At Nintendo’s June 27, 2025 shareholders’ meeting, company president Shuntaro Furukawa pointed to shorter game development cycles as a key strategy in combating rising development costs.
It’s no secret that video games are becoming more expensive and time-consuming to produce. Industry analysts cite factors such as increased graphical fidelity, complex mechanics, expansive in-game worlds, and production mismanagement as contributors to this trend. Some companies have struggled to meet demand for cutting-edge games, often resulting in delays or employee layoffs—such as Microsoft’s mass gaming layoffs earlier this month. Another growing concern is the rising cost of consoles and software, a hot topic since Nintendo’s recent transition to the Switch 2 era and the release of Mario Kart World.
With the improved graphical and performance specs of the Switch 2, one investor asked president Furukawa how the company plans to avoid some of these pitfalls, while still producing games that take full advantage of the hardware. Furukawa responded by emphasizing the importance of efficient game development and stating that prioritizing shorter game development periods for some games may be a useful strategy.
“We see this as one potential solution to the concern about rising development costs and software prices,” Furukawa said. “And we will explore it from various angles within the company.”
Nintendo plans to continue supporting smaller-scale titles that “still offer a sense of novelty,” alongside its high-production blockbusters. While this strategy may not impact mainline Mario or Zelda titles, such as Tears of the Kingdom, it may be a good sign for the prioritization of smaller of mid-tier projects, including the upcoming Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment.
Click here to read the complete English translation of key questions from Nintendo’s June 27, 2025 shareholders’ meeting.
