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Nintendo will propose an amendment to its official charter next month as the company continues to diversify its business model. In a notice issued by president Tatsumi Kimishima, Nintendo detailed an intention to update the company's stated purpose, adding ventures like eating establishments, computer software and health devices to the mix.
The board of directors will meet June 29 to approve the amendment, which outlines new and edited provisions for Nintendo's business. The noted changes are: manufacturing and selling medical devices and computer software, investing in "eating establishments" and licensing the rights to Nintendo's intellectual property.
If approved, these provisions will come as additions to Nintendo's current business focus. That includes selling playing cards, office equipment, paper products — and, of course, games. Nintendo is also currently interested in the management of "restaurants, dining halls, cafes" and related sites.
Former president Satoru Iwata made similar moves to diversify Nintendo's business in 2014. His major initiative was to focus on "quality of life" programs. To that end, Nintendo began developing health-related platforms, such as a sleep monitor and the Vitality Sensor. That canceled Wii accessory was meant to track the user's pulse.
The amendment speaks to recent plans Nintendo has made to broaden its reach to consumers. The company is working with Universal Theme Parks to create new attractions, and is also getting into the movie business.
A smaller but still notable shift is Nintendo's recent commitment to mobile games. It released the first of these, Miitomo, in the spring; the social networking app lost Polygon's attention as quickly as it grabbed it, however.
Nintendo posted a 39.4 percent drop in overall profits during its annual fiscal year financial report last month. The company remained profitable, but game sales overall were down nearly $400 million from the year before. Still, the company remains committed to games: As Wii U and Nintendo 3DS head toward the end of their lifespans, Nintendo is readying its next platform, codename NX, for a March 2017 release.
