Nintendo steps outside into a new market, this time South Korea is the focus. The country which has seen vast changes in its culture over the past decade or two, South Korea is one of the fastest developing markets and already has a strong music, TV and film industry.

The Japanese giants will setup a new wholly owned subsidiary which will initially be focused on localising DS Lite products whilst preparing for Nintendo's Wii home console.

"The new division is set to open its doors on July 7th, supported by an initial investment of approximately 30 billion Yen (20.5 million Euro). Initial development on Korean language localisation of DS Lite titles is expected to begin as soon as July 20th. Nintendo's Korean operations will be led by Mineo Kouda, and the company aims to rapidly drive sales of both hardware and software in the region, expanding the reach of the DS Lite and paving the way for a new audience for its forthcoming console, the Nintendo Wii."

It's true that Koreans have already been able to play Nintendo, however titles have never before been translated into the local language, which obviously deters the majority of the market. The Korean consumers could prove a huge asset to Nintendo's continued growth throughout the world. Watch this space.

[source gamesindustry.biz]