Nintendo has revealed that it isn’t currently pursuing the metaverse any time soon.
When asked about the two inescapable tech trends of the minute – NFTs and the metaverse – during a recent financial earnings Q&A, the Japanese giant had this to say: "The metaverse has captured the attention of many companies around the world, and it has great potential," stated Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa.
Despite his clear admiration of the concept, Furukawa went on to state that the company couldn’t see a Nintendo appropriate use for it currently: "At this point in time, there is no easy way to define specifically what kinds of surprises and enjoyment the metaverse can deliver to our consumers. As a company that provides entertainment, our main emphasis is on ways to deliver fresh surprises and fun to our consumers."
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In true Nintendo fashion, then, it seems as though the company would not wish to jump aboard the metaverse train unless it had a genuinely innovative and entertaining way of doing so: “"We might consider something if we can find a way to convey a 'Nintendo approach' to the metaverse that many people can readily understand, but we do not think that is the situation at the present time."
If you’ve been online recently, the metaverse will be a turn you will have seen bandied about with aplomb. Facebook has been at the center of this new pivot to the metaverse, going so far as to rebrand its entire organization under the name ‘Meta’. Still not entirely sure what the metaverse actually is? Well, don’t worry – you aren’t alone. With no tangible examples to point to currently, the core idea underpinning the metaverse concept is simply a persistent virtual world that encompasses multiple different brands, providers and online services under one digital roof.
Nintendo’s stance comes hot on the heels of the news that Bandai Namco is investing $130 million on its very own “IP Metaverse”, drawing from its extensive back catalogue. Krafton the creators of the original battle royale smash hit, PUBG, has also announced its plans to create an NFT metaverse in Unreal Engine.
