The Japanese video game maker Nintendo and online gaming firm DeNA announced on Tuesday a business and capital alliance in developing games specifically for smartphones.
Nintendo seems to shift its focus to mobile devices after losing customers to smartphone gaming app makers, and also with the consolidation of rivals like Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox.
The joint development will use Nintendo’s Intellectual Property including its characters in operating new gaming applications, and will combine with the world-class expertise of DeNA in mobile games. Such to be expected are the iconic character the company has been known for like Super Mario.
But, to ensure the quality of game experience that consumers expect from this alliance, only new original games optimized for smart device functionality will be created, rather than porting games created specifically for the Wii U home console or the Nintendo 3DS portable system.
DeNA will be eligible for exploration and development with all the Nintendo IP to be able to create completely new games experiences for smart devices.
“Nintendo and DeNA also plan to develop an online membership service that is accessible from smart devices, PC and Nintendo systems, such as the Nintendo 3DS portable system and the Wii U home console. The membership service, which is targeted to launch in the fall of 2015, will be built on DeNA’s extensive experience and capabilities in online membership services.”
As part of the collaboration, Nintendo is buying 15,081,000 or a 10 percent stake in DeNA; while DeNA will acquire 1,759,400 or 1.24 percent of Nintendo’s shares.
This will lead to a total of approximately 22 billion yen, which both companies aim to pay on April 2, 2015.
Have anything to add about the story? Share it in the comments below.
