In a recent interview, Shinya Takahashi, Nintendo’s senior managing executive officer, and Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto shared more details about Nintendo’s endeavours beyond videogames, with an obvious focus on the new Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood.
In the chat with The Verge, Takahashi expanded on why other IPs aren’t in the park yet. “When you think of Nintendo you think Mario,” he says. “He’s the fulcrum around which everything revolves.” He continued, saying that while other IPs, such as Splatoon, have been considered, “the reason we focused on Mario is we wanted to see how authentically and realistically we could bring that world to life, so that’s why we focused on one single IP at this point.”
While this recent push beyond videogames may seem unique from the outside, Takahashi seems to think it’s natural. “I think people view Nintendo as a gaming company,” he says, “But we have always thought of ourselves as an entertainment company.”
This move into parks has surprised Mario’s creator somewhat, too. “There are actually a lot of people who know who Mario is, but never played the game, or don’t really know who Mario is,” Miyamoto says.
Meanwhile, for Takahashi, it gives Nintendo a chance to reach beyond its usual base. “Rather than a particular age group, or a particular target audience, it encompasses everyone, whether they know Mario from games or are children who have never played the games before,” he explains.
You can check out a video of the park’s opening up above, or head to our Mario characters, Mario Kart characters, or Mario figures guides for even more dungareed, moustachioed, plumberific goodness.