Nintendo and DeNA will develop and operate new game apps based on Nintendo’s intellectual property (IP), including its iconic game characters, for smart devices. The alliance is intended to complement Nintendo’s video game systems business and extend Nintendo’s reach into the worldwide smart device market.
To ensure the quality of game experience, only original games optimized for smart device functionality will be created, rather than porting games created for the Wii U home console or the Nintendo 3DS portable system. Information on upcoming games and availability will be forthcoming.
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 this fall, will be built on DeNA’s extensive experience and capabilities in online membership services.
Nintendo and DeNA have also agreed to form a capital alliance, under which Nintendo will acquire 15,081,000 of DeNA’s treasury shares, which corresponds to 10 percent of its total outstanding stock, for a total of approximately 22 billion yen ($176,000,000). DeNA will simultaneously acquire 1,759,400 of Nintendo’s treasury shares, which corresponds to 1.24 percent of its outstanding stock, for a total of approximately 22 billion yen ($176,000,000). The payment is due on April 2.
The announcement was made during a presentation by Nintendo and DeNA. Nintendo President Satoru Iwata also announced that a brand new game platform, under the development codename “NX,” is under development with more details to be announced next year.
