Bloomberg recently interviewed Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima. Two of the topics of discussion that were particularly interesting are the future of the 3DS and about the possibilities of Virtual Reality with the Nintendo Switch. Since the Switch was advertised as this in between for a home console and hand held gaming, it spawned a number of rumors regarding Nintendo’s already existing dominance in the field of handheld gaming. Namely, people began speculating whether or not the Switch was meant to eliminate the 3DS. In this interview, it was confirmed that the Switch is not intended as a way to discontinue the Game Boy line. As Kimishima put it:
We didn’t just want a successor to the Wii U or the 3DS. So our original concept was, “What kind of new experience can we create?” And what we showed this time was an object that’s both stationary and one you can take outside to play with anyone you want.
Thanks to our software, the 3DS hardware is still growing. So that business still has momentum. And certainly rather than being cannibalized by the Switch, we think the 3DS can continue in its own form
VR seems to be the big topic of discussion this year. With the ever growing popularity of virtual reality and the release of PS VR, a way for people to have a VR experience at home instead of having to wait in an hour long line at a convention and getting some else’s sweat on their face, it seems that virtual reality is at a peak of popularity. This is most likely the most discussed VR has been since the concept was first introduced in the 1980s. Kimishima expressed the company has interest in VR as a concept. VR is a new way to experience the video game but is something that Nintendo does not seem to be working on at the moment. Kimishima was sure to clarify that this does not mean that Nintendo was refuting VR and that it could be possible that they may develop something VR technology in the future. Specifically on the topic of VR Kimishima said:
Miyamoto has talked about this several times. It’s not that we’re uninterested. In fact, we have a lot of interest. VR offers the experience of playing in a new way. But that depends on the software and how you use it to play. Especially when it comes to games. And beyond games, it also applies to other non-game things, so it is something to look forward to.
If you asked as if this might be possible in the future, certainly we can’t say no. In terms of how it can be used for gaming, it’s something we must consider. It depends on the system specifications. I can’t say that we have no interest in VR because VR offers new ways of playing, but that depends on what kind of software can be played. But what kind of software works, that’s only something you only know once you actually experience it. And our games are ones that are usually played for a long time.
The entire Bloomberg interview with the Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima can be read here. Our Nintendo Switch coverage can be read here.