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[shadyspace]

I'd like to know what's the biggest acquisition Nintendo could afford to make right now. It's obv. much more their style to snatch up smaller companies and build them up of course.

 

[Penguin]

I'd like to know what's the biggest acquisition Nintendo could afford to make right now. It's obv. much more they're style to snatch up smaller companies and build them up of course.

Isn't it possible for them to essentially buy any game company right now.. sans probably Microsoft?

 

[ViewtifulJC]

YOU PEOPLE!

What do you mean "you people"?

 

[shadyspace]

Isn't it possible for them to essentially buy any game company right now.. sans probably Microsoft?

So they could buy EA or Activision? Really?

 

[botty]

Can't wait. I'd love to get another GEOFF! moment.

They've come a long way.

 

[walking fiend]

Oh yeah, forgot about her, will be interesting to see how she does.

I am not really sure if any member of Nintendo management team but the fellows at Japan HQ actually have any important 'decision making' role.

 

[Log4Girlz]

Would be cool if I wanted to play a shooter with a bud, but they don't own the game, they can download some data from me, and some specific maps and we can play anyway. It would be limited, but hey it would act as great advertising. They did something similar back in the day on Nintendo handhelds, some data could be transfered between units and you could play with a friend even when not owning a game.

 

[GameplayWhore]

So they could buy EA or Activision? Really?

Activision has a market cap of $14.42 billion. EA's market cap is $5.26 billion.

Nintendo had around $10 billion in cash a year ago, so they perhaps could have bought EA at the time or during even stronger . Their cash balance has apparently dropped substantially since then (a combination, I imagine, of the severe exchange rate imbalance and of Nintendo heavily spending into R&D for the Wii U).

Finance-GAF is welcome to fix my gross incompetence when it comes to the stock market and how takeovers work.


edit: as per their earnings release, they had 812870m ¥ a year ago and now they have 462021m ¥, which is $5.76 billion in cash.

 

[Metroid Hunter]

Activision has a market cap of $14.42 billion. EA's market cap is $5.26 billion.

Nintendo had around $10 billion in cash a year ago, so they perhaps could have bought EA at the time or during even stronger . Their cash balance has apparently dropped substantially since then (a combination, I imagine, of the severe exchange rate imbalance and of Nintendo heavily spending into R&D for the Wii U).

Finance-GAF is welcome to fix my gross incompetence when it comes to the stock market and how takeovers work.

I'm pretty sure Nintendo still has around 10 billion in the bank still.

 

[shadyspace]

Activision has a market cap of $14.42 billion. EA's market cap is $5.26 billion.

Nintendo had around $10 billion in cash a year ago, so they perhaps could have bought EA at the time or during even stronger . Their cash balance has apparently dropped substantially since then (a combination, I imagine, of the severe exchange rate imbalance and of Nintendo heavily spending into R&D for the Wii U).

Finance-GAF is welcome to fix my gross incompetence when it comes to the stock market and how takeovers work.

That is nuts. Why don't they just say "fuck it" and buy everyone (in this post: not a fiance major).

 

[Penguin]

That is nuts. Why don't they just say "fuck it" and buy everyone (in this post: not a fiance major).

Well if you buy everyone.. you're left with no money

And there's no guarantee that everyone won't jump ship and start their own company.

 

[TheNamesPlissken]

If Nintendo has $10B in cash, they could buy EA. Most of these transactions are not done exclusively in cash, but rather a combination of debt and equity. That's why it is possible for small firms to buy much larger firms.

However, the success rates of mergers and acquisitions is actually pretty bad, and it is a wonder so many are still attempted.

 

[walking fiend]

That is nuts. Why don't they just say "fuck it" and buy everyone (in this post: not a fiance major).

because they practically have less employees than them, and still make cosndierably much more profit than them (at least till a year ago);

I suppose they can even buy Sony now; but why should they buy a sinking ship?

