Ahead of the Switch 2, Nintendo is branching out to use its characters in cinema, theme parks, and merch in a Disney-like way to create more consistent revenue
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Context & Ripple Effects
Nintendo’s broader-entertainment direction predates the Switch 2: company leadership had already described an evolution beyond games, while its theme-park and film efforts were underway. The company’s planned live-action Zelda project with Sony followed the success of its Mario film, making this an extension of an established IP strategy rather than a launch-only promotion.
The significance is the attempt to turn game characters into recurring entertainment properties across formats, reducing reliance on the timing of individual hardware and software releases.
First-order effects
- Nintendo can coordinate films, park attractions and merchandise around its character portfolio as complementary revenue channels ahead of the new console cycle.
- The strategy raises the commercial importance of Nintendo’s screen and location-based partners, building on its Sony partnership on a live-action Zelda film.
Second-order effects
- A larger cross-media slate makes each successful game release more valuable as an IP launchpad, while non-game releases can keep characters visible between major game launches.
- Nintendo’s licensing and retail partners gain a stronger incentive to align merchandise and experiences with film and game calendars, rather than treating those categories as standalone promotions.
Third-order effects
- If execution holds, Nintendo could increasingly be valued and managed as a character-IP business with a console at its center, not solely as a cyclical hardware publisher.
- The broader pattern is a shift Nintendo leadership had already framed as broader entertainment: durable franchises are being built into multi-format ecosystems, though the payoff still depends on audience demand for each adaptation.
The trend: Nintendo is pursuing the console-to-service flywheel by using games, film, parks and merchandise to make its characters active commercial platforms across release cycles.