Nintendo aims to improve your quality of life over the next 10 years

Nintendo will continue its policy of producing first-party hardware and integrated software as part of a 10-year plan that aims to boost the quality of life of its users, company president Satoru Iwata announced in a statement released to the official Nintendo website (via Nintendo Everything).

The company is establishing a new business area away from its dedicated games business which will focus on health, Iwata confirmed. Nintendo's new quality of life-improving "platform" will be developed alongside the company's plans to expand its user base and promote overall health-consciousness.

"As the business environment around us has shifted with the times, we have decided to redefine entertainment as something that improves people's quality of life ("QOL") in enjoyable ways and expand our business areas," wrote Iwata. "What Nintendo will try to achieve in the next 10 years is a platform business that improves people's QOL in enjoyable ways.

"We believe that we can capitalize the most on our strengths through a hardware-software integrated platform business, and therefore this type of dedicated video game platforms will remain our core focus. We will continue to value the spirit of originality described in our motto 'The True Value of Entertainment Lies in Individuality,' and will continue to provide products and services which pleasantly surprise people."

It remains unclear whether this new focus in health will result in a new games platform from the company, or simply a continuation of its existing health-centric Wii Fit series. We've reached out to Nintendo for full details.

Nintendo recently announced its plans to shut down the Wi-Fi Connection service for DS and Wii by May 20. While Nintendo DS/DSi and Wii users will no longer be able to access online features such as online play, matchmaking and leaderboards from the announced date, the Wii Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi Shop will not be affected. Browsers for the DS and DSi will also be accessible beyond the date, as well as the Wii's Delivery Channel, Hulu, Internet Channel and YouTube.