There are of course many other [non-financal aspects to it;

However, the success rates of mergers and acquisitions is actually pretty bad, and it is a wonder so many are still attempted.

but there are some pretty good ones; e.g. Eidos acquisition by SE has been at least pretty good for SE

 

[shadyspace]

Well if you buy everyone.. you're left with no money

And there's no guarantee that everyone won't jump ship and start their own company.

yeah, but I'm sure the properties matter more than the employees. Who cares if all of Treyarch bails when you still have the CoD franchise? (please know I'm just talking in fantasy. I know this is a completely ridiculous topic lol)

 

[antonz]

Reason Nintendo doesnt outright buy studios unless long term relationships or something is buying the studio does not guarantee anything but ownership of IPs etc. Talent can leave etc and then its not much of a acquisition

 

[methodman]

yeah, but I'm sure the properties matter more than the employees. Who cares if all of Treyarch bails when you still have the CoD franchise? (please know I'm just talking in fantasy. I know this is a completely ridiculous topic lol)

I think that's what Microsoft thought when they bought Rare. lol

 

[Roo]

because they practically have less employees than them, and still make cosndierably much more profit than them (at least till a year ago);

I suppose they can even buy Sony now; but why should they buy a sinking ship?

There are of course many other [non-financal aspects to it;


but there are some pretty good ones; e.g. Eidos acquisition by SE has been at least pretty good for SE

Still 8 billion to go

 

[shadyspace]

I think that's what Microsoft thought when they bought Rare. lol

Fuuucccckkk. Good call.

 

[HylianTom]

I notice that they seem to have a preference for partnering-up with developers for special projects.. and that this pattern seems to have found success with the games that are produce. I'd guess that Nintendo would rather continue with this practice, as it would entail less risk and steady profit.

That, and it would be smarter if they just wait for some of these companies to self-destruct from poor sales and/or poor judgement in their chosen business models; Nintendo would be able to just scoop-up the newly-available IPs on the cheap.

I suppose they can even buy Sony now; but why should they buy a sinking ship?

Errr.. I'm not sure that'd be wise. Nintendo would get the assets - but they'd also get the liabilities (i.e., debts). They'd be wise to stay away and let Sony, uhh.., do its own thing.

 

[GameplayWhore]

I'm pretty sure Nintendo still has around 10 billion in the bank still.

I edited my earlier post. Nintendo has:
$5.76 billion in cash
$14.2 billion Total current assets
$17.1 billion Total liabilities and net assets.

Their market cap seems to be $2.06 billion, which kind of amuses me for some reason. Shouldn't you have more money invested in you than you have in cash?

 

[roddur]

YOU PEOPLE!

What do you mean "you people"?

deja vu

 

[ViewtifulJC]

I think that's what Microsoft thought when they bought Rare. lol

You cut me deep, Shrek. You cut me real deep just now

 

[dwu8991]

nintendo should stop making dividends and instead go for a zynga acquistion

 

[GameplayWhore]

nintendo should stop making dividends and instead go for a zynga acquistion

Zynga's market cap is $6.34 billion.

In what universe is Zynga over three times the size of Nintendo when Nintendo pulls in twenty-five times the sales?

Spoiler

So does Zynga sell a "bubble popping" game?

 

[shadyspace]

Zynga's market cap is $6.34 billion.

In what universe is Zynga over three times the size of Nintendo when Nintendo pulls in twenty-five times the sales?

fucking economies how do they work?

 

[Metroid Hunter]

I edited my earlier post. Nintendo has:
$5.76 billion in cash
$14.2 billion Total current assets
$17.1 billion Total liabilities and net assets.

Their market cap seems to be $2.06 billion, which kind of amuses me for some reason. Shouldn't you have more money invested in you than you have in cash?

Really?

Their market cap was $40 Billion in 2008, and was around $18 Billion last year in 2011. What happened to make them worth $2 Billion now?


Edit: Their market cap is currently about $18 billion.

I see where you got it on Yahoo, but theres also this.

Source 1

And they once had a market cap of $85 Billion in 2007. I do not believe Nintendo has a market cap of only $2 billion right now.

Edit 2: Another source of it being much more closer to $20 billion than $2 billion.
Edit 3: And another source.

I have provided ample evidence that your $2 billion quote is wrong.

 

[ElFly]

I edited my earlier post. Nintendo has:
$5.76 billion in cash
$14.2 billion Total current assets
$17.1 billion Total liabilities and net assets.

Their market cap seems to be $2.06 billion, which kind of amuses me for some reason. Shouldn't you have more money invested in you than you have in cash?

In my limited understanding it's a silly situation, cause, worst case, the company is all sold and the money is split between everyone and that money should be more than the market cap right now, which means shareholders would technically be better off dismantling nintendo.

e: yahoo has them at 2B

THIS KIND OF SHIT IS WHY MICROSOFT DIDN'T BUY YOU, YAHOO

 

[walking fiend]

Reason Nintendo doesnt outright buy studios unless long term relationships or something is buying the studio does not guarantee anything but ownership of IPs etc. Talent can leave etc and then its not much of a acquisition

ُThat most definitely is one othe most important reasons.

