The gaming landscape has changed dramatically since Nintendo entered the market with its 8-bit console, the NES, in the 1980s, not only in terms of what titles we play but also how we play them. Increasingly, there’s a push toward bigger, more realistic worlds we experience with online players rather than virtual experiences that provide simplicity and fun for friends and families sitting together in the same room.
But Nintendo has never been one to follow trends. With consoles like the Wii and Nintendo Switch, as well as series like Mario Kart and Smash Bros, the company has always been focused on bringing families together and having fun.
Shigeru Miyamoto, the legendary game designer behind Mario, The Legend of Zelda and many other iconic franchises, reiterated the company’s main goal in an interview with GameSpot(Opens in a new tab). “For Nintendo, the idea of games is something that brings the family together in the living room and interacts and (acts), as mentioned, like connective tissue. And when we talk about games, it really happens in the living room,” Miyamoto said.
Elsewhere in the interview, Miyamoto was asked if he had a new kind of technology in mind to create experiences that families could enjoy together in the future. “As a company, I think we’re always looking for proprietary uses of technology,” Miyamoto says. “We know a lot of different kinds of technologies, but I think Nintendo is an expert in how we use them in unique ways and then turn them into a product. When Mario was created, it became popular, and we thought Mario became popular because it was a fun game.”
Nintendo’s approach seems to be paying off. The company recently revealed that the Switch has now reached 122.55 million in lifetime sales, making it the third best-selling console of all time.
While you’re at it, why not take a look at our selection of best switch games you can play now.