Report: Nintendo To Begin Construction On $154M R&D Facility In 2012

Nintendo will spend 12.8 billion yen ($154 million) on a new Kyoto-based R&D facility, which will house 1,500 employees and help consolidate current operations, media reports said this week. The new office, built on top of a former golf range, will be located closer to Nintendo's headquarters, as both buildings will be located in Kyoto's Minami Ward, according to a Japanese news translation on Andriasang. News of the new R&D facility emerged in February 2009, but Nintendo had no timeline for the construction of the building. The latest report now confirms that construction of the seven-story building will begin in 2012, with completion planned for 2013. Nintendo purchased the property -- over 40,000 square meters -- in 2008. By bringing R&D operations closer to company headquarters, Nintendo intends to improve communication between staff in its R&D department and the main office. The facility will be the Mario house's primary R&D location, with its staff concentrating mainly on software and hardware product development.