Nintendo Has 'No Real Need' for New Franchises, Veteran Says, and Can Just 'Pick Whatever' Existing Series Fits New Gameplay

Nintendo doesn't truly request to make caller franchises, a erstwhile developer has said, explaining that the institution tin simply wrapper its caller gameplay ideas into 1 of the galore beloved video crippled bid it owns already.

Speaking to Bloomberg, programmer Ken Watanabe said Nintendo doesn't "really fuss over" which of its large franchises a amusive caller gameplay mechanic mightiness extremity up in. And, with truthful galore existing bid to chose from, there's small request to travel up with more.

"New franchises haven't travel retired simply due to the fact that there's nary existent request to marque them," Watanabe said. "When Nintendo wants to bash thing new, it's fundamentally astir the gameplay mechanics archetypal — astir creating a caller mode to play."

At Nintendo, Watanabe worked connected Super Mario Bros. Wii, Pikmin 3 and Splatoon — 1 of the company's biggest caller franchises of its modern era. But adjacent the archetypal Splatoon is present a decennary old.

"As for the tegument oregon the wrapper, they don't truly fuss implicit it," Watanabe continued. "They conscionable prime immoderate fits that caller gameplay best."

Nintendo's agelong database of existing IP surely seems expansive and beloved capable to enactment this. Why marque a caller spaceship combat bid erstwhile it's been years since the past Star Fox? Why make a caller arcade racer erstwhile you could marque a caller F-Zero? (Though, let's beryllium real, Nintendo is ne'er making a new, afloat fledged F-Zero.)

Nintendo already has astir genres covered, and existing fans waiting with baited enactment for the adjacent entries successful bid specified arsenic Animal Crossing, Pikmin and Fire Emblem. It makes consciousness that, if Nintendo did person caller gameplay ideas for existing genres, it could conscionable co-opt 1 of its existing bid too.

Take the upcoming Splatoon Raiders, for example, which Nintendo has described arsenic "the archetypal Splatoon bid spin-off." It looks acceptable to absorption connected a circumstantial leader quality and perchance diagnostic much adventure-led gameplay than its quick-fire shooting predecessors. Could this person been a caller IP instead? Maybe, but spinning it disconnected from the hugely fashionable Splatoon means it instantly appeals to an existing fanbase and has amended marque recognition.

Nintendo hasn't wholly ditched the thought of caller franchises, of people — though it's just to accidental that the institution tests less caller IPs present than it erstwhile did. Nintendo's astir caller caller thought was the just-released Drag x Drive, its wheelchair hoops crippled that utilised the Switch 2's question controls. It's hard to spot however that could person fitted into an existing franchise — though possibly plonking Mario and friends into its arenas mightiness person helped.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social