Our Big Nintendo San Francisco Interview with Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser

Nintendo opens its San Francisco store today, May 15, successful Union Square astatine 331 Powell Street. Nintendo San Francisco is the 2nd authoritative Nintendo store successful the United States, and follows the hugely fashionable New York location, which was formerly known arsenic the Nintendo World Store, but closed down for renovations and rebranding arsenic Nintendo NY earlier reopening successful 2016.

IGN went on to the San Francisco store to cheque retired what Nintendo has... in-store. And we besides sat down with Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser to speech astir wherefore the institution has opened its archetypal store connected the West Coast now.

Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser is preparing to motorboat the Switch 2. Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images.

Of course, we had to inquire astir each things Nintendo Switch 2, which launches connected June 5. So we quizzed Bowser connected the Switch 2's availability successful the U.S. astatine motorboat and beyond, those arguable Game-Key Cards, and plentifulness more.

Doug Bowser: So were you conscionable downstairs [at the store]?

IGN: Yes, I was.

Bowser: What are your thoughts?

IGN: I deliberation it's great. It reminds maine truthful overmuch of the [Nintendo stores] successful Japan. I truly similar the vibe of it and the ample statues, and you tin bargain the miniature versions, I deliberation that's truly nice.

Bowser: You picked up connected that.

IGN: Yes, absolutely.

Bowser: That’s great.

IGN: So, to get started, congrats connected opening Nintendo San Francisco.

Bowser: Thank you.

IGN: It's breathtaking to spot each that worldly that Nintendo fans person conscionable longingly looked astatine from Japan yet travel overseas to the States. So locomotion maine done it – however did this each travel together? Why now, and wherefore was San Francisco the prime for the archetypal nationalist store connected the West Coast?

Bowser: Well, you deed connected 1 important point. We were looking for an accidental to unfastened a store connected the West Coast, and arsenic we looked astatine imaginable cities for us, San Francisco conscionable kept coming to the apical of the database for a mates of reasons. First of all, it's a vibrant city, it's got a very, precise precocious level of traffic. And it besides draws from astir the Bay Area, a batch of consumers, into the halfway of the city. And past Union Square itself is, of course, the halfway of the buying territory wrong San Francisco, a beauteous iconic determination being wrong the aforesaid gathering arsenic the Westin St. Francis Hotel, which is evidently precise iconic. And truthful for us, it conscionable felt similar a cleanable determination to unfastened a store connected the West Coast.

Nintendo San Francisco is present open. Image credit: IGN.

IGN: Do you spot Nintendo San Francisco becoming benignant of a hub for Nintendo fandom? Much similar however Nintendo New York hosts the Nintendo Direct ticker parties. What tin fans expect from this location?

Bowser: Well, arsenic we look astatine Nintendo San Francisco, akin to the different stores, we presumption them arsenic an opportunity, really, to immerse our fans successful the satellite of Nintendo, our characters, our worlds, our products. But we besides look astatine these stores arsenic a gathering place, wherever radical tin travel together, discover, if you will, caller items, observe caller games arsenic they're released. And yes, from clip to time, erstwhile either we person Directs, oregon we person releases, usage the store for an lawsuit space, if you will, for radical to stitchery and observe immoderate that lawsuit mightiness be.

IGN: Any plans for Nintendo Switch 2 motorboat day?

Bowser: We volition beryllium selling Switch 2 astatine the Nintendo San Francisco Store. No plans yet to denote arsenic to the release. However, I would promote anybody to look either astatine our societal media sites, which is @NintendoStoreUS, oregon you tin look astatine Nintendo.com for much information.

IGN: It's evidently conscionable mounting up to beryllium a immense twelvemonth for your company. This week it's a store, adjacent week you're opening a taxable park, and past 2 weeks aft that is simply a caller console. I ideate you're each conscionable truly bushed each the time. But there's much than that, too. You person a movie coming adjacent year, you person unrecorded events similar Nintendo Live, wherever you and I archetypal spoke. Nintendo's ever been an amusement company, but with each this expansion, however has the mode you presumption Nintendo internally and specify your company's ngo changed implicit the past respective years?

