Topic: Nintendo Buys Stock in Bandai

[WindyMan]

Now they're one of the largest shareholders, but don't expect to see a buyout anytime soon.

Update: More information has surfaced about the deal.  Apparently, Nintendo had got a pretty sizeable chunk of their newly acquired shares from Mattel, the toy company.  Mattel had an agreement with Bandai in 1999, which was to end at the end of this year.  As a result of this, Mattel decided to dump some Bandai stock, and Nintendo wound up nabbing it from them.

Mattel still has Bandai stock, and when the agreement between the two toy companies ends, it's being said that Nintendo might be interested in acquiring more Bandai stock from Mattel.  Exactly how much stock Mattel has left isn't clear, but it's sure to be a pretty good amount.

Thanks to Video-Fenky for the update.

The all-knowing Japanese game portal Famitsu is reporting that Nintendo had bought up 1.28 million shares of outstanding Bandai stock after their recent 2-for-1 stock split at the end of September.  Nintendo now holds a 2.7% stake in Bandai, which would make them one of the top ten largest shareholders in the company.

While no specfic reason was given for the purchase of the stock, Nintendo might be intrested in getting Bandai to release some of their high-profile games exclusively for Nintendo consoles.

Rumors have been swirling about Nintendo buying out Bandai entirely, but both companies deny it.

[mouse_clicker]

I think Nintendo just wanted to buy enough stock in Bandai to have a say on what the company does. I doubt they wanted to buy them outright.

[vudu]

in future news...

2.7% of shareholders vote bandai should release some of its high-profile games exclusively for nintendo consoles.  the other 97.3% vote against such a decision.

[theRPGFreak]

The only games that I am intrested in Bandai right now are Gundam and dothack. It will be intresting to see how this turns out.

[mouse_clicker]

Doesn't Bandai make Mosnter Rancher, a blatant rip off of Pokemon?

[KnowsNothing]

Who cares?  Monster rancher sucks.  Most of Bandai's shows/games do. :\

[mouse_clicker]

I just thought it was interesting.

[Djunknown]

Unless Nintendo wants to take their games division and mold it into the Nintendo image, I don't see a buy out. Great move to cater the Japanese and their quirky taste, but how that affect those In North America and Europe (Australians, you count too)? Unless you're an otaku (no offense to anyone here) who will drool at a Gundam Exclusive, what's in it for us? Maybe they'll make Bandai their action figures or something...

Though it'd be interesting to pit Monster Rancher Vs Pokemon. Any one want to place their bets?

[Bill Aurion]

Tecmo makes the Monster Rancher games...so I find a GC version very, very unlikely

[dafunkk12]

Right.  Tecmo makes Monster Rancher.  Bandai, on the other hand, makes Digimon.  Sure, the modern incarnation, is comparable to Pokemon (though it really isnt anything about catching more monsters), but the original form was just  a boy's battle version of Tamogachi.  So I'm not entirely clear on my timeline of events, but that places Digimon somewhere in '96 or '97; not too clear about when Pokemon started, but it hit States '97 or '98-ish.

[mouse_clicker]

Digimon, that's what I was thinking of. And I'm sure Pokemon was out in Japan long before 1997- it was a Gameboy game, and the Gameboy Color was already phased in by then, I believe.

[BlkPaladin]

The Pokemon games came out in 1996. The Digimon key chains came out before that.

And to have any type of say in what happens they would have to buy more stock. (At least get it up to 10%.) And a lot of times most of the other investor will go with the one who ones most of the stocks.  Especially if Nintendo gets forceful. (No GBA developement uless...) And the other fact that there is an obstain vote also, not just an aye and nay vote.

[mouse_clicker]

The Digimon keychains weren't much like the current incarnation of the brand, though. Also, are you sure the keychains came out before early 1996? I remember winning 2 of them in a contest on Cartoon Network in the 3rd grade, I think, shortly after they came out, which would have been mid-1996 to mid-1997.

[ThePerm]

ok nowadays digimon has shifted so far away from what it was at the beginning you can't really associate it with pokémon anymore. Of course when they made the cartoon and released the toys you knerw they were trying to be a big pokémon rip off. Digimon keeps evolving   the current show reminds me of .hack   .hack is pretty popular right now eh? Expect Digimon to be exactly like whatever else is popular in 3 years time.

[CHEN]

Gundam Seed sold pretty well, so it could boost GCN sales IF there was a Gundam exclusive, but I doubt it, it's the PS2 where the big money is. I've played a few Bandai titles and I must say... they're a piece of crap.

[Illustrious Chen]

Bandai+Nintendo=HOT GAMING ACTION