Nintendo’s next console: Shareholder questions about backwards compatibility and more | VGC images

Nintendo faced fresh questions about its next-generation plans at its 83rd annual meeting of shareholders last week.

In May, Nintendo reported a decline in sales of the Switch console but said no new devices would be launched before April 2024.

Following its sales update, Nikkei Asia said it was informed by a source close to Nintendo that work on the company’s next console appears to be progressing well.

Unsurprisingly, several questions at this month’s shareholder meeting were about its future plans, including back-end support.

Nintendo 3DS and Wii U games purchased through the Nintendo eShop cannot be transferred to the Switch, and the developer said that it would be disappointing if this was also the case with the next Nintendo console.

When asked his opinion on this, company president Shuntaro Furukawa responded (translated by VGC agent Robert Sephazon): “We always think about different things about future hardware, but for now, I want to stop giving specific comments about future hardware.

“In terms of the type of sales of Nintendo Switch software, there are different types such as desktop software purchased in stores, downloadable software packages, and downloadable software only.

“Most of our customers have been playing on Nintendo Switch with downloadable or downloadable apps, and compared to previous games, the number of digital sales is increasing.

“As a company, we want to continue creating unique games through dedicated games that integrate hardware and software in the future, so please look forward to it.”

When asked if the company could share some ways to switch from the Switch to another console, Furukawa told shareholders that the company wants to use Nintendo Accounts to help make the switch process easier for customers.

“When it comes to next-generation consoles, in the past, hardware was the only way to communicate with our customers, and every time we released a new console, we had to rebuild our relationship with our customers,” he said.

“However, with the Nintendo Switch, we have been able to connect directly with a wide range of customers through the Nintendo Account system. Nintendo Account is not only used for gamers, but also for customers on mobile devices, and there are currently more than 290 million accounts. .

“In transitioning from the Nintendo Switch to the next-generation console, we want to ensure that customers transition smoothly while still using their Nintendo Accounts.”

Nintendo has previously emphasized the importance of Nintendo Account integration for its next console.

Nintendo Accounts was introduced in 2016 as a way to connect users between Nintendo’s mobile games, online store and consoles. Mobile players can earn rewards for completing challenges in the console game and sharing a friend list.

These accounts were integrated with the Nintendo Switch when it was launched in 2017, tracking user activities such as friend lists, save files, experiences, software purchase history and more.

Nintendo said last month that it sold 17.97 million Switch consoles in the fiscal year that ended in March, taking lifetime sales to 125.62 million, which was only surpassed by the Nintendo DS handheld (154.02 million) and Sony’s PlayStation 2 (155 million).

As the Switch enters its seventh year on the market, Nintendo expects to sell 15 million units in the current fiscal year, which represents a 16.5% year-over-year decline.