Recently there were news stories about Nintendo's market cap surpassing 10 trillion yen (3rd largest Japanese company), and i beleive Sony was about 5.5 trillion at the time (somewhere around 15th/16th)

The next company above Nintendo in the Japanese top 10 is Mitsubishi corp (a banking firm i think...not the cars) at about 12-13 trillion....and the top Japanese company is Toyota with something likw 23 trillion.

Most of the publishers you name could not be bought by Nintendo or anyone, Soriku. However, I think that Nintendo COULD buy their old nemesis, Sega.

Unfortunately, that would be a sign of the Apocalypse, so I think Nintendo will probably play it safe.

For the cost of a publisher the size of Square Enix, Nintendo could produce over 100 new development studios and finance a full generation worth of projects for the Wii; at the end of this they (probably) would have produced more important games for the generation than Square Enix could provide.

Buying a developer/publisher doesn't make sense unless they're dramatically underpriced and their corporate culture already matches your own.

Those publishers are much too large for Nintendo to just out-right buy, because as DK said they all have large projects with a lot of money invested that would just have to be cancelled.

I could see Nintendo buying Atari, because they're in a lot of hot water right now. The same goes for SEGA. They're in a much better position than Atari is, but their relationship with SAMMY doesn't seem to be working out. I could also see Nintendo buying SNK-Playmore.

The question is not who is buying but who is selling? Not all companies want to be bought and hostile takeovers aren't exactly the best of practices.

I would imagine that, when buying another company, one would look at the IPs/raw talent that company has and how it can serve to strengthen your business. It is a tough decision with quite some risks and you would need to justify the purchase to the stakeholders.

^ like Rare, all the best people left after going to MS...maybe Nintendo should get Free Radical.

Nintendo just bought Monolith studios (The ones from... Well, the Japanese one...)

Edit: Hell yeah, Nintendo should buy Free radical! Not too big! Make great games! Are Ex-rare!... Already have good realations with Nintendo...

However, Nintendo has to act fast... For Sony is trying to get em too (Haze going PS3 exclusive can't be cuzz the console is selling so well, i think Sony gave em a bag of cash )...

I'd say Nintendo would be best off buying Grasshopper or Atlus. Thing is, they already seem 100% dedicated to Nintendo, so I guess it wouldn't have alot of point anyway :P.

But no, I don't like the idea of a company buying studios and stuff. Great games shoudn't come from a shedload of money being thrown at them, it should come from a bit of luck and intellect. Not sure if that happens anymore, but it's nice to think it does.

Would have been great if Nintendo bought Clover Studio's though, even though that wouldn't have made any financial sense.

Perhaps Nintendo should buy SCEI

None of those will be bought anytime soon, along with Sega as they are now Sega-Sammy which would cost a bundle.

Plus if the Rare fiasco shows us anything, buying a 3rd party developer doesnt guarantee any return. Its much better to either make a developer 2nd party or if you are to buy one, then make sure you already have good relations and wont put you in the black.

Now I can see R* being bought as Take-Two is getting a beating and might need some relief.