Today Nintendo announced a partnership with Universal Parks & Resorts to help create attractions at Universal theme parks based on Nintendo’s characters and games. While this may seem like strange territory for Nintendo, who is usually fiercely protective of its characters and licensing arrangements, it’s really just an extension of an idea previously discussed way back in 2010. At the time, Iwata said there were discussions about the possibility of a theme park, but no concrete plans.
While Nintendo posted an annual profit this year, it’s still in recovery mode after the near-disastrous launch of the Wii U. Over the past few years, Nintendo has become more open to licensing opportunities, including throwing its hat into the mobile landscape with DeNA as a partner. Therefore, it’s no real surprise to see Nintendo branching out its branding in the physical world, too. Iwata is attempting to right a ship that has been floundering for a few years now and so previous ideas that were once discarded are now being fleshed out as Nintendo begins to expand its business beyond just a console hardware manufacturer.
