Nintendo has announced today that it is acquiring distribution company JESNET in a deal worth $47 million.

JESNET will become a Nintendo subsidiary next April, and the firm will work closely with video game wholesale firm AJIOKA to assist in bringing Nintendo's products to market.

Here's a section from the official PR:

As a manufacturer of video game systems, Nintendo is committed to bringing smiles to people across the world through products and services. To continue to produce an unprecedented level of fun, Nintendo has worked to produce products that anyone can enjoy, regardless of their age, gender or past gaming experience. At the same time, JESNET and AJIOKA have been the largest-scale companies dedicated to handling Nintendo products in Japan for many years, selling mainly video game systems through their nation-wide distribution network. This subsidiarization and acceptance of assignment of business will unify Nintendo's product development acumen with JESNET's and AJIOKA's robust stocking and sales networks to form a supply structure that can meet consumer demand in a timely fashion. This means that Nintendo will have an integrated system from the development through supply of its products, allowing for rapid decision-making and an improvement in sales service. These steps are intended to strengthen the overall competitiveness of the Nintendo group and increase its corporate value.

While it might not seem like the most interesting bit of business on paper, it means that Nintendo will effectively control every element of the game production process - from conception to development and ultimately distribution to its customers.