Some of the biggest names in the games industry are in an acquisitions arms race right now, with the likes of Microsoft, Sony, Take-Two Interactive, and others having shelled out large quantities of cash to acquire other companies. Nintendo has been quite on this front, though the company’s stance has been quite clear- it’s not going to match its competitors in their acquisition sprees, because the Japanese company doesn’t believe that approach aligns with its philosophy and way of doing things.
Nintendo’s acquisitions have tended to line up studios that the company has had working relationship with in the past, and the company’s newest purchase falls in line with that as well. As reported by GamesIndustry, it’s been announced that Nintendo is acquiring SRD Co. Ltd.
That might not be a name you’re aware of, but SRD has been working with Nintendo for nearly forty years at this point, even having shared the same office building for that period of time, and has provided development support on some of the company’s biggest titles, including the likes of Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, and more. Recently, SRD also worked on Game Builder Garage, which launched for the Switch last year.
Nintendo hasn’t disclosed what sum it’s paying for the purchase of SRD, though the company says it will have “only a minor effect” on its financial results. According to Nintendo, the acquisition will provide “strength to serve the management base of SRD and secure the availability of software development resources for Nintendo.” The deal is expected to close on April 1.
Prior to this, Nintendo’s most recent acquisition was Luigi’s Mansion 3 developer Next Level Games – who’re currently working on Mario Strikers: Battle League – in January 2021.