Nintendo has entered the mobile games business, after announcing a partnership with Japanese developer DeNA.
The Kyoto-based videogames giant has so far resisted calls to bring its enviable roster of intellectual properties to the lucrative mobile gaming market, but that’s all about to change.
Nintendo has announced a partnership with DeNA, a leading Japanese mobile games company. The two companies will embark on “Joint development and operation of gaming applications for smart devices using Nintendo’s intellectual property, including its characters.”
DeNA elaborates on this statement by explaining that “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.” So, no lazy ports of classic Nintendo console games with dodgy virtual control systems layered on top.
The two companies have also agreed to the “Joint development of a new multi-device membership service” for release this autumn. This platform will be able to operate across PC, smartphone, tablet, as well as Nintendo’s dedicated console systems.
This alliance between Nintendo and DeNA goes beyond a simple joint development venture. As part of the deal, Nintendo has acquired 10 percent of DeNA’s shares, and DeNA has been assigned 1.24 percent of Nintendo’s shares.
For those of you who have always wanted to play Mario on your mobile, that day appears to have taken a large step closer – though the involvement of another company and the smartphone-focused nature of development will no-doubt leave many die-hard fans wary.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
