Nintendo has announced a business partnership with DeNa, for game applications and a membership service for multiple devices.
The deal sees the two companies selling 22 billion yen in shares to each other, showing they intend to invest in this partnership in the long term, and opening up the possibilities of more collaborations in the future. You can see each company’s press release here and here.
Both companies will develop and operate game applications for smart devices, using Nintendo’s IP. All Nintendo IP will be available for DeNA to work on, but they will be limiting the actual number of titles they will be making. One thing is for sure; we are not getting ports of any existing Nintendo games. Iwata also clearly drew a line in the sand about not using F2P or gacha mechanics, such as what DeNA is known for for their own games, like Kaitou Royale.
The other end of the agreement is that the two will work on a membership service that will be accessible in multiple devices, including the Wii U, 3DS, smartphones, tablets, and desktop PCs. Iwata also took the opportunity to announce a new gaming platform, currently codenamed Nintendo NX. Iwata has stated they will reveal more about NX next year. Iwata also describes a service as something that will create a connection between Nintendo and its consumers, regardless of where you access it from. This seems to be the same service that Nintendo has alluded to before that will replace Club Nintendo, and use NNIDs for accounts.
Iwata also took care to address upcoming misconceptions about the deal. He reiterated multiple times that Nintendo is still confident in dedicated gaming consoles, hence the announcement of NX. He even points out that he has never actually ruled out Nintendo making mobile games.
Iwata ends his formal announcement with a curious statement, that Nintendo is challenging themselves to redefine what Nintendo platforms mean. Does Iwata mean these gaming applications for ‘smart devices’ aren’t just mobile, but also for desktop PCs, and even the Wii U and 3DS? Will the membership service play host to these new apps?
What do you make of this Nintendo news? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