I mean, look at Retro; it 'was' a Nintendo studio to begin with, and yet people left one after another

 

[Freezie KO]

I think that's what Microsoft thought when they bought Rare. lol

Ouch. I felt that over in LA.

 

[GameplayWhore]

Really?

Their market cap was $40 Billion in 2008, and was around $18 Billion last year in 2011. What happened to make them worth $2 Billion now?


Edit: Their market cap is currently about $18 billion.

I see where you got it on Yahoo, but theres also this.

Source 1

And they once had a market cap of $85 Billion in 2007. I do not believe Nintendo has a market cap of only $2 billion right now.

Edit 2: Another source.

lol, I was indeed using Yahoo Finance. Thank you for actually looking with more depth than my doggie paddle.

My faith in the universe has been restored. Nintendo is no longer able to buy five of themselves with their own cash.

Erm, sorry 'bout that!

 

[Anth0ny]

Nintendo to buy Twitch.tv

Smash 4 tournaments sponsored by Nintendo, streamed on Twitch
Siglemic, Cosmo and Jiano sponsored by Nintendo

imokaywiththis.jpg

 

[lordfroakie]

Why should Nintendo buy more studios, when they pretty much snatched up half(all?) of Squaresoft, Enix, Sega, Naughty Dog, Hudson and few misc people

 

[Metroid Hunter]

lol, I was indeed using Yahoo Finance. Thank you for actually looking with more depth than my doggie paddle.

My faith in the universe has been restored. Nintendo is no longer able to buy five of themselves with their own cash.

Erm, sorry 'bout that!

Nintendo once had a market cap of $85 billion (back in 2007). What could they have acquired with that much? That was worth almost twice as much as Sony back then, so depending on cash reserves, they may have been able to buy Sony. EA and Activision are no question.

 

[AceBandage]

Nintendo once had a market cap of $85 billion (back in 2007). What could they have acquired with that much? That was worth almost twice as much as Sony back then, so depending on cash reserves, they may have been able to buy Sony. EA and Activision are no question.

It's a bit more complicated than that, of course.

 

[Metroid Hunter]

It's a bit more complicated than that, of course.

I'm obviously speaking hypothetically. Nintendo is too conservative to buy any company really. But what would you like to have (realistically) seen in 2007?

 

[Truth101]

lol, I was indeed using Yahoo Finance. Thank you for actually looking with more depth than my doggie paddle.

My faith in the universe has been restored. Nintendo is no longer able to buy five of themselves with their own cash.

Erm, sorry 'bout that!

That thread was great

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=199345

It would be in line with the other talentless failures Nintendo has bought recently, like Monolithsoft and Retro.

Oh, you.

 

[Freezie KO]

Why should Nintendo buy more studios, when they pretty much snatched up half(all?) of Squaresoft, Enix, Sega, Naughty Dog, Hudson and few misc people

I like the idea of Nintendo building studios themselves. Have some longtime Nintendo guys head the studio and imbue it with that Nintendo culture, that is part of their polish and magic. Then bring in super talented people to surrounded the mainstays. If they leave for greener pastures, then at least the whole operation doesn't fall apart.

 

[Agent Unknown]

Satterfield was right. I am officially excite! As of an hour ago.

Lttp again, WHOOOO! Chances for the launch being a tasty grinder sandwich slathered in awesome sauce increasing greatly.

 

[BlackNMild2k1]

I know I'm extremely late to the Android on Wii U rumor talk (I'm very behind in this thread in general, it takes hours to even skim through here to catch up)

and I know most believe that it isn't happening, but what if the rumors about Android isn't really about Android, but just something Nintendo & Google have been working on for a very long time together.

Here is a post I did back in 2010 on the very topic.
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/forums/index.php?topic=16688.msg731247#msg731247

I've got something for us all to speculate on. It's something some of us have mentioned that Nintendo needs in the next system to bring them up to date feature-wise with the competition.

A background operating system that allows uniformity of function between different features and software. Such as Wii speak being independent from the game you are playing so that you can have a conversation with a friend while surfing the net, paying a game (same or different) or while browsing the WiiShop, background downloading (self explanatory), user accounts, etc. etc.

