ND Cube, the developer behind the Nintendo-published Wii release Wii Party, has been brought into the Big N's fold, according to a new "Iwata Asks" feature on the console-maker's Japanese site. In it, it's revealed that Nintendo has purchased a 96 percent stake in ND Cube, effectively becoming its new owner. (We're counting the days until Nintendo renames it "ND Wii.")

The purchase comes after brisk sales of Wii Party, to the tune of 320k copies sold in its first week on shelves. The game was announced for North American release during E3 and is scheduled to arrive on these shores October 3.