Ex-Nintendo Developer States They 'Have No Need' For New IPs

Nintendo is certainly known for their staple of established franchises that have made the publisher/developer synonymous with interactive video games for 40 years. And while they have hit somewhat commercial appeal and success with the Switch and Switch 2 (Mario Kart World continues to sell quite well), with third party games being readily welcomed, the platform has seen little in the way of new characters, concepts, and ideas from within their own in-house studios.

According to former developer Ken Watanabe, he believes there's a reason for that. On September 5th, during an interview with Bloomberg (paywall), Nintendo places the gameplay first, before deciding an established franchise that suits it.

“New franchises haven’t come out simply because there’s no real need to make them,” Watanabe said. “When Nintendo wants to do something new, it’s basically about the gameplay mechanics first — about creating a new way to play. As for the skin or the wrapper, they don’t really fuss over it. They just pick whatever fits that new gameplay best.”

As a former programmer for the Splatoon series, he used the multi-player shooter as an example, stating that originally established Nintendo characters were used in early testing. The change to use the Inklings and Octolings came to fruition when the staff decided they best conveyed the game's mechanics with as little explanation as possible.

Splatoon just turned 10 this year, originally launching on the Wii U in 2015. It has achieved a great degree of success, being one of Nintendo's more culturally influential franchises that has established a passionate community. It will see its first spin-off series, titled Splatoon Raiders, which appears to follow a mission headed by Shiver, Frye, and Big Man, the hosts and DJs of the current running third entry. 2017's ARMs launched with the original Switch, and seemed to be a creative entry that could spearhead a revolution in arena fighters, as it made fantastic use of the refined motion controls. Despite its well-received acclaim and 2 million unit sales, Nintendo didn't show interest in pursuing, not only a follow-up, but more in-house concepts or universes and characters. The string of spin-off series from their own properties has increased, as seen with Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, Bayonetta Origins: Cereza And The Lost Demon, and Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, off-shoots/prequels of the Legend of Zelda, Bayonetta, and Fire Emblem series, respectively.

There is merit in Nintendo's philosophy, even if the message seems rather insular at surface value. Nintendo has always been a company that has placed unique game ideas first. But to play Devil's advocate, there is consistency in brand recognition. Not to speak in pure defence of the mission statement, would games like Metroid Dread or Princess Peach: Showtime retain their sales and appeal if they were new IPs? I am always interested in creative and intuitive gameplay ideas, and it would be great to see new established personalities to go along with it. Since Satoru Iwata's passing, there has been less risks and unique concepts. Here's hoping there's more flickerings of ingenuity during the lifespan of the Switch 2.

SOURCE: Bloomberg