Nintendo spent some time last week explaining its revised strategies, following a rough year for the company. Among those were exploring mobile, streamlining its existing products, and even launching an initiative focused on "quality of life" products. Even with all those gears turning, though, mergers and acquisitions are a possibility.

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata acknowledged the possible strategy during an interview with Nikkei (via Joystiq). "We should abandon old assumptions about our businesses. We are considering M&As as an option," he said. "For this reason, we'll step up share buybacks."

He didn't give any indication of what companies Nintendo might be eyeing for such a move, but he did signal that whatever happens, Nintendo will remain a publicly traded company. Though he acknowledged that quarterly earnings reports are "not a good fit" for Nintendo, he thinks going public has ultimately done the company good. "It is thanks to the stock market that Nintendo has grown to what it is today," Iwata said. "I don't want to turn to a management buyout just because we are inconvenienced now."