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[yankeeforever2]

None of these rumors seem that insane, all seem to make business sense for the companies involved.

I think you underestimate the value that Nintendo has as a company. Yes, they probably could afford the 18 billion dollars, but considering Disney's lack of interest in video games internally, I doubt that would ever happen.

To be honest I think Amazon would be more likely to try to buy Nintendo.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

Disney and Nintendo is absurd

It has never happened in the history of the company and never will

Bury me with my Nintendo Hanafuda packs if this ever happens

 

[JustenP88]

The end is truly nigh.

 

[The Argus]

Honestly these are the two companies I would want Nintendo to get in bed with. One has the greatest list of IPs of any entertainment company and knows how to manage them, the other is known by every mother and grandparent across the land.

 

[NimbusD]

I love that Nintendo is going to partner with people but dammit you gotta pick your partners right.

Amazon App store? What does this do for Nintendo? Nothing that I can see unless the next gen of Amazon Firephones make waves (which will never happen).

Gotta approach Apple or google for that stuff. With Amazon, like, maybe if you want them to get you into original programming.

 

[Neoxon]

Disney? Maybe. Mushroom Kingdom Hearts? Yes. Kingdom Hearts 358/2, Coded, & Dream Drop Distance NX remakes? Yes. Nintendo Amiibo Playset........Pokemon Playset.....................with MMO features.....

There won't a Pokémon playset as long as The Pokémon Company has as much of a say as they do.

 

[Cosmozone]

Donkey Kong is already in a movie. It's obvious Nintendo characters can also be in other movies. The other stuff doesn't sound too wild either.

 

[Jackano]

Disney and Nintendo have always been close, all the way back when Nintendo did only cards and toys.
From what I recall from F.Gorges books, some of Yamauchi first success as head of Nintendo have been for a good part due to Disney licensed products.
And a while after, he recognized the need to not be dependent of other's IPs.

Anyway, the two gets along together pretty well. I wouldn't be surprised by another round of close collaboration.

 

[Gamer @ Heart]

Many would argue that a vastly different corporate culture is exactly what Nintendo needs right now.

My thought was that since Disney has some pretty tight marketing/brand chops, they could give Nintendo the boost they really need to become relevant/a major player in the family space or something, like they were in the Wii days, except maybe with Disney's help they could keep that audience engaged. Continuing to appeal only to its shrinking number of diehard fans certainly isn't helping them any. Alot of people were concerned about Disney buying Marvel and Star Wars, and both of those brands now seem to be doing better than ever to my knowledge. Particularly Marvel. I dunno. It's really just a thought though.

I think people hear Disney and the knee-jerk reaction is "OMG NO." But generally, I don't really believe that Disney ruins everything they touch.

Replacing the developer first mentality of Nintendo with the corporate interests of a media juggernaut like Disney is not benefit to gamers.

A partnership makes sense though. Disney knows how to make/market all kinds of media, toys, etc and owns the platforms and supply chains to manage them. That leaves Nintendo to do what they do, make games. It makes sense.

A complete buyout means forcing Nintendo to align with the corporate interest of a conglomerate that has already stated traditional videogames are not a long term part of its future.

 

[TheJoRu]

I'm not gonna blindly trust that source, but I don't see anything patently implausible here. It's a matter of landing those deals, though. Some kinds of Disney x Nintendo-deals would be very exciting. Disney is hot stuff right now.

 

[AdanVC]

Holy shit! Reggie wasn't joking when he said Nintendo is transforming. The fact that some of those rumors actually came true starting with the Skylanders x Amiibo deal already make all of this even more exciting!

Doesn't nintendo have a shareholder meeting sometime soon? Maybe we could get some details on this (if it's true).

Yes, it's this friday actually! Maybe Iwata will reveal something related to this omfg. Wii U could be doing terribly bad but I'm freaking excited to see what next crazy deal Nintendo reveals soon. Starting with their first batch of mobile games.

 

[Nanashrew]

I love that Nintendo is going to partner with people but dammit you gotta pick your partners right.

Amazon App store? What does this do for Nintendo? Nothing that I can see unless the next gen of Amazon Firephones make waves (which will never happen).

Gotta approach Apple or google for that stuff. With Amazon, like, maybe if you want them to get you into original programming.

