Nintendo won't be hopping onto the metaverse train for the time being, as it doesn't know how it would use the concept to offer Nintendo's "fresh surprises and fun".
Speaking during the company's most recent financial earnings Q&A, president Shuntaro Furukawa was asked if Nintendo has plans relating to the metaverse and NFTs, but only responded to the former.
He began by acknowledging the current interest in the idea: "The metaverse has captured the attention of many companies around the world, and it has great potential." However, Furukawa continued by pointing out that it doesn't fit Nintendo's plans at this point:
"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. As a company that provides entertainment, our main emphasis is on ways to deliver fresh surprises and fun to our consumers."
So what would change Furukawa's mind? The crux seems to be in finding a way to use the metaverse in a 'Nintendo-y' way: "We might consider something if we can find a way to convey a 'Nintendo approach' to the metaverse that many people can readily understand, but we do not think that is the situation at the present time."
The metaverse is a concept gaining huge steam in the tech world right now. While there's no one clear version of what a metaverse is, the basic idea is that it would offer a persistent virtual world that breaks down barriers between online services, connected by a single economy.
Major players in the gaming industry have shown significant interest in the metaverse recently. Last year, Epic raised $1 billion to work on the idea. PUBG: Battlegrounds' creator Krafton has partnered with several companies across the world to create a metaverse in Unreal Engine, while Bandai Namco plans to spend $130 million on an "IP metaverse" for its library of games.