Skip to main content

Nintendo joins acquisition rush with a purchase of its own

While Microsoft acquires Activision Blizzard and Sony purchases Bungie, Nintendo is continuing to do things its own way, even when it comes to acquisitions. The Japanese game company has purchased SRD (Systems Research and Development), which has assisted it in developing games for nearly 40 years.

In a filing submitted to Japan’s Financial Accounting Standards Foundation, Nintendo announced that it had come to an agreement with SRD that would lead to an acquisition of all of the company’s outstanding shares. Once the acquisition closes on April 1, 2022, SRD will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Nintendo, much like The Pokémon Company.

While Nintendo is finally acquiring companies of its own, it’s nowhere near matching Microsoft and Sony’s buying spree. Say what you want of SRD, but it’s certainly not a household name like Activision Blizzard or Bungie. SRD has been a longtime partner of Nintendo, working just outside the sight of consumers over the course of nearly four decades. In the filing, Nintendo says that its acquisition of SRD “will serve to strengthen the management base of SRD and secure the availability of software development resources for Nintendo, in addition to facilitating an anticipated improvement in software development efficiency.”

SRD has played a role in a substantial number of the company’s major releases. Having begun collaborating with Nintendo while the gaming giant was making games for the Famicom, SRD has assisted with the development of the original Donkey Kong and Super Mario Bros. games, as well as modern releases including Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Editors' Recommendations

Otto Kratky
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Otto Kratky is a freelance writer with many homes. You can find his work at Digital Trends, GameSpot, and Gamepur. If he's…
A Nintendo emulator is Apple’s top downloaded app after ban reversal
Nintendo Entertainment System with controller.

The iOS App Store has a new No. 1 app, and it's Delta -- Game Emulator. Recently unbanned by Apple, the app allows players to emulate games from several different Nintendo systems, even though it isn't officially backed by Nintendo.

As a report from The Washington Post outlines, Apple recently loosened its App Store restrictions, which allowed game emulators to return to the storefront even though they were previously banned. Emulators populate a murky gray area in the video game industry, as they are fantastic for game preservation, but also give people ways to play games illegally if they find the ROM online.

Read more
The Nintendo Switch just got 2 surprise games — and they’re both worth grabbing
A teddy beat sits on an embroidery hoop in Stitch.

If you were unable to catch this week's Nintendo IndieWorld showcase, then you missed a surprisingly loaded show. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes got a May release date, WayForward showed off its Yars' Revenge revival, and Steamworld Heist 2 got an exciting reveal. In the midst of all those headlines, two smaller games were surprise released on the platform: Stitch and Sticky Business. Don't sleep on either of them, as they're both worth a purchase.

Both games are ports of previously released games, but both went a bit under the radar upon their original launch. Sticky Business modestly launched last summer on PC, whereas Stitch has actually been around since 2022 as an Apple Arcade exclusive. The latter even has an Apple Vision Pro version now that can be played in mixed reality. I can't blame anyone for missing either, but their Switch releases offer a good opportunity to catch up with some quiet hidden gems.

Read more
Nintendo Indie World 2024: How to watch and what to expect
Hollow Knight Silksong

Nintendo will hold the first indie world presentation of 2024 tomorrow, April 17. The event will shine a spotlight on some of the most exciting independent games coming to the Nintendo Switch in the coming months. Past showcases have revealed highly anticipated indie games like Another Crab's Treasure, as well as long-awaited ports for games like Outer Wilds.

Although this is not a full-fledged Nintendo Direct, it's still a show that fans of independent games will want to tune into. If you're planning on watching the showcase weive, I've rounded up everything you need to know about when to tune in and what to expect from April 2024's Indie World.
When is the April 2024 Indie World Showcase
Nintendo has confirmed that the next Indie World will begin at 7 a.m. PT on April 17. That means it's something most people will be able to tune into first thing in the morning. Nintendo says that the event will run for roughly 20 minutes, which is consistent with past streams.
How to watch the April 2024 Indie World Showcase
Indie World Showcase 4.17.2024 - Nintendo Switch

Read more