In a recent interview published by Famitsu and summarized by outlets including GamesRadar+ and Nintendo Life, legendary Nintendo creator Shigeru Miyamoto outlined a vision for growing Nintendo's presence beyond games.
Miyamoto — the longtime designer behind Mario, The Legend of Zelda and other core franchises and currently serving as a senior creative figure at Nintendo — discussed how the company is considering broader product strategies that make Nintendo-branded items commonplace for families.
The interview reported that certain projects, including entries featuring Star Fox and Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, were developed in the wake of renewed mainstream attention following The Super Mario Bros.
Movie (released April 2023).
Those titles and initiatives illustrate how Nintendo is responding to expanded brand recognition across media and products.
Paraphrasing Miyamoto's comments for clarity, he said Nintendo's objective is to "create reasons for customers all over the world to choose Nintendo," and that the company wants a product lineup that becomes a natural purchase for parents as children reach milestones such as starting elementary school.
He used the example of Japan's common custom of parents buying a school bag when a child enters elementary school to explain his point: Nintendo hopes its product range will prompt people to think, "Now that my child is six, let's buy them a Nintendo product," or to ask, "What Nintendo product would make them happy?"
Miyamoto emphasized that while hardware and games remain central to Nintendo's business, the company also wants to ensure it has different kinds of products available "as times change," so consumers continue to engage with the brand in multiple ways.
The interview singled out Alarmo as a concrete example of a non-game product Miyamoto believes can help broaden Nintendo's everyday visibility.
This interview follows Nintendo's broader trend of cross-media activity and merchandising tied to major IP.
For industry observers, Miyamoto's remarks underscore a deliberate strategy: leverage strong franchises and recent public-facing media moments to expand product offerings across platforms and retail channels such as the Nintendo eShop and licensed merchandise, while continuing to prioritize game development for hardware like the Nintendo Switch.
Sources: Famitsu interview (reported by GamesRadar+ and Nintendo Life).
Miyamoto — the longtime designer behind Mario, The Legend of Zelda and other core franchises and currently serving as a senior creative figure at Nintendo — discussed how the company is considering broader product strategies that make Nintendo-branded items commonplace for families.
The interview reported that certain projects, including entries featuring Star Fox and Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, were developed in the wake of renewed mainstream attention following The Super Mario Bros.
Movie (released April 2023).
Those titles and initiatives illustrate how Nintendo is responding to expanded brand recognition across media and products.
Paraphrasing Miyamoto's comments for clarity, he said Nintendo's objective is to "create reasons for customers all over the world to choose Nintendo," and that the company wants a product lineup that becomes a natural purchase for parents as children reach milestones such as starting elementary school.
He used the example of Japan's common custom of parents buying a school bag when a child enters elementary school to explain his point: Nintendo hopes its product range will prompt people to think, "Now that my child is six, let's buy them a Nintendo product," or to ask, "What Nintendo product would make them happy?"
Miyamoto emphasized that while hardware and games remain central to Nintendo's business, the company also wants to ensure it has different kinds of products available "as times change," so consumers continue to engage with the brand in multiple ways.
The interview singled out Alarmo as a concrete example of a non-game product Miyamoto believes can help broaden Nintendo's everyday visibility.
This interview follows Nintendo's broader trend of cross-media activity and merchandising tied to major IP.
For industry observers, Miyamoto's remarks underscore a deliberate strategy: leverage strong franchises and recent public-facing media moments to expand product offerings across platforms and retail channels such as the Nintendo eShop and licensed merchandise, while continuing to prioritize game development for hardware like the Nintendo Switch.
Sources: Famitsu interview (reported by GamesRadar+ and Nintendo Life).
