Since 2022, Nintendo has been building an entirely new research and development center in Kyoto, seemingly for console and game production, but unfortunately, its official opening has been delayed again until 2029. Nintendo has been on a great streak of game and hardware launches over the past year, but as the industry evolves, it appears that the company’s decisions might be squeezing some wallets.
Originally announced four years ago, Nintendo bought a large amount of land in Kyoto for what was then called the “Corporate Headquarters Development Center, Building No. 2” for game research and development. At that time, fans were curious about what that building would contain, given that speculation about a Switch successor was at a fever pitch, and buildings like these usually indicate that companies are planning to scale up hardware production. However, four years later, the Switch 2 is out and pumping out games, but it appears the building is still not completed and is facing another delay.
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Nintendo’s Technology Development Center Delayed Until 2029
The newly renamed “Technology Development Center” in Kyoto is now planned to open in March 2029, costing the company a total of ¥121 billion, or $747.7 million USD. Previously, Nintendo’s new R&D center was planned to open in 2027 after the company announced the project in 2022, but it was later delayed to 2028 as the building’s scale grew, and this most recent delay has seemingly no explanation. Nintendo states that the Technology Development Center’s main purpose will be to facilitate research and development for new Nintendo hardware and software, with plans to continue investing in the complex in the future.
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The building is planned to have a total area of 6,084 square meters and an actual floor area of 49,305 square meters, with nine floors and a basement. In 2023, Nintendo stated that it plans to add even more floors to the new Tech Development Center, allegedly anticipating long-term staff increases over the coming years. As of now, the company has not issued a statement on whether that is still the case, but rising costs in tech and game production may prompt Nintendo to change its strategy soon. The Nintendo Switch 2 already has a price bump incoming, and it might be too early to tell if any new editions of the console are in the works to keep the R&D work moving, if at all.
Nintendo’s Technology Development Center is likely to be the workshop where multiple new pieces of hardware are created and tested. The Switch 2 launched with tons of accessories, some of which have been selling out regularly since launch. For example, the Switch 2 GameCube controller has been in and out of stock regularly this year, while the N64 controller was exceedingly hard to find for multiple months after launch. However, given current hardware production costs, it will be interesting to see what Nintendo’s output of new consoles and accessories will be when the new center opens.
On the software side, Nintendo is still cranking out plenty of games for this year and beyond. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake is slated for later this year and will be one of the biggest games launching this fall, along with Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave in September. Fortune’s Weave, in particular, is interesting because it is priced at a high $80 USD, likely due to the current state of the global economy and the tech world. How Nintendo will navigate the creation of new hardware and software as the gaming industry changes remains to be seen.
