Please, file this story in the "Rumor, with a dash of speculation" folder: Here is an interesting article from CNET that proffers some potential targets for Cisco's expanding empire. If you're not familiar with Cisco, they make routers, servers, software, etc. that helps to power the internet and many businesses. Over the past few years they've been on a buying spree in an attempt to get into the consumer products business. The article suggests that one company on which Cisco has its eye is Nintendo.

Over the next few years gaming will continue to rely more and more on broadband; Cisco's forte. Nintendo already has a powerful application in Nintendo Wi-Fi, a wireless network used in conjunction with the Nintendo DS and the to-be-released Nintendo Revolution.

So, what would happen if Nintendo were to be purchased by Cisco? From the consumer's point of view, I doubt that they would see much difference. Nintendo already has it's plans for both software and hardware. Plans that have proven to be very effective (look at Nintendogs, for example). I doubt that Cisco would want to mess with their strategy.

Instead, Nintendo would have a vast amount of resources with which to work. Not only would they have more cash for developing games and hardware, but they'd have a direct line into a huge broadband network.

In all honesty, I doubt that Nintendo would go for such a deal. They seem too proud to let something like that happen.