First we'll start with the Nintendo ES Operating System (NES OS?)that they were working on since way back before the release of the Wii
Inside Nintendo's ES Open-Source Operating System

[...]an open-source operating system from Nintendo, titled ES[...]was made public on August 30, 2006.
[...]
ES "runs natively on x86 (and qemu of course), kernel is written in C++, uses an ECMAScript interpreter for all of the userland, uses Cairo for graphics, and even has a port of [programming language] Squeak."

The OS is a 'research system,' meaning that there is no specific application for it at present, and is being used for experimentation. However, a story commenter on Gamedev.net theorizes: that it could be the framework for something like Microsoft's XNA, and is certainly expandable to platforms other than PC with a little work.

The commenter, 'ravyne2001' postulates: "Officially, it's simply a "research operating system." Something Nintendo is toying with and which may or may not lead to an eventual release in much the same way that Nintendo has always been in constant hardware development..."

"The working theory" he continues, "seems to be that this OS might be the early stages of something similar to Microsoft's XNA -- basically a sandbox environment which offers hardware acceleration and a userland based on some form of VM execution, ECMAscript in this instance. Although the current build is against X86, it could be ported over to PPC to run on the Wii, for instance."

For now, the operating system is laid bare to the public, which OSNews commentors seem to think is designed with broad adoption and simplicity in mind.

We know the next Wii needs a central OS to avoid the incompatible short sighted mess that is the current IOS we use now (older games can't use SDHC cards because it wasn't programmed for them, can't use WiiSpeak in multiplayer games because they weren't programmed for it, can't use whatever control scheme I want since it wasn't programmed for it, etc. etc.).

But the lead programmer for this ES Operating system left Nintendo for Google Japan....
http://jp.linkedin.com/pub/shiki-okasaka/7/876/5b3

Shiki Okasaka’s Experience

*
Software Engineer
Google Japan Inc.

(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; GOOG; Internet industry)

January 2008 — Present (2 years 4 months)

*
Group Manager
Nintendo Co., Ltd.

(Entertainment industry)

August 1998 — December 2007 (9 years 5 months)

Designed and developed the operating system for GameCube

But he is still working on the ES Operating system which just so happens to be under copyright by Nintendo & Google.
http://code.google.com/p/es-operating-system/

We are creating a new pure component operating system named ES. This project was started by Shiki Okasaka and Kyu Ueno at Nintendo largely affected by Rob Pike's "Systems Software Research is Irrelevant" talk in 2000. Since 2008, this project has been hosted in Google Code under the copyright of both Google and Nintendo in hope we can reach more people worldwide.

But what does all this mean? Is this something that Nintendo is hoping to make standard and use in the next home console?

Google just recently came out with their own browser and have an Operating System that soon to follow, could this code research have some overlap?

Is it possible that for the next generation Nintendo & Google team up to provide the software tools & enironment needed to build games and online infrastructure for future Nintendo systems?

"We propose an extensible component operating system architecture in which an operating system kernel uses reflection to process C++ pure virtual function based system calls and upcalls to provide a unified programming environment for application, server, and kernel development. We found that we could even develop file subsystems and a TCP/IP protocol stack on an existing operating system based on this architecture."

What does everyone think of a NintenGoogle team-up?

They do have common rivals in Apple & MS
and if the OS is any good, you can count on Sony licensing it[abbr=since they copy everything Nintendo does anyway, right!!]*[/abbr] just to stick it to MS... and make things harder for Apple.

Now that was back in 2010, and they have had 2 years since then to turn whatever that project was into what it could be now.
We also know how Nintendo will tinker with an idea forever, and just when you've forgotten about it, here they reintroduce it again as if it were brand new and the thing to do.

So what do you guys think? Re-emergence of the NES OS?

 

[DragonSworne]

What are the chances of RE:ORC coming to WiiU?

 

[lordfroakie]

What are the chances of RE:ORC coming to WiiU?

Would rather have RE: Mercs or RE on rail shooter lol

 

[Effect]

Is RE:ORC really that bad? It looked interesting but then again I'm not a big RE fan. I enjoy the films and enjoyed Resident Evil: Revelations (first RE game I ever fully played and finished. Didn't finish Umbrella Chronicles)

 

[donny2112]

The IGN Q&A was boring, but she was pretty good at what she did.

I direclty blame Keigler as the reason for why Wii Music was the way it was. Combined with her absolutely useless and degrading answers to core gamers on IGN, Nintendo is way better off with her gone.