Yeah, the Amazon thing is iffy to me too. The Disney thing though sounds like a good partnership and I imagine the talks began when Youkai Watch was announced to be aired on Disney XD.

 

[Neiteio]

Disney and Nintendo is absurd

It has never happened in the history of the company and never will

Bury me with my Nintendo Hanafuda packs if this ever happens

On a somewhat related note, am I the only one who likes to say "HANAFUDA!" when no one is looking?

I'm like this with "Sakaguchi," as well

 

[Bass260]

Think about it - Nintendo isn't partnering exclusively with the Amazon App Store.

Why? iOS is huge in Japan. They are not going to miss that market.

As for Disney....it's definitely on the table. A major partnership is something I could see Iwata's Nintendo pursuing.

 

[Cymbal Head]

Disney vs Nintendo crossover Smash spinoff

Oh shit. Marvel vs. Ninteno.

I am now in favor of this happening.

 

[paradise_circus]

Disney and Nintendo is absurd

It has never happened in the history of the company and never will

Bury me with my Nintendo Hanafuda packs if this ever happens

You mean the Disney Company which is producing Lucas Arts and the biggest batch of Marvel movies?

 

[billeh]

This would make more sense to me if Nintendo hadn't made that theme park agreement with Universal not too long ago. Although I still think Disney could do better than Universal with Nintendo's IP. Their perfectionist family-first attitudes they take towards everything in the parks lines up perfectly with Nintendo.

That said, a partnership with the two (and Amazon) would be interesting, and hopefully awesome.

 

[Punchy4486]

I find the Disney rumors hard to believe considering the leaks that Sony and Nintendo were in close talks to make Nintendo movies and the just-announced Nintendo theme park attractions at Universal Studios.

Both of those seem like things Disney would want to lock down.

 

[Nazgul_Hunter]

That Go Nintendo translation is pretty bad.

Here's my translation on the Amazon part.

• When Nintendo announced their mobile games, Amazon was very interested in having the games also be on the Amazon App store.
• Nintendo games will be on the Amazon store on day one, or shortly after Play Store and App Store.
• Amazon is asking Nintendo what they need to do to have Amazon App Store games play on Nintendo consoles
• Amazon got the impression that Nintendo is thinking about emulating Android games.
• Nintendo will not create an Android system, but instead will emulate Android games. It's not something that's confirmed, but just an interpretation of the conversations. (Think how Blackberry is doing it)

Source: I'm a native Spanish speaker.

 

[Prosopon]

.

 

[Nanashrew]

You mean the Disney Company which is producing Lucas Arts and the biggest batch of Marvel movies?

Well Disney bought those. Companies often get sucked into their event horizon.

 

[GameGuru59]

I find the Disney rumors hard to believe considering the leaks that Sony and Nintendo were in close talks to make Nintendo movies and the just-announced Nintendo theme park attractions at Universal Studios.

Both of those seem like things Disney would want to lock down.

I think Nintendo made that decision. Mario is a character on par with Mickey Mouse. They don't share the same stage. Universal has no such characters.

Well Disney bought those. Companies often get sucked into their event horizon.

EDIT: Re-posted for new page

To put it another way, as this article does. Disney buying Nintendo would be like them buying ABC in 1996. Unless they were willing to go balls to the wall in electronics (I doubt it) and wanted to dominate the video-game market (a hardware unified NX Nintendo with Disney cashflow would absolutely price Sony and Microsoft out of the market- they could do it if they wanted to). I think it would be a good acquisition for them- they could basically own the console space, but I don't think they want to. Never say never though. If Disney were to acquire Nintendo. The console wars would probably be over. Microsoft and Sony aren't in a position to compete with that amount of money in the entertainment space. And nobody else would, either.

 

[ash_ag]

Think about it - Nintendo isn't partnering exclusively with the Amazon App Store.

Why? iOS is huge in Japan. They are not going to miss that market.

They aren't. They will simply be releasing their content on Amazon's platform, apparently as close to the Play/App Store launches as possible.

A Disney partnership sounds like what dreams are made of. There's a lot of mutual benefit in it: both 'Nintendo by Disney' and 'Disney by Nintendo' is amazing to think about.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

For what it's worth, the "Mario stars in Wreck-It Ralph 2" rumors have been going since before the first movie came out.

