How does Nintendo assess the Indian market over the mid-to-long term? When developing the business there, what points will you emphasize?
Furukawa:
When considering Nintendo’s sustainable growth, it is an important management priority to increase Nintendo’s global fan base and the number of people who enjoy our games and other entertainment. With Nintendo Switch, we have steadily expanded sales in Asian regions including South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore. There are game fans and Nintendo fans in Southeast Asia and various other regions as well. However, when it comes to building long-term relationships where people have affection for Nintendo games and characters across generations, we feel we are still in the seed-sowing stage.
We view India as an attractive market with a large population and significant potential. But as of now, recognition of Nintendo and Nintendo characters is not as high as in other Asian regions, which is a challenge. So as a first step, we will steadily proceed with what we can undertake, placing top priority on familiarizing consumers with Nintendo and working to build relationships with consumers across generations.