Bowser: I don't deliberation the ngo has really changed. Our ngo is precise simple, to make smiles. If you deliberation astir our strategy and however bash we enactment that mission, it's astir incrementing the fig of interaction points that consumers tin person with our IP, whether it's our characters, our world, done a assortment of experiences. And I deliberation you deed connected it arsenic an amusement company, portion the halfway of our concern model, if you will, is video games, we besides look astatine opportunities similar movies, taxable parks, oregon adjacent stores similar Nintendo San Francisco arsenic a spot for radical to person that immersion and those experiences with our IP overall. So to your point, we've got a bid of events that are coming up this year. But it's truly conscionable a fantastic accidental for america to prosecute with consumers successful a big of antithetic ways and, frankly, to physique connected their affinity and their emotion and their passionateness for our characters.

IGN: And I deliberation portion of gathering connected that passionateness and however you've done that the past respective years has led to what's been arguably Nintendo's astir palmy console procreation ever. And arsenic it's been precise palmy for Nintendo, we've seen galore struggles crossed the remainder of the industry. A batch of different video crippled companies are facing layoffs oregon fund cuts and things of that nature. So arsenic you crook your attraction towards transitioning your assemblage to Nintendo Switch 2, what is Nintendo's strategy to support itself from the hardships that truthful galore different video crippled companies are facing? And however does expanding consciousness of your IP and diversifying your concern – done things similar the store oregon the taxable parks – benignant of each play into that strategy?

Bowser: A fewer thoughts connected that topic. First of all, I'd spell backmost to what we conscionable discussed astir conscionable being an amusement institution and expanding the fig of interaction points we person arsenic consumers. Just determination with that strategy, we're capable to physique that affinity that we conscionable talked about. And hopefully, arsenic radical prosecute successful our content, whether it's wrong the video crippled abstraction oregon extracurricular the video crippled space, there's a tendency to proceed that narration and that engagement. As we look astatine Nintendo Switch 2, we judge by having a adjacent procreation level with very, precise beardown gameplay capabilities, societal capabilities with GameChat, and with beardown contented similar Mario Kart World oregon Donkey Kong Bananza – which we talked astir during our Direct past period – we person this quality to bring consumers successful and truly physique a longer word narration with them done their gameplay experiences and done their different experiences.

IGN: I bash person a fewer much questions astir the store, but portion we're here, I'd similar to excavation a small spot much into Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo's latest fiscal study forecasts 15 cardinal units shipped successful its archetypal fiscal year. Will Nintendo beryllium capable to conscionable request successful the U.S. astatine launch?

Bowser: [Nintendo President] Mr. [Shuntaro] Furukawa past week announced that we'll person 15 cardinal units successful our forecast for Nintendo Switch 2 and 4.5 cardinal units for Nintendo Switch during the fiscal year. That forecast was truly driven by wanting to match, if you will, what we accomplished with Nintendo Switch successful the archetypal 10 months of its release. As we look astatine our plans present successful the U.S., we bash judge we'll person accumulation and proviso that volition let america to conscionable user demand. We cognize there's been beardown affirmative absorption to Nintendo Switch 2 aboriginal connected and we've seen that done our preorders, but we bash person a program to person a continuous travel of merchandise that'll beryllium disposable done the holidays.

IGN: So that's availability, which is 1 immense factor, and evidently the different large origin is price. And Mr. Furukawa has raised concerns astir imaginable impacts of tariffs connected Nintendo Switch 2 and the American people's spending power, portion besides noting that the forecast was not affected by tariffs oregon accumulation limitations. The tariff concern is perpetually changing successful the United States, and with each this uncertainty, I deliberation that immoderate consumers are disquieted that if they can't find 1 astatine launch, the terms volition person gone up successful six months oregon a twelvemonth erstwhile they bash find one. So I'm wondering, to what grade tin you perpetrate to Switch 2's $450 terms tag for some motorboat and beyond?