Nintendo was really keen on Mario having a big role in the first movie, but the script was locked and animation had progressed very far by the time they and Disney were sitting at the table. All parties agreed that Mario was too big a name to waste on a cameo (or Sonic's inexplicable exposition dump of Arcade Town), so it was put aside for a possible sequel. We know a Wreck-It Ralph 2 is probably being made, we know they actively want Mario in it as a major role, and this is the most amenable Nintendo will ever be to such a thing.

Frankly, they'd be stupid not to do it.

 

[Nanashrew]

I think Nintendo made that decision. Mario is a character on par with Mickey Mouse. They don't share the same stage. Universal has no such characters.



EDIT: Re-posted for new page

To put it another way, as this article does. Disney buying Nintendo would be like them buying ABC in 1996. Unless they were willing to go balls to the wall in electronics (I doubt it) and wanted to dominate the video-game market (a hardware unified NX Nintendo with Disney cashflow would absolutely price Sony and Microsoft out of the market- they could do it if they wanted to). I think it would be a good acquisition for them- they could basically own the console space, but I don't think they want to. Never say never though. If Disney were to acquire Nintendo. The console wars would probably be over. Microsoft and Sony aren't in a position to compete with that amount of money in the entertainment space. And nobody else would, either.

Judging by how Nintendo has been doing things, even getting Yamauchi's shares, I think they want to prevent any sort of buyout or takeover. Nintendo is currently looking into buying other companies or mergers however but they'll want to remain in majority control. Nintendo and Disney are very similar in this regard.

 

[BlastProcessing]

I love that Nintendo is going to partner with people but dammit you gotta pick your partners right.

Amazon App store? What does this do for Nintendo? Nothing that I can see unless the next gen of Amazon Firephones make waves (which will never happen).

Gotta approach Apple or google for that stuff. With Amazon, like, maybe if you want them to get you into original programming.

The Amazon App store works for more than just Amazon devices. It can be installed on just about any Android Phone.

Amazon also treats their store more like a traditional platform holder would than Apple or Google do. It's closer to the type of world that Nintendo is comfortable with. Apple has proven to be very shrewd in negotiations (this is an understatement) and I don't see Google feeling compelled to pay as much or conceded as much as Amazon would.

Amazon needs to find a way to compel people to install its app store and I can't think of many better ways to do that than a Nintendo partnership. They would pay not just in cash, but through placement in their store and deals on their cloud services.

 

[Chmpocalypse]

If any of this is true then it is a huge MEGATON.

Nintendo x Amazon could turn the gaming industry on it's head.

Uh, how, exactly?

 

[Maggots]

disney should just buy nintendo, scrap their console development and make mario multiplatform.

Disney should just buy your mom, scrap her child development and make YOU multiplatform

 

[GDGF]

You mean the Disney Company which is producing Lucas Arts and the biggest batch of Marvel movies?

He's being facetious

In a way, Disney was the first Nintendo "third party".

Yamauchi's Nintendo struck a deal with Disney to have Disney characters on Nintendo's Hanafuda playing cards way back in 1959.

 

[BlastProcessing]

Uh, how, exactly?

Nintendo is pretty bad at the internet and Amazon is pretty good at it. Amazon is also pretty amazing at logistics and distribution. More importantly, it would signal that Nintendo's leadership is changing it's thinking and would be willing to collaborate with others in a way that they have traditionally been resistant to.

A revitalised Nintendo, emboldened by an influx of cash and supported in it's largest areas of weakness, could definitely shake things up in an industry that is already on the brink of massive change.

 

[Raven77]

I predicted a major partnership in the NX Speculation thread but didn't think it would be with a non video game company...interesting.

 

[GamerJM]

This seems pretty possible given Nintendo's recent moves. Though some things do make it seem unlikely (partnering with Universal and not Disney for theme parks, Disney already working closely with Sony).

 

[B-Dubs]

A partnership makes sense though. Disney knows how to make/market all kinds of media, toys, etc and owns the platforms and supply chains to manage them. That leaves Nintendo to do what they do, make games. It makes sense.

