Nintendo has taken significant steps into the mobile gaming landscape having released Super Mario Run and, most recently, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. But according to a new report, the company wants to increase its involvement in the mobile games industry in a big way.

A new report from The Wall Street Journal cites sources who say that Nintendo hopes to partner with more mobile game developers in order to release more mobile games faster. These partnerships would not be like its partnership with DeNA, which saw Nintendo make an investment in the company.

Nintendo reportedly had talks with Puzzle & Dragons developer GungHo Online Entertainment regarding a partnership. Not only does GungHo have games on mobile devices and the Nintendo 3DS, but it also released Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition, so a partnership between the two companies would have been well-suited. However, GungHo responded to the report denying that any talks have taken place.

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Nintendo is so interested in forming new partnerships because it was unable to release five mobile games by March 2017, as it had initially planned. Nintendo was also incredibly slow to get into the mobile gaming market. For years, the company maintained that the best strategy was to focus on in-house development and the games it releases on its own platform.

Super Mario Run missed its sales target and fewer players than expected chose to spend $10 to unlock the full game. Miitomo, Nintendo's first mobile game, did not exactly set the sales charts alight either. Fire Emblem Heroes and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp seem to have performed better so far, but Nintendo may still be hoping for financial success on the same level as Pokemon GO. Releasing more mobile games will increase the company's chances of making an impact, finding new fans of its game worlds, and getting people to purchase its console systems and games.

Nintendo is working on a Legend of Zelda mobile game but it's unclear what other franchises might get the mobile treatment as part of these partnerships. There are plenty of series that would be perfect for adaptation such as Donkey Kong, Mario Kart, and Super Smash Bros. Whatever games it adapts and characters the games include, fans will have high expectations for whatever Nintendo comes up with, so hopefully those partnerships will bear fruit soon.

Source: The Wall Street Journal