DeNA reveals partnership with Nintendo its “highest priority”

Mobile publisher DeNA made news last month when it announced it was closing down its global subsidiaries DeNA Global and Ngmoco LLC and refocus its efforts on eastern markets. At the time, many people asked what this meant for the company’s partnership with Nintendo.

It seems we have that answer now, with analyst Dr Serkan Toto attending the Q2 results briefing and tweeting that DeNA views its joint development on Nintendo titles as its "highest priority."

This means that Super Mario Run is still coming in December, and Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem are still planned for a release during the 2016 financial year. Super Mario Run has gotten nearly 20 million pre-registrations, with even a quarter of those that registered interest downloading the finished title could make the game a potential hit for Nintendo, if it’s monetised correctly. Toto has forecast over 1.5 billion downloads for the title worldwide.

DeNA has also said that while it won’t be developing in Western markets, it will look to work in the west primarily through collaboration with external partners in deals similar to its arrangement with Nintendo. In addition to this, the publisher is releasing five new apps in Japan and China outside of the deal with Nintendo, which are slated for release in the second fiscal half of the year before March 31.

DeNA stressed that even though it’s no longer developing in Western markets, it will "try to capture the West market primarily through collaboration with external partners." The publisher is also aiming to have about five new apps ready for Japan and China in its second fiscal half of the year, outside of its Nintendo partnership.