Nintendo don’t think they’re unshakeable and work with a “sense of danger,” according to CEO
Nintendo released the log of a shareholders’ Q&A session on February 7. When asked about Nintendo’s current position in the market and potential “external” risks, Shuntaro Furukawa, the company’s CEO, stated that Nintendo “does not consider its current situation to be rock solid” and is always moving forward with a “sense of danger.”
Nintendo’s financial statement for the nine-month period ending in December 2023 reported strong results – with sales and profit estimates being revised upwards due to earnings exceeding expectations. Nintendo reports having sold 139.3 million Nintendo Switch units as of December 31, 2023. The latest addition to their core IP, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom sold 20.28 million copies, becoming the second best-selling game of the year, right behind Hogwarts Legacy.
Furthermore, Nintendo has users and investors heatedly anticipating the eventual release of a successor to the Nintendo Switch. But it seems that despite the success and steady profits, Nintendo is choosing to remain cautious.
In the shareholders’ Q&A session, one question described Nintendo as currently having a “rock solid” structure both in terms of console and IP development, but inquired if there were any risks the company is particularly wary of in terms of external factors (such as competitor’s products, new/changing trends in video games, etc.).
In response, Nintendo’s CEO Shuntaro Furukawa explained that Nintendo “always approaches its business with a great sense of danger,” and, having experienced very difficult times even after successfully launching new platforms in the past, they do not consider their current position to be rock solid. Furukawa also comments that Nintendo is constantly exposed to severe competition, coming not only from the video game industry but from the entertainment industry as a whole. He explains the company’s stance that the best way for Nintendo to stay relevant and attractive to consumers is to continue to operate a dedicated game console business that integrates hardware and software.
