Gaming fans might have heard that back in the day, dear old Nintendo was very different to what it is today. Back before they made themselves a household name in gaming, the company was known for several other business such as food production and… love hotels. Needless to say, the hotel business didn’t exactly pan out, leaving many of us thankful that a Mario themed honeymoon suite was never invented, but that hasn’t stopped Nintendo from spreading their wings a little outside of gaming.
According to a statement from the president of Nintendo, Tatsumi Kimishima, the company will be diversifying their business model starting next month. The company has intentions to add ventures such as restaurants, computer software and even health devices to their brand. Among Nintendo’s current products outside of gaming, they also make playing cards, office equipment and paper products. While the nature of the ‘health devices’ is unknown, Nintendo have said they will begin selling medical devices, which could include fitness peripherals such as the Wii Vitality Sensor which was scrapped. The company also has plans to begin licensing their materials for both theme park rides and movies, a move which hasn’t been done in almost 20 years.
There’s no word yet on whether any of the company’s other ventures will tie in with their gaming franchises, but we at The Arcade would probably throw most of our money at either a Mario or Pokémon themed restaurant. Just something to think about, Nintendo!
