Nintendo says it won't sacrifice creativity for cheaper games

Nintendo

president

Shuntaro Furukawa

has firmly rejected the industry trend of cutting creative corners to reduce costs, instead outlining a strategic approach to maintain the company's innovative edge while managing skyrocketing development expenses. Speaking at a recent shareholders meeting, Furukawa emphasized that Nintendo will prioritize uniqueness over cost-cutting measures plaguing competitors."The most important aspect of our management is the belief that the true value of entertainment lies in its uniqueness," Furukawa stated. "Recent

game software development

has become larger in scale and longer in duration, resulting in higher development costs. The game business has always been a high-risk business, and we recognize that rising development costs are increasing that risk."

Nintendo's dual-track strategy for Switch 2 games

The company is exploring a two-pronged approach to game development. While continuing to invest in ambitious titles like the open-world Mario Kart World and the destruction-heavy Donkey Kong Bananza, Nintendo is simultaneously developing smaller-scale games that require less time and resources.

"We also believe it is possible to develop game software with shorter development periods that still offer consumers a sense of novelty," Furukawa said. "We see this as one potential solution to the concern about rising development costs and software prices, and we will explore it from various angles within the company."

Nintendo’s approach contrasts the industry that’s facing layoffs and studio closures

Nintendo's commitment to creativity starkly contrasts with industry-wide layoffs and studio closures affecting competitors like Microsoft. While others slash budgets and cancel projects, Nintendo is doubling down on its core philosophy."Our development teams are devising various ways to maintain our traditional approach to creating games amidst the increasing scale and length of development," Furukawa said. "We believe it is important to make the necessary investments for more efficient development."