Nintendo is planning to unite its console and handheld divisions by February 16th, combining the two into a singular unit that will focus on next-generation hardware. The combined unit will incorporate 150 handheld and 130 console engineers and will operate from a $340 million dollar facility located near the company’s headquarters in Kyoto. The facility will be completed by the end of this year.
This move is the first organizational restructure for the company in a decade. The last occurred in 2002, when Saturo Iwata replaced Hiroshi Yamauchi as president of Nintendo and then moved two Research & Development teams into new divisions focused on entertainment and analysis. This move is rumored to be the first of many restructuring plans designed to keep the company on its feet after Shigeru Miyamoto leaves the company. In a 2011 interview, Miyamoto made mention that Nintendo should be structured to operated without him before he leaves the company.
[via Engadget]
