Saudi Arabia wants to increase investment in Nintendo

Key Takeaways

Saudi Arabia aims to become a gaming hub by 2030 by investing heavily in the gaming industry.
The country is Nintendo's largest shareholder and also holds stakes in other gaming giants.
Saudi Arabia has no plans to impact game development, but some titles have been censored before release in the country.

Saudi Arabia's prince has expressed interest in continuing relations with the kingdom. nintendo. The gaming market is primarily based in the US and Japan, with Nintendo controlling the majority of the space, but other countries have also shown initiative to become more involved in the industry, which could potentially lead to games reaching unexpected spots. there is. It's unclear whether this relationship will impact future game content, but it seems unlikely.

Saudi Arabia is making progress in the entertainment business. To diversify the country's economy, Savvy Games Group, a state-funded company involved in several aspects of the gaming industry, including esports and publishing, has made progress to expand its reach. Saudi Arabia has been investing billions of dollars into gaming, and this doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Savvy Games Group has revealed plans to continue allocating key pieces of the gaming market with the goal of making Saudi Arabia a gaming hub by 2030.

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Saudi Arabia Becomes Nintendo's Largest Investor

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund has increased its stake in Nintendo and become the company's largest outside investor.

Kyodo News interviewed Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia at the Tokyo Game Show 2024, and he expressed further interest in investing in Japanese games. As the country transitions away from an oil-dependent economy, a group of sovereign wealth funds has increased its investment in gaming, with the Public Investment Fund taking nearly a tenth of Nintendo's stake. Asked about the possibility of going further, the prince said “it's always a possibility” and noted that any moves he and the country make to increase their stake in Nintendo will be made in agreement with the company while maintaining positive communication. Nintendo's stock price soared following news of Saudi Arabia's continued interest in the relationship, with shares up nearly 4%.

Saudi Arabia is willing to invest more in Nintendo

Saudi Arabia is now Nintendo's largest shareholder, and its influence extends elsewhere. While not the biggest investor to some, the country owns significant portions of other gaming giants, including holding about 10% of Nexon, 5% of Capcom and 9% of EA. Saudi Arabia appears to have no plans to directly influence video game development. But beyond these investments, various elements of some titles include: spiderman 2 It was censored ahead of its domestic release.

As gaming becomes more connected to Saudi Arabia, restrictions like these may receive more attention. Vietnam plans to host its first Olympic esports games in 2025, which will further highlight the growing relationship between the country and the multinational gaming market. 2025 could be a crucial year for Saudi Arabia and gaming, and with the competition coming soon comes a Switch sequel.