Satoru Iwata Claims Nintendo to Expand Beyond Games

Nintendo's president chimes in about whether or not we're going to see the Big N expand beyond games and consoles.

In an interview with Diamond.jp (translated by CVG), Satoru Iwata, president of Nintendo, claimed that his company is not planning to strictly focus on video games and seeks to define itself as an entertainment company, and not just as a game developer. When asked to elaborate on comments he made in January in regards to Nintendo's wishes to "extend the definition of entertainment" and "expand into a new business area" with its 10-year 'Quality of Life' platform, Iwata said that he wishes to change the public's idea that Nintendo is simply a gaming company, which falls in line with the views of former Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi.

"A lot of people around the world think Nintendo is solely a company that makes video games, and I believe more and more of our own employees have started thinking in this way," Iwata claims.

"Some employees in charge of development find themselves in positions where all they are thinking about is how they can make the game in front of them more fun, so I don't think it can be helped if others outside of our company see us the same way."

Nintendo's 'Quality of Life' platform is the company's attempt to leap from its console-making standpoint past the current standards of mobile devices and new wearable technology into a new-age, non-wearable piece of equipment that attempts to promote health, learning, entertainment and better lifestyle decisions. For a company whose icon is an overweight plumber who has the skills of an elite gymnast, we're unsure what Nintendo exactly wants to make, but we trust its good intentions..

"So even though we won't chance the fact that our focus is on video games, I felt the need to take that occasion to state that Nintendo is a company that can do whatever it wants." Iwata explained.

The Nintendo president's closing words in the interview remind us that the company does want to promote a genuinely better livelihood within its fanbase, especially when you think of games such as the Brain Age series and Wii Fit promoting smarter minds and healthier bodies while simulation titles such as Animal Crossing and Tomodachi Life encourages social interaction and a sense of community.

"Recently the words 'quality of life' have been coming up regularly. Entertainment is there to improve people's quality of life. After your basic needs, there's entertainment. However, when it came to improving people's quality of life, I didn't know the difference between us and household appliance makers. At the start of this year, I finally figured that the concept of 'improving people's quality of life with fun,' with emphasis on the 'fun', would be perfect for Nintendo."