Update [Mon Apr 3rd 2023, 09:15 BST]:
Nintendo has released a statement on its Japanese website to confirm that the joint venture company ‘Nintendo Systems Co., Ltd’ has now been formally established with DeNA.
Loosely translated, the statement reads:
“Today, April 3, 2023, “Nintendo Systems Co., Ltd.”, a joint venture between Nintendo Co., Ltd. and DeNA Co., Ltd., newly joined the Nintendo Group. Nintendo Systems Co., Ltd. develops and operates systems and new services that deliver Nintendo entertainment to consumers.
“We aim to create unique entertainment innovations by fusing Nintendo and DeNA’s respective commitments to entertainment and technology. The corporate website of Nintendo Systems Co., Ltd. has also opened.”
As stated in the original article below, the company will look to strengthen “the digitization of Nintendo’s business”, utilising DeNA’s technology prowess with Nintendo’s own focus on entertainment.
The official website for Nintendo Systems is now live, though offers little regarding exactly what the company might be up to in the coming weeks and months. Having said that, the site’s top page gives a little more insight into the company’s goals:
“Nintendo Systems was born in April 2023, led by a team of engineers from Nintendo and DeNA, to create a system that makes it easy to deliver Nintendo entertainment to consumers.
“While there are many technological innovations in the world, while valuing the spirit of originality and flexibility, members with various strengths actively discuss, aiming for great results that cannot be achieved by one person, and sincerity in system development is working on.
“The technology surrounding the Internet is changing at a dizzying pace day by day, and is becoming more complex. Under these circumstances, Nintendo Systems will leverage the relationship of trust between Nintendo and DeNA, which has been cultivated through a partnership of more than seven years, and use Nintendo’s originality and DeNA’s knowledge of technology as the driving force to create new innovations for the world.
“Technological developments surrounding entertainment are expected to continue to develop. From obsolete technology to cutting-edge technology, we will continue to take on the challenge of bringing smiles to as many customers as possible through Nintendo entertainment.”
Original Article [Tue 8th Nov, 2022 10:15 GMT]:
Alongside its quarterly earnings release, Nintendo has announced its intention to partner with DeNA and establish a joint venture company in April next year.
Nintendo has been working with the mobile firm since 2015, partnering to develop systems integrated into its mobile software (such as Super Mario Run and Mario Kart Tour) and Nintendo Account infrastructure. The new company will be a ‘Specified Subsidiary’ for Nintendo due to its 80% capital investment (of a total of 5 billion yen) being greater than 10% of Nintendo’s value as a whole.
The new company will be based in Tokyo and known as Nintendo Systems Co., Ltd., with the stated goal of strengthening “the digitalization of Nintendo’s business”, according to the notice posted on Nintendo’s investor website. It continues, stating that:
the joint venture company will research and develop, as well as create value-added services to further reinforce Nintendo’s relationship with consumers.
The company is scheduled to be established formally on 3rd April 2023, with Nintendo’s Tetsuya Sasaki listed as the Representative Director and President.
Nintendo has made great strides in the mobile space in the last few years with the help od DeNA (that’s pronounced D-N-A, by the way), with titles like Fire Emblem Heroes and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp performing particularly well; the former was Nintendo’s first mobile game to pass $1 billion in spending.
Nintendo states that it is “working to maintain and expand its relationship with consumers primarily through Nintendo Account,” so it seems likely to stick with the current Account setup for future hardware. That is to be expected, but following on from previous generations, it’s still a relief to players who thought they may have to migrate and link to another convoluted account system when the next Nintendo hardware ecosystem eventually comes along.
Let us know your thoughts on this joint mobile venture and what it means for Nintendo below.
