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Nintendo today announced a new deal that will see its classic characters feature in games for smartphones.
The company has formed a ‘business and capital alliance’ with DeNA, a web and mobile giant, that will see the pair working on new games featuring Nintendo IP plus a new cross-platform membership service for players.
The press conference detailing the deal is currently underway in Tokyo, but the early details from the pair set out the broad specifics.
Nintendo says the alliance is intended to complement Nintendo’s dedicated video game systems business and extend Nintendo’s reach into the vast market of smart device users worldwide”.
At the same time DeNA will also be able to strengthen its gaming business at a global scale by leveraging Nintendo’s IP”.
Only new games optimised for smart device functionality will be created”, so no ports of 3DS or Wii U games.
All Nintendo IP will be up for grabs in this deal, and Nintendo also sees the chance to promote its more premium experiences on console.
In order to create completely new game experiences for smart devices, all Nintendo IP will be eligible for development and exploration by the alliance. As these consumers enjoy the unique kind of gameplay found only with Nintendo, they will have the opportunity to explore even more premium experiences on Nintendo’s dedicated video game platforms. Information on upcoming games and availability will be forthcoming.”
Meanwhile, the service backbone that unites all the mobile games will also work on Nintendo platforms and PC:
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 in the fall of 2015, will be built on DeNA’s extensive experience and capabilities in online membership services.”
Nintendo is buying 10% of DeNA’s outstanding stock as part of the deal – DeNA is taking 1.24% of Nintendo stock.
