Nintendo will soon merge its console and handheld divisions, according to reports out of Japan which claim that the company is looking to the future for new innovations. Â Reported by Nikkei, the company plans to streamline the development process on their new consoles and handhelds. Â This would mark the first shift of this magnitude at the company since 2004.
The Nikkei report suggests that Nintendo is intending to streamline the development process on its Wii U and 3DS handheld, while fostering a better environment for developing innovative products in the future. Â Â The transition is expected to take place within a month’s time, and with it, Nintendo has earmarked 30 billion yen for a new Kyoto development facility.
It sounds like this streamlining is intended to make production of new consoles, handhelds, and iterations of these products, a faster process. Â Is this Nintendo’s first real response to increased competition from the mobile revolution currently underway? Â It would appear so, but we likely won’t see any of these new innovations for a little while considering that their Wii U is only months old.
