Nintendo Veteran Explains Why New Franchises Aren’t Needed

Nintendo has long been a company where gameplay innovation dictates everything, and according to veteran programmer Ken Watanabe, that guiding philosophy means the studio has little need to launch brand-new franchises. Instead, the Japanese giant simply takes fresh gameplay concepts and folds them into one of its many existing, world-famous series.

With a roster that spans Mario, Zelda, Animal Crossing, Fire Emblem, and more, the company rarely runs out of familiar canvases to experiment on.

Watanabe, who previously worked on New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Pikmin 3, and even helped bring Splatoon – one of the few modern original Nintendo franchises – to life, explained that Nintendo doesn’t overthink which series gets assigned a new mechanic. The decision is simple: whichever existing world or character set best matches the gameplay idea usually gets the nod. From his perspective, this has been the way Nintendo has quietly maintained its creative energy while also protecting the strength of its brand portfolio.

Consider Splatoon. Launched a decade ago, it filled a gap in Nintendo’s lineup: a colorful, family-friendly take on the competitive shooter. Many fans saw it as the company’s answer to a genre it had largely ignored. Yet even now, instead of creating more new shooter franchises, Nintendo continues to expand on the Splatoon universe with projects like the upcoming Splatoon Raiders, a spin-off shifting focus toward adventure-driven gameplay. By attaching the concept to an already beloved property, the company guarantees instant recognition and interest, something much harder to achieve with a brand-new intellectual property.

This approach extends across genres. Why develop an entirely new sci-fi dogfighting series when Star Fox exists, waiting for revival? Why create a fresh racing concept when F-Zero – dormant though it may be – still resonates with longtime fans? Nintendo has the luxury of a vast back catalog of franchises, many of which can be revived or remixed to accommodate new mechanics. As Watanabe put it, “new franchises haven’t come out simply because there’s no real need to make them.”

That doesn’t mean Nintendo has abandoned experimentation altogether. The recent Drag x Drive, a wheelchair basketball title for the Switch 2 that relies heavily on motion controls, shows the company still has the courage to try entirely new ideas when they clearly don’t fit within an existing world. It’s a reminder that Nintendo remains open to risk, but tends to take it sparingly, balancing novelty with the safety net of its established IPs.

Some observers liken this strategy to Disney’s reliance on nostalgia and familiar brands, suggesting that Nintendo knows its millennial fanbase – many of whom grew up in the ’80s and ’90s – will happily return for another round of Mario, Zelda, or Pokémon rather than clamor for unknown heroes. Yet others point out that Nintendo has consistently delivered new ways to play, whether through hardware gimmicks like motion controls and dual screens, or through software reinventions like Breath of the Wild and Ring Fit Adventure. To them, what matters isn’t whether a new name appears on the box, but whether the game itself offers experiences unavailable elsewhere.

Ultimately, Watanabe’s comments shine a light on Nintendo’s unique philosophy: gameplay first, branding second. And with an enviable library of series that continue to capture hearts worldwide, it’s easy to see why the company feels no pressure to reinvent itself through new franchises. For Nintendo, the magic has never been about creating names – it’s about creating play.