When Nintendo first announced their desire to expand their IP into the mobile market (under legitimate means, not the knockoffs we’ve all seen), people weren’t sure if it would work. Then Pokemon GO, Super Mario Run, Fire Emblem Heroes, and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp came out and proved that it could, and in spades. Tatsumi Kimishima was the mastermind behind this initiative, and now, his successor, Shuntaro Furukawa, wants to take it to the next level.
In an interview with Nikkei, Furukawa explained his vision for the future of the mobile initiative:
“From what I can see, smartphone games are the ones I want to expand the most,” he told the outlet, adding that, “The idea that something will emerge that transforms into something big, in the same manner as game consoles, is the defining motive of the Nintendo business.”
Specifically, he wants to try and make something that’ll rival what Pokemon GO did when it launched back in 2016. That’s no small feat, but Shuntaro Furukawa feels up to the challenge.
Now, if this is worrying you because you feel the Switch might be left behind, don’t worry. Furukawa not only wants to continue making the Switch great, he wants to also bring the console to regions that it hasn’t been too yet, such as the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
