[Reacting to gamer comments questioning Nintendo’s attention on Pikmin] Many core gamers are incredulous at Pikmin’s popularity, because Nintendo’s been targeting casual gamers and non-playing fans1 with this IP:
- Pikmin Bloom “journey” and “walk” events around the world—no battles or raids, only walking
- Pikmin Terrace at Miyajima expressway service area—no gameplay, just a park and shop
- Pikmin comics and shorts—the latter becoming a monthly series
- Celebrity spokesperson—ICYMI, Fuka Koshiba isn’t some random fan but a figure skater turned actress, who voiced Kiki’s Delivery Service
- Cameo in Mario movie, and various pop-ups in Korea, Taiwan, etc.
The concerted efforts are bearing fruits for Pikmin, outside of core gamers’ attention span. Pikmin Bloom, for example, is massive in Taiwan; 56% of its revenue in H1 came from the market alone.
- Sega President Utsumi also mentioned the growth of non-playing fans recently ↩︎
[Originally posted on 2026-10-31 Pacific Time]
