Nintendo buys developer Monolith Soft from Namco

[8th lutz]

http://www.gamesarefun.com/news.php?newsid=7727

 

The folks behind the Xenosaga series have a new owner. According to Nikkei, a Japanese business publication, Nintendo purchased an 80 percent share of game developer Monolith Software while BANDAI NAMCO holds the other 16 percent. It is not clear whether the purchase also includes game properties like Xenosaga.

 

Monolith Soft is no stranger to Nintendo systems; during the Gamecube life cycle, Monolith worked with developer tri-Crescendo on the Baten Kaitos series. They also developed the Japan-only strategy RPG NAMCO x Capcom and are currently working on the Wii title Disaster: Day of Crisis.

[liveinabin]

Weird huh? I could be wrong but is this a new thing for Nintendo, buying other developers, EA style? Cool but odd.

[8th lutz]

Weird huh? I could be wrong but is this a new thing for Nintendo, buying other developers, EA style? Cool but odd.

It is for the most part the part being a new thing. Nintendo bought some shares into rare in 1993 or 1994. During the early part of the 90's, rare made games for sms, game gear and the genesis besides nintendo game consoles and nintendo's gameboy. When rare was developing games for other companies back when they were created, there were not owned by nintendo. They simply did nes and gameboy games. Nintendo sold the shares they owned to Microsoft.

[JB]

Weird huh? I could be wrong but is this a new thing for Nintendo, buying other developers, EA style? Cool but odd.

It is for the most part the part being a new thing. Nintendo bought some shares into rare in 1993 or 1994. During the early part of the 90's, rare made games for sms, game gear and the genesis besides nintendo game consoles and nintendo's gameboy. When rare was developing games for other companies back when they were created, there were not owned by nintendo. They simply did nes and gameboy games. Nintendo sold the shares they owned to Microsoft.

More recently, they bought Retro Studios after they did Metroid Prime.