Is Nintendo Venturing Into The Metaverse? Here's What The Company Had To Say

Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said earlier this month during the company’s financial earnings Q&A that the “metaverse has captured the attention of many companies around the world, and… has great potential.” However, he is presently unconcerned about venturing into the futurist space.

The metaverse is what tech experts refer to as virtual worlds, with the term gaining popularity after Facebook rebranded itself as Meta. Many tech companies have invested billions into building and buying real estate on the metaverse, but Nintendo is hitting the pause button.

“When the concept of the metaverse is introduced in the media, games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons are sometimes brought up as examples. In that sense, the metaverse is of interest to us,” Furukawa added. "But at this point in time, there is no easy way to define specifically what kinds of surprises and enjoyment the metaverse can deliver to our consumers.”

If the company found a “Nintendo approach” to the realm, however, Furukawa clarified that the Japanese gaming giant would “consider something.”

The Nintendo president also commented on the recently released “Pokémon Legends: Arceus” and its formidable sales, as well as how the title appeals to a broader range of franchise fans.

“This title has not only appealed to those who previously played Pokémon titles on Nintendo Switch, but also has garnered interest for others by offering a new kind of Pokémon experience.”

Nintendo is the only big player in gaming that's not sold on the metaverse. Playstation creator Ken Kutaragi recently had some harsh things to say about virtual reality in an interview with Bloomberg.

“I can't see the point of doing it," Kutaragi said. "You would rather be a polished avatar instead of your real self? That's essentially no different from anonymous message board sites."