You’d think that the video game console business would be as “simple” as the software one is. You make something good, and then you make something better then next time around. But as Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony have all proven over the years, going from one system to the next can be tricky. If you don’t have the “right stuff” on the hardware AND software side, it can fail, and sometimes, fail spectacularly. The Big N recently revealed its sales numbers for the Switch, and company President Shuntaro Furukawa happily revealed certain things to investors during a Q&A.
As noted by VGC, Shuntaro Furukawa was asked about the “transition” between the Nintendo Switch and its upcoming successor. As we’ve noted in the past on NEP, they’ve botched transitions between consoles in the past, and Furukawa is well aware of this, stating:
“We approach our business every day with a profound sense of urgency. The generational transition of platforms in the dedicated gaming console business is never easy. We have experienced significant challenges following successful platforms multiple times, so we never consider our current situation to be totally secure.”
Many fans know that the Switch was company’s “last shot” to make something special, and they knocked it out of the park. The team knows that they can’t rest on their laurels, but they’re also not going to give up on what they do best:
“To continue offering innovative entertainment that can be enjoyed by our customers worldwide, we believe that continuing with our integrated hardware-software dedicated gaming console business is the best strategy at this point.”
They plan to do that by further “expanding their IP reach” while also bolstering their customer numbers where they can. Only time will tell if it works.
