In a press conference earlier today, Nintendo announced that they have partnered with DeNA in order to bring their IPs to mobile platforms. Additionally, the two are collaborating on a service that will let users play games across a variety of platforms, including mobile devices and Nintendo’s own consoles.
At the joint-conference, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata announced that the deal between the two companies had been in the works since as early as the summer of 2010. However, talks between the two didn’t really begin to pick-up steam until last year. Part of the reason why talks were accelerated was because Iwata confirmed that the transition between handheld consoles had not gone “as smoothly as expected.”
One of the more exciting aspects of this deal is that it will include all existing Nintendo IPs. The Big N clarified this further via a brief statement:
Both companies will develop and operate new game apps based on Nintendo’s IP, including its iconic game characters, for smart devices. To ensure the quality of game experience that consumers expect from this alliance of Nintendo and DeNA, only new original games optimised 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.
While not as well known as their new partner, DeNA is one of the biggest mobile games firms in Asia. The company originally burst onto the public scene thanks to its Mobage service, but in recent years has become more known for their acquisitions of Ngmoco and Punch. Much like Nintendo, though, DeNA has struggled in recent years due to the rise of more dedicated and prolific mobile game studios.
The potential is here for this deal to be a huge boon to both parties involved. Nintendo will finally enter the mobile market, and DeNA gets exclusive access to some of the biggest properties in the history of gaming. Hopefully, this partnership ends up better than the one Nintendo made with Philips.
Tell us, what are your thoughts on the partnership between Nintendo and DeNA? Are you excited to see what IPs make the jump to mobile platforms? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.