Nintendo is notorious for not sharing their IP efficiently and responsibly. Sure, there have been attempts over the years to expand their properties beyond video games, but each venture has been questionable at best (re: the John Leguizamo and Bob Hoskins-led Super Mario Bros. film, 1989’s disastrous The Legend of Zelda cartoon (and CD-i games), The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! cartoon, to name a few). However, after years of stubbornness and not wanting to share their toys, Nintendo has relented a bit in order to find new streams of revenue to the one-time all-powerful video game company with their expansion into mobile devices, the success of Amiibos, and now, the expansion into an immersive, real world theme park.
Today, Nintendo and Universal Parks & Resorts announced their partnership “to bring the world of Nintendo to life at Universal theme parks – creating spectacular, dedicated experiences based on Nintendo’s wildly popular games, characters and worlds.” Universal Parks & Resorts (sometimes known as Universal Studios Theme Parks or Universal Theme Parks) have had major success recently with licensed attractions, with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and The Simpsons-themed Springfield being the most recent success stories.
There’s no information as to which Universal Theme Parks will receive Nintendo attractions or whether the partnership will result in simply a ride or a fully-themed area like the aforementioned Harry Potter and The Simpsons attractions. However, both Nintendo and Universal are committed to creating a wholly-immersive experience unlike any other. Here’s hoping they create a dedicated Pokemon area, complete with catchable Pokemon.
[Business Wire via Destructoid]