant as it provides a wide range of consumers with a different way than Nintendo Switch to continue to enjoy playing games using Nintendo IP. through a long period When the global distribution of the Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp app started in the fall of 2017, for example, it introduced many American consumers to the Animal Crossing series, and those same consumers then bought Animal Crossing: New Horizons and a Nintendo Switch console. And starting with the Mario Kart Tour, mobile apps have proven to be a great opportunity for people to create Nintendo accounts. In this way, the mobile business with its multiple objectives is contributing to the sustainable growth of Nintendo’s general business.

Furukawa also reiterated how one goal of Nintendo’s mobile business was to achieve plus people to sign up for Nintendo accounts:

As I mentioned earlier, one of the goals of mobile business is to create lasting customer relationships through Nintendo Accounts. We are establishing it through our collaboration with DeNA and will continue those efforts.

What do you think of Furukawa’s latest comments on Nintendo’s mobile business? Share your thoughts below.