Nintendo relying on forays past video video games to spice up followers

TOKYO (AP) — Nintendo hopes to leverage a brand new Tremendous Mario film, varied merchandising and theme parks to attract extra folks into enjoying its video video games, President Shuntaro Furukawa mentioned Wednesday.

Nintendo content material, together with Donkey Kong and Pokemon, has drawn followers over greater than 4 a long time, with dad and mom and grandparents now enjoying video games with youngsters. However the mental property now extends past video games, Furukawa advised reporters and traders in a web based presentation.

Among the many key efforts for what he known as “constructing a relationship” with recreation lovers was “The Tremendous Mario Bros. Film,” set to be launched in April subsequent yr. There are additionally theme parks just like the one which opened in Japan’s Common Studios greater than a yr in the past that includes eating places, merchandising and rides, mentioned Furukawa. A Nintendo theme park is ready to open early subsequent yr in Hollywood within the U.S.

Particular occasions, pop-up shops and cellular functions additionally assist draw gamers, based on Nintendo. Nintendo’s cellular downloads now complete 800 million in additional than 160 nations and areas world wide. Merchandising consists of collaborations with different firms like Lego.

“We wish all those that have supported us over so a few years to result in extra gamers,” mentioned Furukawa.

Furukawa’s feedback come a day after Kyoto-based Nintendo Co. raised its profit forecast for the April-March fiscal yr to 400 billion yen ($2.7 billion), from an earlier 340 billion yen ($2.3 billion) revenue.

Excessive-performing recreation software program included “Splatoon 3,” “Nintendo Swap Sports activities” and “Mario Strikers: Battle League.”

The coronavirus pandemic has labored as a plus for some leisure firms, as folks tended to shun going out and turned to video games, movies and different at-home actions.

Japanese exporters like Nintendo are additionally getting a lift from a weaker yen, which lifts the worth of their abroad earnings when translated into yen. The U.S. greenback, buying and selling at about 110 Japanese yen a yr in the past, is now at almost 150 yen.

However Nintendo has been damage by a shortages of computer chips and different parts attributable to COVID-19-related lockdowns and different provide disruptions. Nintendo Swap gross sales fell 19% on-year within the fiscal first half to six.68 million items.

Nintendo’s revenue totaled 230.45 billion yen ($1.6 billion) for the six months by way of September, up 34% from the earlier yr.

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Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yurikageyama

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