Nintendo Discusses Theme Park Plans
By Rob Gordon 27 August 2016
Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime talks about the upcoming team-up between Nintendo and Universal Studios, offering a positive update on the project.
Whether it’s through the overwhelming success of mobile sensation Pokemon GO or the slightly less licensed Super Mario corn maze, plenty of Nintendo franchises have been finding success out in the real world. Of course, Nintendo is looking to push its most memorable characters even further into reality, with particular fan interest in the publisher’s deal with Universal Studios to create Nintendo-themed attractions. From the sounds of it, planning for these rides is going swimmingly.
That’s according to Reggie Fils-Aime, anyway. The Nintendo of America president was able to give an update on the Universal Studios Nintendo attractions in an interview with A-List Daily, and things seem to be rather positive so far. Indeed, Fils-Aime even stated that Universal Studios has “a great affinity” with Nintendo’s intellectual properties.
Indeed, even though Nintendo has not always been particularly lenient with third-party use of its franchises, it sounds as though the Universal and Nintendo team-up is going well so far. “What has been really gratifying for me is that the teams between Universal and Nintendo are working tremendously well together,” explained the Nintendo of America head. In particular, Fils-Aime complemented Universal’s team for its “wealth of experience in creating these immersive amusement interactive situations.”
It also appears that visitors of the Nintendo attractions in both Florida and Japan will find themselves with more than just rides to go on. Although Fils-Aime did not let much slip, he did allude towards attendees having additional content through smartphone apps. When discussing Universal’s knowledge of mobile apps, Fils-Aime stated that “it is something that they are considering as they work with us to create this theme park experience.”
The use of smartphone content is certainly something that could help Nintendo bridge the gap between physical rides and its role as a champion of media. Indeed, with Nintendo planning to have many more mobile games on the way, there are certainly plenty of options open to this Universal/Nintendo partnership. After all, if Pokemon GO has taught Nintendo anything, it’s that smartphone users are more than willing to spend time and money on Nintendo properties.
At the moment, however, there has been little to divulge with regards to exactly what form these attractions will take, but Nintendo and Universal are sure to let fans know as soon as more concrete plans have been made. With Ubisoft also working on a theme park, it looks as though gaming and theme parks are going to have a great relationship in the coming years.
Source: A-List Daily
