Gaming giant Nintendo has announced the formation of a new local entity, Nintendo Singapore Pte. Ltd., with the goal of accelerating business across Southeast Asia.
As per a news release on Nintendo’s official Japanese site, the Singapore-based establishment will be represented by managing director Takahiro Miura, who is the current CEO of Nintendo Korea, and will have a capital stock of S$8 million (around US$6 million). In addition, the release also states the company’s plans to further establish its foothold in the region by forming a future entity in Thailand.
Although no further information was provided regarding the specific duties of this new establishment, it does continue in the footsteps of some change-ups within the company, and follows its previous announcement that current Nintendo of America president and chief operating officer Doug Bowser will retire on 31 December 2025, succeeded by 19-year video game industry veteran Devon Pritchard.
Satoru Shibata, a longtime Nintendo executive who previously led Nintendo of Europe, will also join Nintendo of America as CEO while simultaneously continuing his duties at Nintendo’s headquarters in Kyoto, adding a direct link between the company’s HQ and American subsidiaries.
With the shuffles in leadership and business expansion to Southeast Asia, alongside this year’s successful launch of its newest flagship hybrid console, the Nintendo Switch 2, it’s clear that Nintendo has its eyes firmly set on the future as it gears up for a bold new chapter ahead.
More importantly, the formation of a Singapore entity raises the question of whether the company will finally set up a localised Nintendo eShop, a notable omission that has been ongoing despite console competitors like PlayStation and Xbox offering dedicated storefronts for SEA countries like Singapore. Could this move signal the impending formation of Singapore or Thailand eShops? Only time will tell.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
Si Jia
