Nintendo doesn’t really need to create new franchises, a former developer has said, explaining that the company can simply wrap its fresh gameplay ideas into one of the many beloved video game series it owns already.
Speaking to Bloomberg, programmer Ken Watanabe said Nintendo doesn’t “really fuss over” which of its big franchises a fun new gameplay mechanic might end up in. And, with so many existing series to chose from, there’s little need to come up with more.
“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.”
At Nintendo, Watanabe worked on Super Mario Bros. Wii, Pikmin 3 and Splatoon — one of the company’s biggest new franchises of its modern era. But even the first Splatoon is now a decade old.
“As for the skin or the wrapper, they don’t really fuss over it,” Watanabe continued. “They just pick whatever fits that new gameplay best.”
Nintendo’s long list of existing IP certainly seems expansive and beloved enough to support this. Why make a new spaceship combat series when it’s been years since the last Star Fox? Why create a fresh arcade racer when you could make a new F-Zero? (Though, let’s be real, Nintendo is never making a new, fully fledged F-Zero.)
Nintendo already has most genres covered, and existing fans waiting with baited breath for the next entries in series such as Animal Crossing, Pikmin and Fire Emblem. It makes sense that, if Nintendo did have new gameplay ideas for existing genres, it could just co-opt one of its existing series too.
Take the upcoming Splatoon Raiders, for example, which Nintendo has described as “the first Splatoon series spin-off.” It looks set to focus on a specific hero character and potentially feature more adventure-led gameplay than its quick-fire shooting predecessors. Could this have been a new IP instead? Maybe, but spinning it off from the hugely popular Splatoon means it instantly appeals to an existing fanbase and has better brand recognition.
Nintendo hasn’t completely ditched the idea of new franchises, of course — though it’s fair to say that the company tests fewer new IPs now than it once did. Nintendo’s most recent new idea was the just-released Drag x Drive, its wheelchair basketball game that utilised the Switch 2’s motion controls. It’s hard to see how that could have fitted into an existing franchise — though maybe plonking Mario and friends into its arenas might have helped.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
