“As hardware advances, it is inevitable that software development takes longer.”
With advancements in technology never ceasing, developing a new AAA title on current platforms often takes longer than it did on previous hardware, but despite this issue, Nintendo to this day, is still attempting to shorten the development cycle where possible, all whilst still trying to maintain quality over quantity.
During the 84th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, when asked about longer development cycles, Shinya Takahashi had plenty to say in return::
Shinya Takahashi: As hardware advances, it is inevitable that software development takes longer. But I believe we are succeeding in our efforts to shorten development cycles, for example by steadily improving the development environment following the release of the hardware. Whether titles take a long time or a short time to develop, we want to make games that are fun. It is not as if Super Mario Bros. Wonder was under continuous development for nearly a decade. There was a long gap between the release of the previous title, New Super Mario Bros. U, and the current title because various initiatives and studies were made in the meantime. Going forward, we aim to continue with a variety of new offerings, and we hope you look forward to them.
Only, Shinya Takahashi was not the only one with something to say as Executive Officer, Takashi Tezuka also weighed in on the 11-year gap between Super Mario Bros. Wonder and its predecessor:
Takashi Tezuka: After we finished Super Mario Bros. Wonder, I was reminded 11 years had gone by since the previous game. However, that doesn’t mean we did nothing during that time. We developed several new Mario games, such as the Super Mario Maker series and the 3D Mario series.
To reiterate Nintendo’s creative philosophy, first we think about creating entertainment that has never been done before, regardless of whether it is a Mario series game or not. Then we think about how we can make it fun for everyone so they fall in love with Nintendo. All of our games involving Mario, not just Super Mario Bros. Wonder, are created with the goal of encouraging as many people as possible to enjoy them.
As for upcoming new titles, some will take time to develop and others will be made in a short period of time. I hope you look forward to our new offerings.
Last but not least, Nintendo President, Shuntaro Furukawa offered the following answer:
Shuntaro Furukawa: Game development today is more prolonged, more complex, and more advanced. That is unavoidable. To deal with this, we are continually expanding our development resources and making the necessary investments.
Source: Nintendo