 

[dwu8991]

The wii u is a gaming system.

It doesn't need to run android apps. seriously.

 

[Penguin]

What are the chances of RE:ORC coming to WiiU?

Based on how its selling, and how Capcom likes RE spin-offs on Nintendo's consoles recently.. I actually wouldn't be surprised if it made launch and RE 6 came out early next year. Now that you mention it.

 

[Terrell]

Satterfield was right. I am officially excite! As of an hour ago.

Yay.......?

I honestly have gotten to a point where words, even from a good source, can't enthuse me. Every time I do, some gang of thugs comes rolling through the thread and telling me I shouldn't, and then the bipolars start on about it.... the emotional rollercoaster is over. I'm still on the hype train, but I'll be the guy in the rear-most car, acting as though I've been popping valium like Pez.

Am I the only one who thinks trophy systems are total crap? I don't need stupid tchotchkes to keep me playing, just a good game.

I don't have a problem with tchotchkes, but the trophy/achievement systems offer me no incentive. Points on a gamerscore and trophies someone has to go out of their way to see if I have are... well, pointless. If it's incentivized through things like Mii accessories and stuff, that's all I'd need.

You know, I'd be OK with some social networking integration if it's clean and not too overbearing.

I'm expecting a Nintendo Network Facebook Timeline app, that shows your current Mii, games you're playing, recent accomplishments posted to News Feed, ways of notifying friends who use Nintendo Network of what you're playing online so they can join you, etc.

You're all way off, so stop guessing. This is why we can't have nice things.

You come in, make a statement like you did in a SPECULATION THREAD and expected any less?

SERIOUSLY?!

I am not really sure if any member of Nintendo management team but the fellows at Japan HQ actually have any important 'decision making' role.

Operation Rainfall and NoA getting totally shown up by NoE kinda proves to the contrary, doesn't it?

Reason Nintendo doesnt outright buy studios unless long term relationships or something is buying the studio does not guarantee anything but ownership of IPs etc. Talent can leave etc and then its not much of a acquisition

Sometimes the talent is important. But considering the "talent" some 3rd-parties put on their franchises, I'd have to wonder if sometimes losing the talent is really all that bad.

ُThat most definitely is one othe most important reasons.

I mean, look at Retro; it 'was' a Nintendo studio to begin with, and yet people left one after another

Ummmmmm.... yeah, those people who left Retro haven't really made it any worse. In fact, I think people think MORE highly of them now then they did before despite the talent that left.

Oh, you.

Indeed... AniHawk really tries too hard to be a joke account sometimes.

 

[donny2112]

Indeed... AniHawk really tries too hard to be a joke account sometimes.

AniHawk actively dislikes the Metroid Prime series. Not hard to see how he'd dislike Retro, then.

 

[GameplayWhore]

I know I'm extremely late to the Android on Wii U rumor talk (I'm very behind in this thread in general, it takes hours to even skim through here to catch up)

and I know most believe that it isn't happening, but what if the rumors about Android isn't really about Android, but just something Nintendo & Google have been working on for a very long time together.

Here is a post I did back in 2010 on the very topic.
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/forums/index.php?topic=16688.msg731247#msg731247


Now that was back in 2010, and they have had 2 years since then to turn whatever that project was into what it could be now.
We also know how Nintendo will tinker with an idea forever, and just when you've forgotten about it, here they reintroduce it again as if it were brand new and the thing to do.

So what do you guys think? Re-emergence of the NES OS?

That's pretty nifty. I remember it being brought up long ago. The co-ownership thing seems pretty key here

 

[Christberg]

That is way beyond just optimistic. 6.25x 360 on paper is completely out of the question. Even half that is pushing it a bit.

GPUs with that much juice have been available for years now. They're cheap at retail too. I don't expect it to happen but "completely out of the question?" No way, have to disagree on that one.

 

[Gamer @ Heart]

but there are some pretty good ones; e.g. Eidos acquisition by SE has been at least pretty good for SE

Very true. It also helps that the eidos develops games SE does not, so they were left relatively alone. Its when companies attempt to assimilate that things can go bad.

Side talk: android on wii u would be an amazing differentiator. Imagine sharing all your contacts and going a Google talk mid game. Sharing apps and functionality between phone and with your TV in the living room. Microsoft will defenietly go that direction hard core sooner than later. That said, it all seems like fantasy right now.