Nintendo has recently been relatively quiet regarding “major acquisitions” of other companies. Whereas Microsoft and Sony are buying up and fighting over other companies, Nintendo has been making rather small moves. You might recall one where they aim to do more animated projects with their IP. Well, now they’re moving in another direction, but one that isn’t precisely revolved around game development. When they started their “mobile initiative,” they teamed up with a company called DeNA to help them do their projects. Now, they’re entering into a new partnership with them to expand the goals between them further.
The ”joint venture company” will be labeled “Nintendo Systems.” The goal is to enhance the experiences the consumer has, “with the objective to strengthen the digitalization of Nintendo’s business, the joint venture company will research and develop, as well as create value-added services to further reinforce Nintendo’s relationship with consumers.”
We know that sounds like a lot of jargon, and it is, but there are some things to find intriguing in this. Because, unlike their initial partnership, this isn’t solely about mobile gaming. Instead, this is about the “account” you have with The Big N and what you can do with it, and as gamers know, that account reaches everywhere.
For example, it reaches into Nintendo Switch Online, a service many people feel is “behind the times” and could use a significant upgrade. When the Switch first came out, the internet access on the system didn’t cost a thing, and gamers loved it. But then, they made Switch Online and had it cost $20 for no real reason. Plus, while gamers got access to legacy titles from past systems, they weren’t worth it. Then, when the Expansion Pack came around, it was more than double the cost, yet the rewards still weren’t worth it.
This one doesn’t hold up when you compare it to things like the Xbox Live or PlayStation Network platforms. There are no achievements or rewards for doing things in the game, and the customization elements are minimal.
Perhaps with this new partnership with DeNA, Nintendo can make more significant strides to make their online services better. Or, at the very least, go in a direction that’ll make gamers happy beyond getting retro titles on the Switch.
The “relationship with consumers” has always been something The Big N has struggled with at times. But perhaps, things might be able to turn around soon.
Source: Nintendo
