This collaboration will create the best prospects for both DeNA and Nintendo.
Just as I explained to you today, Nintendo’s unique strength lies in its IP, which is appreciated by consumers on a global scale.
DeNA’s strength is its world-class Internet service construction and operating know-how.
Nintendo and DeNA will jointly develop and operate gaming applications for smart devices in global markets.
With this alliance, new entertainment that utilizes Nintendo’s IP will be provided globally via smart devices.
Needless to say, now that we are challenging ourselves in this new business area, we hope that hundreds of millions of people will use and enjoy these products.
Quite a few of you must be wondering why Nintendo, which has never deviated from its cautious stance in regard to the possibility of deploying its game business on smart devices, has now changed its policy.
Please note, however, that I was not dismissing the idea of making games for smart devices per se as I stated at the January 2014 Corporate Management Policy Briefing that a development team of Nintendo would create a smart device application, and please also note that I had not ruled out the possibility of making games when we make use of these devices.
On the other hand, I really had to thoroughly consider how we would be able to grow the business by maintaining and nurturing the value of Nintendo IP and what conditions would make that happen, because the value of content can easily be deflated in the digital world and, especially on smart devices, it is not easy to maintain content value since the lifespan tends to be very short as much content is released and then replaced so quickly. We are making these announcements today because we now have Nintendo’s answer to these questions.
When we further analyze the situation, Nintendo’s strength lies in, or our consumers see the most value in and are willing to pay money for, Nintendo IP, such as our software and characters, and we have been creating and nurturing them together with the history of home video game entertainment.
In order to flexibly deal with the developments of the Internet and social media as well as the changes in the people’s lifestyles, we will start strategic endeavors so that Nintendo can maximize the value of our IP that we have used primarily for our own dedicated game platforms.
I announced Nintendo’s management policy of “more actively utilizing Nintendo IP” and “taking advantage of smart devices” in our Corporate Management Policy Briefing back in January 2014. The endeavors that I am explaining now are in line with these management policies.
Companies to develop new game apps featuring Nintendo IP for smart devices and a new multi-device membership service
TOKYO–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Nintendo Co., Ltd. (Tokyo: 7974) and DeNA Co., Ltd. (Tokyo: 2432) today entered into a business and capital alliance to develop and operate new game apps for smart devices and build a new multi-device membership service for consumers worldwide.
Leveraging the strength of Nintendo’s intellectual property (IP) and game development skills in combination with DeNA’s world-class expertise in mobile games, both companies will develop and operate new game apps based on Nintendo’s IP, including its iconic game characters, for smart devices. The alliance is intended to complement Nintendo’s dedicated video game systems business and extend Nintendo’s reach into the vast market of smart device users worldwide. Under the alliance, DeNA will also be able to strengthen its gaming business at a global scale by leveraging Nintendo’s IP. To ensure the quality of game experience that consumers expect from this alliance of Nintendo and DeNA, 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.
Nintendo of Korea’s site has a date set for a new Nintendo Direct heading their way March 19th. With the recent Xenoblade themed Direct in Japan, and now this Nintendo Direct for Korea, one could speculate we have a new Direct heading to other regions sooner rather than later. The last Nintendo Direct held in North America was back on January 14th, so it seems about right that a new Direct would be right around the corner, if this is any indication.
UPDATE:
• It seems that Nintendo will be conducting business with DeNA. Nintendo buys 10% of DeNA (equates to $181 million), and DeNA buys 1.24% of Nintendo.
• Nintendo will begin to develop smartphone games with DeNA, with a multi-platform social gaming network to launch in the fall of 2015. Will be released worldwide.
• A press release by DeNA has just been released discussing the capital alliance. You can read it here
• Nintendo IP will indeed be brought over to smartphones, but these are not ports. DeNA will be handling original games based off of the IP.
• New Nintendo platform codenamed “NX”. More info next year.
• English slides of today’s business and capital alliance announcement are up now. You can find them here
Watch the conference live here:
DeNA, one of the largest mobile platforms in Japan, is set to have a joint press conference today with Nintendo at 5PM JST (about an hour and fifteen minutes from now at the time of this writing). No information has been given on this sudden conference or what this is even about. The conference will be streamed to YouTube, but no links are allowed to be made public at the moment. According to this tweet, it seems a link to the live stream won’t be made readily available until it starts. The conference is set to last about 60 minutes.
The fact that Nintendo is doing a joint conference with DeNA makes you wonder what will be discussed during this conference. Satoru Iwata has stated multiple times that they have no desire to bring their IP to mobile platforms, so it’ll be interesting to see what transpires once the conference begins. Maybe we’ll get a look at an official Miiverse app, or something related?
This week’s 3DS eShop charts are as follows:
Software
1. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
2. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars
3. Mario Kart 7
4. Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D
5. Mighty Switch Force! 2
6. Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX
7. Super Mario Bros. 3
8. Mighty Switch Force!
9. Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
10. The Legend of Zelda
11. Super Smash Bros. for 3DS
12. Shovel Knight
13. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy
14. 3D Out Run
15. Super Mario 3D Land
16. Super Mario Bros.
17. OlliOlli
18. Animal Crossing: New Leaf
19. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies
20. Donkey Kong Land
Videos
1. Pokemon Shuffle Trailer
2. Fossil Fighters: Frontier E3 2014 Trailer
3. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars Launch Trailer
4. Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D Launch Trailer
5. New 3DS XL Trailer
6. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars Gameplay Trailer
7. Azure Striker Gunvolt Update Trailer
8. Mario Kart 7 Video
9. Xenoblade Chronicles 3D – Heir to the Monado Trailer
10. Code Name S.T.E.A.M. Launch Trailer
11. New 3DS XL Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D
12. Super Mario 3D Land Video
13. Mario vs. Donkey Kong Tipping Stars E3 2014 Video
14. Photos with Mario Trailer
15. Donkey Kong Swings onto the Virtual Console Trailer
16. Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D Gameplay Video #2
17. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS One Dog, One Bird, One Zapper
18. Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire E3 2014 Trailer
19. Cube Creator 3D Trailer
20. OlliOlli Trailer
Source: 3DS eShop
Mario Party 10 isn’t the only new Nintendo game coming out in North America this week. Fossil Fighters: Frontier is launching on the 3DS as well. If you’re planning on buying the game digitally, keep in mind that it takes up 1,406MB of space.
Thanks to Jake for the tip.
