– Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime.
In the wake of its wide-ranging interview with Nintendo chief Tatsumi Kimishima, Time has published excerpts of a conversation conducted with Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime that sheds some light on (among other things) how the company plans to use Nintendo IP in smartphone games.
Fils-Aime echoes what Nintendo execs have been saying for some time: that by building mobile apps and games (like the upcoming Miitomo) that prominently feature Nintendo properties, the company hopes to inject its IP into people’s lives and draw them back into its broader ecosystem of consoles, games and toys.
“Play games, watch videos, conceptually go to Universal Studios, the thought process is that this is a more robust and sticky way for you as a consumer to interact with all things Nintendo,” said Fils-Aime, noting that the upcoming My Nintendo membership service is designed to be a hub that will offer rewards in exchange for tracked activities like, say, playing with a Nintendo-branded app on your smartphone.
So what’s guiding Nintendo’s efforts as it plunges into the smartphone and tablet market? The hardware itself, according to Fils-Aime.
“Our strategy is not to port games developed for our dedicated systems to smart devices as they are,” the Nintendo of America chief told Time. “We have to develop new software experiences that give people the opportunity to interact with Nintendo IP and that matches the play style and control of smart devices. “
For more of his thoughts on how Nintendo is approaching mobile development, as well as where the company is headed and why, check out the full article over on Time’s website.