Nintendo unifies hardware R&D divisions - report

Nintendo has reportedly established an new Integrated Development Division, the fruit of an initiative last year and its first major restructuring since 2004.

Inside Games reports the new umbrella division brings Nintendo's portable and home console hardware development teams under one organisational structure for the first time, according to auto-translate and NeoGaf users.

Nintendo apparently hopes to optimise hardware development by sharing expertise and skills across the formerly divided teams, accelerate development of online connectivity of hardware, and promote interconnection between disparate systems.

The new division is expected to increase Nintendo's chances of producing "revolutionary" new hardware; think of 3DS units hooking up the Wii U as a matter of course, or Wii U tablets which work as portable consoles in their own rights, and you're probably on track for what it has in mind for the future.

Estimates put the Integrated Development Division's staff at about 1,200, housed in one new building at its Kyoto site.

Nintendo's last significant restructure was the dissolution of the R&D1 and R&D2 teams into Nintendo EAD and Nintendo SPD. CEO and president Satoru Iwata outlined proposed further changes to Nintendo's research and development structure in October 2012.

Thanks, Johnny.