Nintendo has increased the amount it plans to spend on its new Kyoto-based R&D facility, due to begin construction in January 2012, according to media reports.
Nintendo first acquired the site back in 2009 for ¥12.8 billion ($141.9 million) as a means of consolidating the R&D departments at two different facilities to improve team communication.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that the company was looking to spend 12.8 billion yen ($154 million) on the construction of the facility, which will house over 1,500 employees.
Japanese newspaper Nikkei is now reporting, as translated by Andriasang, that Nintendo is planning to invest an increased amount of ¥16.5 billion ($204.4 million) in the facility. The building is set to be completed by 2013.
Built on top of a former golf range, the new offices will be located closer to Nintendo's headquarters, as both buildings will be located in Kyoto's Minami Ward. It will have eight floors, including a basement.
The facility will be the Mario house's primary R&D location, with its staff concentrating mainly on software and hardware product development.
All this while it takes $0 dollars and a few minutes to listen to your fans about operation rainfall where Nintendo of America can 1)Make money 2)Invest in core gamers as followers by proving you care
It's pretty easy considering you've already got Last Story, Xenoblade and Pandora's Tower localized to our language for Europe. Just change your region lock and make sure that didn't cause any fatal game errors and you're set. You make money now and keep fans for the future. It's a win-win-win situation.
Xenoblade was announced officially, but Last Story and Pandora's Tower aren't announced yet, both are more rumours, then anything alse and both are rumoured for a vague 2012.
I doubt they will be released and even, if Nintendo decides to release them, nobody will care any more.
For an unknown reason, Nintendo decided to kill the Wii off after holiday 2010. In my opinion, this is their biggest mistake yet, maybe they hope, that people, playing Wii right now, will be so hungry for new games in 2012, that they will go and buy the Wii-U on day one without a second thought, but I doubt this will work.
@ Christian - Nintendo didn't abandon the Wii, especially in Japan. The Virtual Console for the Wii in Japan is ahead of the game and Nintendo is still producing games, especially through 2nd party groups. The real problem is the Nintendo companies outside of Japan, particularly in the USA. Even with Reggie in charge, it seems that Nintendo USA still hasn't learned its lesson from the time of the late 80's/early 90's. Not to mention, Nintendo USA doesn't even do TV commercials to let more people know that you can play Gamecube games on the Wii as well as purchase Virtual Console games and Wiiware games through Nintendo's online store. In these days, word of the mouth is not enough and won't do any good if not too many people are informed about Wii's other features. Furthermore, Alan is right about the whole situation with the three aforementioned games and I even sent an e-mail to Nintendo USA about Xenoblade and The Last Story (I did mention Pandora's Tower on the P.S.) as well as gave them an idea on doing test marketing through the Internet and stores that sell games just to see the response from the public toward the games. I wish that I could be more optimistic about Nintendo USA listening to my e-mail, but I'm only one voice and more voices are needed to get Nintendo USA's attention. Nintendo USA should realize that Xenoblade, The Last Story, and Pandora's Tower have the potential to be big sellers in the USA as they would cater to the tastes of the Western audience, regardless of the nature of the different game players.
The Wii is the best selling console in this generation and the best selling stationary console Nintendo ever released. It's in it's fifth year and Nintendo didn't manage to annouce even half a dozen titles for their console for the 2nd half of 2012, neither in Japan, nor outside of Japan. This I call abandoning a console.
The virtual console market is a nice extra, but can't compensate the serious lack of software from Nintendo.
I can't really say much about the marketing in the US. Here in europe Nintendo is pretty visible, there are commercials in TV, Cinemas and poster Ads, but it can't hide the fact, that there are no games.
Nintendo has already buried this generation, they clearly have won, the remaining year, they believe the Wii will sell on it's name only. Next year, they want you to buy a Wii-U, something, I honestly don't believe in. And I don't think it will be a wise move to repeat the mistakes, they made with the 3DS, but we will see, maybe I am wrong. Were I am not wrong is, that it's impossible to buy interesting new first party Wii titles, because there are none.
All this research just to determine fans want a Pokemon MMO? Ninty need ot get over themselves and make it already. You can protect kids in an MMO setting, it has been done in many to great success. Give unto us the greatest MMO that can ever exist..!
It's pretty easy considering you've already got Last Story, Xenoblade and Pandora's Tower localized to our language for Europe. Just change your region lock and make sure that didn't cause any fatal game errors and you're set. You make money now and keep fans for the future. It's a win-win-win situation.
None of these games was released in europe so far.
I doubt they will be released and even, if Nintendo decides to release them, nobody will care any more.
For an unknown reason, Nintendo decided to kill the Wii off after holiday 2010. In my opinion, this is their biggest mistake yet, maybe they hope, that people, playing Wii right now, will be so hungry for new games in 2012, that they will go and buy the Wii-U on day one without a second thought, but I doubt this will work.
The virtual console market is a nice extra, but can't compensate the serious lack of software from Nintendo.
I can't really say much about the marketing in the US. Here in europe Nintendo is pretty visible, there are commercials in TV, Cinemas and poster Ads, but it can't hide the fact, that there are no games.
Nintendo has already buried this generation, they clearly have won, the remaining year, they believe the Wii will sell on it's name only. Next year, they want you to buy a Wii-U, something, I honestly don't believe in. And I don't think it will be a wise move to repeat the mistakes, they made with the 3DS, but we will see, maybe I am wrong. Were I am not wrong is, that it's impossible to buy interesting new first party Wii titles, because there are none.