Musing on an Apple-Nintendo Merger

by , 5:40 PM EDT, June 9th, 2006

On the heels of a recent rumor that Apple is developing iPod games under the direction of a former LucasArts employee, CNET's UK site Crave on Friday speculated that the company could actually make a move to acquire Nintendo. "What could be more quintessentially left-field Apple behaviour than buying out the US's number three games console manufacturer?" the article asked.

It pointed to similar corporate philosophies, brand loyalty, design styles, and complementary market spaces as reasons why the merger isn't so far-fetched. Cisco was rumored to be interested in the purchase earlier this year, and Apple's market cap is twice that of Nintendo's, so it's possible that the Japanese company is open to the possibility.

"However, " Crave noted, "a city analyst told Crave that agressive takeovers of Japanese companies can be difficult and expensive. Japanese companies use the keiretsu system of interlocking holdings and partnerships, which makes conventional takeovers exceptionally hard."

Where could this all lead? Crave pointed out that the Mac mini sells for little more than the Sony PlayStation 3 will cost when it ships. Apple's diminutive computer, however, can do things the PS3 won't be able to, such as handle word processing, video editing, photo and music editing and organizing, and more. "What if the Mini could also play Nintendo games?" the article asked. "And not just play Nintendo games, but play Nintendo games specifically tailored to the strengths of the Mac Mini's hardware?"