Considering the whispers we've been hearing about Nintendo shows and characters in movies, this makes sense. Let Disney manage the shows and movies and toys based on Nintendo IP, with Miyamoto and Iwata making QC checks to make sure they don't get too crazy, and Nintendo reaps the benefits and keeps on doing what they do best. If the Zelda cartoon and Mario movie weren't such flaming piles of shit this might have happened sooner.

 

[Porcile]

edit - im an idiot and dont read things.

 

[alf717]

If this is true we are are going to need a Nintendo, Disney and Amazon Triforce.

 

[Anteo]

Nintendo is pretty bad at the internet and Amazon is pretty good at it. Amazon is also pretty amazing at logistics and distribution. More importantly, it would signal that Nintendo's leadership is changing it's thinking and would be willing to collaborate with others in a way that they have traditionally been resistant to.

A revitalised Nintendo, emboldened by an influx of cash and supported in it's largest areas of weakness, could definitely shake things up in an industry that is already on the brink of massive change.

Isn't that the whole point of the Nintendo x DeNa partnership.

 

[orioto]

I want a pixar movie made around a Nintendo character please.

 

[Nothing1016]

I want a pixar movie made around a Nintendo character please.

Pikmin or Captain Toad would be perfect.

 

[evilromero]

Disney and Nintendo is absurd

It has never happened in the history of the company and never will

Bury me with my Nintendo Hanafuda packs if this ever happens

Nice.

 

[BlastProcessing]

Isn't that the whole point of the Nintendo x DeNa partnership.

Definately, but Amazon is on another level of capability from DeNA.

 

[FStop7]

- Disney wants a game where Mario and Mickey meet up

Disney and Nintendo want to 3D print gold bricks.

 

[Japanmanx3]

There won't a Pokémon playset as long as The Pokémon Company has as much of a say as they do.

A man can dream tho lol

 

[GDGF]

Pikmin or Captain Toad would be perfect.

Pikmin as a Pixar movie would be freaking amazing.

 

[jph139]

Honestly, my biggest hope here would be Nintendo getting comics via Marvel. I think some ongoing Metroid or Zelda or F-Zero or Star Fox comic books could be crazy fun.

I mean no one reads comics any more, but it'd let them do something with relatively dormant properties.

 

[wsippel]

Nintendo is pretty bad at the internet and Amazon is pretty good at it. Amazon is also pretty amazing at logistics and distribution. More importantly, it would signal that Nintendo's leadership is changing it's thinking and would be willing to collaborate with others in a way that they have traditionally been resistant to.

A revitalised Nintendo, emboldened by an influx of cash and supported in it's largest areas of weakness, could definitely shake things up in an industry that is already on the brink of massive change.

I'd say they're actually quite good at it. They just do things their own way, and that way is often weird or not what consumers want.

 

[MajorMane]

Pikmin as a Pixar movie would be freaking amazing.

Oh man, I didn't know I needed this, but I think I do.

Even a short would be amazing.

 

[GustyGardens]

Oh man, I didn't know I needed this, but I think I do.

Even a short would be amazing.

http://pikmin.nintendo.com/ You mean, like this?

 

[MajorMane]

http://pikmin.nintendo.com/ You mean, like this?

That was actually my first thought! I do enjoy those short movies and they are full of charm. I really think Pixar could possible raise the bar here... this all assuming something like this partnership would ever happen.

 

[BlastProcessing]

I'd say they're actually quite good at it. They just do things their own way, and that way is often weird or not what consumers want.

I will happily rephrase my statement to: "Nintendo is bad at using the internet in a way that people want and understand and Amazon is very good at using the internet to give people what they want and understand."

I actually really like a lot about how Nintendo thinks about the internet. I like that their shops have theme songs. I really like the Mii Plaza. It's just that so much of the internet is about getting boring foundational stuff right and Nintendo hasn't been great there.

 

[Richie]

Really hoping we hear more of this come Friday!

That was actually my first thought! I do enjoy those short movies and they are full of charm. I really think Pixar could possible raise the bar here... this all assuming something like this partnership would ever happen.

The Pixar shorts of late would have two faced batteries falling in love with each other before the Pikmin take them away. Sorrow ensues until they reunite at Olimar's ship. Cue prefabricated awws.

(Their movies are still top notch but damn they need more creative premises for their shorts).