Since his ascension to the rank of President of Nintendo in 2018, Shuntaro Furukawa has had a lot to do. He’s had to work and ensure that the Nintendo Switch maintained its success, that Nintendo expands beyond the gaming space and into areas like theme parks and movies, and now, he’s the leader of the company during the Nintendo Switch 2 era, which he’s working to make into yet another successful system, with results that are already rather positive. However, as he noted before the console’s launch, the team can’t be stagnant.
To that end, during a special interview with Kyoto Shimbun, which Nintendo Patent Watch translated and summarized due to the newspaper’s subscription requirement, Shuntaro Furukawa made numerous statements about the Nintendo Switch 2 and the company in general. Here’s a quick recap.
First, he noted that the supply issues that the Switch 2 has had since launch have mostly ceased, with Japan itself being the only region still struggling to keep up with demand.
Second, Furukawa noted that, roughly translated, he wanted the Nintendo Switch 2 to be “accommodating, generous, and forgiving” so that developers on both 1st and 3rd-party sides of the equation could do what they want without true restrictions. We’ve already seen this kind of freedom given to games like Donkey Kong Bananza, and more will likely follow suit. Plus, he wants the console to be “accessible” to all manner of gamers, including those who are getting a console for the first time.
Third, many have speculated that the Switch 2 could get a price increase in the future, and while the president admitted they must “monitor the situation closely,” he wouldn’t commit to any acknowledgement or denial of a price increase:
“I cannot comment on hypotheticals.”
Fourth, moving onto the movie slate, Shuntaro Furukawa stated that he wants to “build excitement” for the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy Movie and that more info on the Legend of Zelda movie will be “released gradually.” He’s also not opposed to things like anime being made for various streaming services, but feels the investor situation would have to be right for that.
Going back to games, a key thing the President noted was:
“We are developing popular series titles that many fans are waiting for, but also completely new software.”
That might not seem like much, but this was in answer to a question about what Nintendo would be working on in 2026 and beyond, which already features confirmed games like Mario Tennis Fever, Pokémon Pokopia, and more. Plus, since it’s the beginning of the year, a new “presentation” or two will definitely expand on the “new software” and titles that The Big N is creating.
When the announcement for the first Nintendo Direct of 2026 does get announced, be sure to keep your eye on The Outerhaven for updates!
Source: Nintendo Patent Watch (Via Kyoto Shimbun)
