According to an exclusive report from Reuters, the investment firm ValueAct has spent a considerable sum to buy a slice of Nintendo — $1 billion, to be exact. Though substantial, ValueAct’s shares amount to just 2% of the Big N, and analysts suggest this is a move for partnership, rather than a takeover.
We originally spotted the news in a tweet from Niko Partners’ senior analyst Daniel Ahmad. The information itself came from a letter Reuters saw in some capacity, but Ahmad provided further clarification about ValueAct’s intentions to guide, instead of direct, Nintendo.
If you’ve never heard of ValueAct before, it’s not surprising. Despite ValueAct working with some of the world’s biggest companies, Reuters says it typically handles dealings and investments “behind the scenes.”
Ahmad and Reuters both note that ValueAct is on the company director boards for both Microsoft and Adobe, but the letter Reuters based its story on says ValueAct has no intention of doing so with Nintendo.
Instead, the company appears to plan on acting as a guide. The goal is helping Nintendo expand its digital presence beyond the software sector. The letter reads:
We believe Nintendo will be one of the largest digital media services in the world, in a category with the likes of Netflix, Disney+, Tencent Interactive Entertainment and Apple Music.
One of ValueAct’s Capital Partners said in a statement Bloomberg reported on:
Nintendo is building a unique entertainment ecosystem. In their core business Nintendo can become one of largest digital content businesses in the world.
Surrounding this is a growing set of opportunities for consumers to interact with Nintendo characters and stories outside of video games.
The Reuters report mentions Nintendo is apparently receptive to ValueAct’s intentions, with management and NoJ President, Shuntaro Furukawa, on board.
That’s something we’ve known about for a long time now, ever since Furukawa became company president. It also fits with the company’s move to get its IP in front of as many people as possible using non-gaming methods, like Super Nintendo World and the upcoming Super Mario movie.
You can check out the original story over on Reuters. Rest assured, we’ll be following these developments closely, so stay tuned to GameSkinny for more Nintendo news as it comes in.