Bowser: Well, we made a committedness by announcing the pricing of some the azygous SKU astatine $449 and past the bundled SKU with Mario Kart World astatine $499. And we truly thought it was important that we established that terms point, adjacent aft further tariffs were announced, to springiness consumers that comfortableness that they would beryllium capable to acquisition astatine that terms point. Obviously, it's inactive a precise fluid concern and it's hard to find what whitethorn beryllium happening successful the upcoming months oregon weeks. But our committedness is to find ways wrong existing marketplace conditions oregon changing marketplace conditions to marque our products, including Nintendo Switch 2 hardware, arsenic obtainable arsenic we perchance can.

IGN: Was that portion of the strategy, erstwhile you had the preorder delay, and you benignant of went backmost to the drafting committee and talked astir prices for each these things, you travel back, the console stays the same, accessories spell up a small bit, and the much niche hardcore things similar amiibo spell up a lot. Did that benignant of play into that? You privation to permission the crushed level arsenic accessible arsenic you perchance tin for radical and benignant of complaint up elsewhere?

Bowser: It was portion of galore considerations. First of all, and Mr. Furukawa talked astir this during his net announcement, our accumulation for U.S. proviso is successful Vietnam, truthful overmuch little impacted by tariffs as, say, China. However, immoderate of our accessories are produced successful China. And arsenic a result, determination was a request to instrumentality immoderate pricing connected those accessories arsenic we looked towards motorboat and beyond. But that is simply a spot of the strategy is to truly recognize one: marketplace conditions, two: root of production, arsenic we marque those pricing decisions.

IGN: And you're right, you mentioned earlier that the preorders showed however precocious request is for Switch 2, and that's been a precise affirmative communicative for you guys implicit the past mates of weeks. But anterior to that, astir a period ago, I deliberation undoubtedly 1 of the biggest talking points pursuing the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct was immoderate backlash implicit the bundle pricing, specifically Mario Kart World costing $79.99, a terms that did not alteration coming backmost aft the preorder delay. Internally, were you each expecting that level of backlash implicit the price, what were those conversations like?

Bowser: Really, the speech centered around, “What is the close terms to complaint for a bundle experience?” We look astatine things specified arsenic the content, we look astatine the extended magnitude of play that would beryllium provided done the gameplay experiences, we look astatine a fig of antithetic factors arsenic we see what the pricing whitethorn be. And truthful we felt that the terms that we complaint for Mario Kart World truly does adjacent the worth of the gameplay experience. But arsenic you besides saw, that was 1 terms point. For Donkey Kong Bananza, our terms constituent was acceptable astatine $69.99.

IGN: So backmost to the archetypal question, were you expecting that level of backlash implicit the Mario Kart World pricing announcement?

Bowser: I deliberation immoderate clip you instrumentality price, marque pricing decisions, there's a level of backlash. But I'd emotion to absorption present connected the store.

IGN: Okay, yes, understood. Well past I volition ask, I noticed connected the apical level of the store, you tin customize your Nintendo Switch arsenic you can, I believe, astatine a Japan store arsenic well.

Bowser: That's correct, yes.

IGN: Can fans expect akin customization options astatine the Nintendo San Francisco store for Switch 2 successful immoderate capacity?

Bowser: Yeah, good contiguous evidently we're offering fans the quality to customize an OLED model, whether it's done the docking station, done the Joy-Con selection, and adjacent done the strap selection. As we look forward, close present with Nintendo Switch 2, there's lone 2 SKUs that are being offered close now, and 1 colour of Joy-Con being offered close now. So the customization abilities would beryllium somewhat limited, but that's thing we've looked for successful the future.

Nintendo San Francisco has exclusive merch. Image credit: IGN.

IGN: Okay. And past successful this decade, arsenic we've talked about, you've expanded into movies, taxable parks, much dedicated retail similar Nintendo San Francisco, and beyond. So what's next? More retail locations similar Nintendo San Francisco? Are determination different avenues Nintendo is exploring to proceed to grow its scope arsenic an amusement business?

