Nintendo seeking startups to further improve Switch console

In a move that aims to enrich the out-of-the-box customisability of its major product, Nintendo has partnered with venture capital firm Scrum Ventures to scout for startups that will come up with ways to improve the Switch. According to reports, the Japanese company’s team-up with the San Francisco-based firm will focus on the development of new tools for the Nintendo Switch.

Bloomberg reports that Scrum Ventures is expected to bring together different ideas from startups, which will include established companies, researchers from universities, and more. Planned improvements to the Switch range from hardware to software.

The American firm is opening applications for unique technological ideas that would then undergo screening by both Scrum and Nintendo. According to the project’s website, a group of applicants will be given the opportunity to present their ideas to engineers. Software titles and video game concepts, however, will not be considered.

The project represents Nintendo’s commitment to open the Switch to third parties. The console, proven to be a bestseller both in Japan and outside of it, has already welcomed the entry of indie games, big and small.

“We are always exploring ways to evolve entertainment,” Nintendo’s senior executive officer Ko Shiota said in a statement to Bloomberg. “As one of our approaches we look forward to discovering unique technologies that add to the Nintendo Switch experiences through the program managed by Scrum Ventures.”

Earlier this year, the Japanese company unveiled the Nintendo Labo, a set of add-ons that would “transform” the Switch into various tools like a piano and a fishing rod. Labo Kits will be released in Australia on April 20.

Hopes are high for Nintendo’s latest venture with Scrum. It can be remembered that Nintendo’s collaboration with Niantic, an American software development company, resulted to “Pokémon Go,” already one of the most popular mobile games in recent memory.