In a year filled with groundbreaking company acquisitions, Nintendo has played its hand and announced that the company has officially acquired more land. This new plot of land is right next to the company's current office in Japan, which Nintendo states will house a new facility to strengthen its R&D department.So far, It’s been another stellar year for Nintendo. The company has launched Pokemon Legends: Arceus and Kirby and the Forgotten Land for the Nintendo Switch, with both titles receiving plenty of critical praise and healthy sales numbers. As Nintendo continues to find success with its Switch console, it would only be natural for the company to expand and perhaps seek the development of its next big, successful console. Today’s announcement might fuel some speculation about what plans Nintendo has in store for the future.In today’s news release via Nintendo’s corporate website, the company announced that it has acquired a roughly 10,000 square meter plot of land directly next to its Kyoto headquarters. The bidding price for this plot of land was 5 billion yen, about 40 million USD. This new land will house a facility tentatively named Corporate Headquarters Development Center, Building 2, with its main objective being R&D reinforcement. Nintendo projects that this new building will be complete by December 2027.
R&D (Research and Development) is a massive part of any hardware manufacturer’s success. It’s where Nintendo would analyze what has made the Nintendo Switch so successful as well as what fans would likely want to see next from the company, and it's where the development of Nintendo's next console comes to fruition. With a $40 million investment and a planned completion date of December 2027, Nintendo might have some big ideas cooking for the hardware side of its business as the Switch begins to age.
Earlier this year, Nintendo stated that the Nintendo Switch is in the middle of its lifecycle, and the company still doesn’t have any major plans for a Switch successor in the near future. However, today’s announcement of land acquisition for development purposes might mean that Nintendo is setting wheels in motion for the next stage in its hardware business. Competitors such as the Steam Deck and Aya Neo might be difficult to ignore for Nintendo. Many fans have enjoyed how much power these handhelds store within their portable form factor and the stark visual differences in games compared to Switch ports. As the Switch grows older, more fans are starting to notice how the console’s age is limiting the overall excellent lineup of games for the handheld. Nintendo is due for new hardware at some point, and perhaps the company is beginning that process soon enough.
Source: Nintendo