Bowser: So I deliberation you touched again connected a mates of important points. One, arsenic we look to grow into different forms of entertainment, whether it's movies, taxable parks, oregon stores, for america what's important is that we connection unsocial experiences. So adjacent if you look astatine Nintendo San Francisco, portion you mentioned there's immoderate similarities to the Nintendo stores successful Japan, determination are besides immoderate differences. And we look astatine each determination to beryllium capable to connection antithetic experiences successful the store, besides antithetic merchandise wrong the store, specified arsenic immoderate of the exclusive merchandise that you tin find here, that you wouldn't beryllium capable to find successful different stores. And truthful we're ever looking to marque definite that each 1 of those experiences is somewhat unsocial successful nature. And I can't talk to what aboriginal projects whitethorn be, I would conscionable accidental enactment tuned. But evidently there's a big of opportunities that we person disposable crossed each those assorted forms of amusement I mentioned.

IGN: I noticed successful the store determination are a batch of carnal games for merchantability for Nintendo Switch. And I look astatine your concern reports each quarter, and I spot that carnal is inactive astir half, sometimes more, sometimes a small spot less, of your bundle income business. And there's been large changes to carnal and integer crippled absorption recently, with Virtual Game Cards, and Game-Key Cards arsenic we spot upcoming connected Nintendo Switch 2. Moving forward, is carnal inactive going to beryllium a large portion of your business, oregon bash you spot the Game-Key Cards – wherever the existent crippled itself isn't connected the cartridge – arsenic benignant of the future?

Bowser: In the contiguous future, carnal games are inactive a cardinal portion of our business. And we worth our relationships successful peculiar with our retailers, and privation to marque definite we person products disposable for them to merchantability to their consumers. When you look astatine Game-Key Cards, for us, our extremity with Nintendo Switch 2 – akin to what we were capable to execute connected Nintendo Switch – is to person the broadest and deepest room of contented we perchance can. And that includes our publishing partners. And Game-Key Cards are a mode that our publishing partners are capable to bring much contented onto the platform, deeper and larger, much immersive contented connected the platform.

IGN: Another happening I noticed successful the store is close now, it is precise Nintendo Switch focused. I deliberation the lone notation of Switch 2 that I saw was connected a TV screen, determination was a commercialized for it playing, and that makes sense, it's not retired yet. But you mentioned that you’re forecasting inactive to merchantability astir 4.5 cardinal Nintendo Switch consoles successful the adjacent fiscal year. As we determination forward, you besides person a mates of Switch games announced for this year, and a mates scheduled for adjacent twelvemonth with Rhythm Heaven Groove and Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream. For those who aren't acceptable to follow Nintendo Switch 2 yet, volition 2026 people the extremity of Nintendo Switch arsenic a large absorption of the business, oregon volition these 2 pillars – Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 – proceed to coexist alongside each different into 2027 and perchance further than that?

Bowser: I defy putting clip parameters astir it. I deliberation what Mr. Furukawa talked astir past week was, we volition proceed to enactment Nintendo Switch including – arsenic you mentioned – bringing caller games onto the platform. The different happening I would notation is, arsenic you look astatine Nintendo Switch 2, 1 of the benefits of Nintendo Switch 2 is that quality not lone to play the caller contented that we'll bring into the platform, similar Mario Kart World oregon Donkey Kong Bananza oregon the big of publishing spouse titles that we've already announced, but you'll besides beryllium capable to play contented from Nintendo Switch connected the platform. So we're truly looking for an accidental for consumers to prosecute with america successful a assortment of antithetic ways and a assortment of antithetic platforms.

Nintendo San Francisco volition merchantability Switch 2. Image credit: IGN.

IGN: Here’s a amusive 1 to extremity on, what's your favourite happening for merchantability successful the full Nintendo store?

Bowser: [Laughs] I'm wearing it. It’s the reversible The Legend of Zelda bomber jacket, it is perfectly 1 of my favourite items.

IGN: Nice.

Bowser: But determination are a big of different items. I'm gonna person to restrain myself a spot arsenic I locomotion done the store and shop.

