Nintendo has partnered with Scrum Ventures to host a program that encourages startups, companies, and university researchers seek out new, non-software offerings for the Switch.
Nintendo is looking outside of its usual channels to find more innovative ways to utilize the Switch’s unique offerings.
The company has partnered up with Scrum Ventures to scout for startups, teams within larger companies, and university researchers to develop new and innovative tools and technologies for the Switch.
Bloomberg reports that the California-based venture capital firm will run the program to solicit new tools for the Switch and will pitch the cream of the crop to Nintendo this fall, though ideas for software-based innovations are not being accepted. Neither Nintendo nor Scrum Ventures plan to invest in any of the companies the pair works with either, though both will provide developers with the assistance needed to bring the resulting products to market.
“We are always exploring ways to evolve entertainment,” said Nintendo executive Ko Shiota in a statement. “We look forward to discovering unique technologies that add to the Nintendo Switch experiences through the program managed by Scrum Ventures.”
The call for fresh ideas comes just ahead of the release Nintendo’s own next big Switch accessory kit, Nintendo Labo, next week. The cardboard craft kits pair things like buildable pianos, robots, and fishing rods with Switch software to use the console’s motion tracking, HD rumble, and other features in some unexpected ways.
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