Nintendo announces new dedicated gaming hardware and a partnership with a Japanese e-commerce goliath.
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/39863/dedicated-nintendo-hardware-the-nx-in-development-new-membership-service-also-in-the-works
Nintendo is currently developing a new dedicated gaming platform tentatively called the NX. Satoru Iwata revealed the existence of the new hardware at a recent investor meeting that announced a business and capital alliance between Nintendo and mobile/e-commerce company DeNA. While few details about the next generation of gaming hardware are sparse, the two companies are currently working together on creating a membership service for current generation Nintendo hardware (Nintendo 3DS and Wii U), the NX, smartphones, tablets and PCs, the service is being targeted to launch in the Fall of 2015. The NX has been dubbed as a “new hardware system with a brand-new concept” which will make full use of the membership service as a core element of the system. Nintendo plans to reveal more about the console next year.
The new partnership with DeNA does mean that any and all Nintendo IP could be used on non-dedicated gaming hardware, i.e., through smart devices on a global scale. However, Iwata stated, “We have no intention at all to port existing game titles for dedicated game platforms to smart devices because if we cannot provide our consumers with the best possible play experiences, it would just ruin the value of Nintendo’s IP.”
Speaking more about their game development plan, Iwata went on to say, “We will continue doing our best to develop dedicated game titles for our dedicated game hardware platforms just as we have been doing. For smart devices, even in the case where we utilize the same IP, we will create completely new game software that will perfectly match the play styles of smart devices.”
Nintendo and DeNA have agreed to enter into a capital alliance. The alliance will have Nintendo acquire 10% of DeNA's treasury shares, 15,081,00 of them worth around 22 billion yen. At the same time, DeNA will acquire 1,759,400 shares, 1.24% of Nintendo's outstanding stock, valued at around 22 billion yen.