IGN: Yeah, I cognize that immoderate of my coworkers walked retired aft buying bags and bags afloat of stuff.

Bowser: There's a mates of things arsenic we deliberation astir the buying experience. I mean, archetypal of all, determination is immoderate of the exclusive merch. You noted the smaller figurines that lucifer the statues that we person passim the store. There's besides evidently precise exclusive Nintendo San Francisco merchandise, whether it's T-shirts, hoodies oregon caps. But the different merchandise lines that I truly bask are benignant of the unsocial takes connected immoderate of your favourite IP. Whether that's immoderate of the Super Mario room deterioration oregon the 1 that I truly bask is the backpack for Splatoon that looks similar an ink tank. So there's a batch of precise unsocial variations of products based connected gameplay experiences.

IGN: Yeah, that really leads to different question here. I was astatine the Nintendo New York store a mates of weeks ago. I noticed astir of what's successful Nintendo New York is besides disposable online connected the My Nintendo store. Much of what's disposable astatine Nintendo San Francisco is not presently disposable online. This inventory present of things that were antecedently exclusive to Japan that person present travel implicit to the States, are determination plans to database those products online connected the My Nintendo store?

Bowser: We program to usage each of our retail locations, whether it's Nintendo San Francisco, Nintendo New York, oregon the My Nintendo store, to assistance america stock a batch of assortment of merchandise with our consumers. But we whitethorn not stock each of the aforesaid assortment of merchandise. So for instance, for Nintendo San Francisco, determination volition beryllium unsocial merchandise that you tin lone acquisition here. The aforesaid would use to Nintendo New York, and it whitethorn besides use to the My Nintendo store. So it truly provides consumers this opportunity, if you will, to treasure hunt astatine the assorted locations to find those products that they're truly excited about.

IGN: There are a batch of amiibo astatine the Nintendo San Francisco store arsenic well, successful immoderate cases, ones that person not been successful people for galore years.

Bowser: Many years, yes.

IGN: Are determination plans to enactment those retired into wider retail, astatine different retail partners, oregon is it the thought that you travel to the Nintendo store to find these now, benignant of rare, Nintendo products?

Bowser: We wanted to supply an acquisition for consumers present astatine Nintendo San Francisco that would beryllium unique, and let them to prosecute successful our content, and peculiarly find those amiibo, possibly that they haven't been capable to circular retired their postulation with. But thing to stock regarding immoderate plans with retailers astatine this time.

IGN: Last question, it's not astir the store, but I anticipation you'll wit me, due to the fact that we’ve bonded implicit this. The concern with the Seattle Mariners, you're the archetypal jersey spot for the Seattle Mariners, and this concern betwixt Nintendo and the Mariners dates backmost to the 1990s.

Bowser: Yes it does.

IGN: I would conscionable emotion immoderate penetration into however that came together, who approached who, and however did this concern scope the adjacent level with this collaboration?

Bowser: Well, arsenic you noted, our narration with the Mariners goes each the mode backmost into the 1990s, and we're rather arrogant of that relationship. And we were approached by the Mariners with this opportunity, and arsenic we some sat down and started to speech astir it and the possibilities, it conscionable seemed similar a earthy fit, a cleanable acceptable for us. So we're truly excited to beryllium associated with the team, and we deliberation it's a fantastic accidental to stock our passionateness for the city, and astatine the aforesaid time, truly assistance fans larn much astir Nintendo and Nintendo Switch 2.

IGN: Any plans for much collaborations beyond the jersey patch, possibly thing astatine the ballpark?

Bowser: Nothing that we're gonna speech astir today.

IGN: Thanks truthful much, Doug. I admit the time.

Bowser: Thanks, Logan, I admit it precise much.

Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images.

Parts of this interrogation were edited for clarity.

Logan Plant is the big of Nintendo Voice Chat and IGN's Database Manager & Playlist Editor. The Legend of Zelda is his favourite video crippled franchise of each time, and helium is patiently awaiting the time Nintendo announces a marque caller F-Zero. You tin find him online @LoganJPlant.