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Nintendo is one of the world's biggest video game developing companies, having created multiple successful franchises. Because of its storied history, the developer employs a methodical system of software and hardware development that is mainly centralized within its offices in Kyoto and Tokyo, in cooperation with Redmond. The company also owns several worldwide subsidiaries and funds partner affiliates that contribute technology and software for the Nintendo brand.^[1][2]

Main offices [link]

Nintendo Central Office

Nintendo Tokyo Office

Nintendo Kyoto Research Center

Nintendo Co., Ltd (NCL) has a central office located in Minami-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan ({{#invoke:Coordinates|coord}}{{#coordinates:34|58|11.89|N|135|45|22.33|E| | |name= }}) and a nearby building, its pre-2000 headquarters, now serving as a research and development building, located in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan ({{#invoke:Coordinates|coord}}{{#coordinates:34|58|29.00|N|135|46|10.48|E| | |name= }}). Its original Kyoto headquarters can still be found at ({{#invoke:Coordinates|coord}}{{#coordinates:34|59|30.03|N|135|45|58.66|E| | |name= }}). Additionally, Nintendo has a third operation in Tokyo, Japan, where research and development, manufacturing, and clerical work are conducted. All three offices are interconnected and have video conferences often for communication and presentation purposes.

In 2009, it was revealed that Nintendo was expanding both its Redmond and Kyoto offices. The new office building complex of Nintendo of America in Redmond is 275,250 square feet (Bad rounding here{{#invoke:Math|precision_format| 25,571.56176 | 1-4 }} m²) and would expand its localization, development, debugging, production, and clerical teams. Nintendo Co., Ltd. announced the purchase of 40,000 square-meter lot that would house an all new research and development (R&D) office that would make it easier for the company's two other Kyoto R&D offices to collaborate easier as well as expand the total work force on new upcoming console development and new software for current and future hardware.^[3][4]

Nintendo owns several buildings throughout Kyoto and Tokyo housing subsidiary and affiliated development studios. One of the more famous buildings is the Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo building – previously known as the Nintendo Tokyo Prefecture Building – now jokingly called The Pokémon Building, accommodates the complete Pokémon family which includes The Pokémon Company, Creatures Inc., and Genius Sonority.^[5]

• Nintendo Central Office – Kyoto, Japan – Nintendo main R&D divisions, SRD
• Nintendo Kyoto Research Center – Kyoto, Japan – Super Mario Club, Intelligent Systems
• Nintendo Tokyo Office – Tokyo, Japan – Nintendo EAD Tokyo Group
• Nintendo Osaka Office – Osaka, Japan –
• Nintendo Sapporo Office – Sapporo, Japan – closed
• Nintendo Fukuoka Office – Fukuoka, Japan – closed
• Nintendo of America inc. Headquarters – Redmond, United States – NOA Treehouse, Nintendo Software Technology
• Nintendo of Europe GmbH – Großostheim, Germany
• Nintendo Australia Pty Ltd – Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
• Nintendo Tokyo Prefecture Building – Tokyo, Japan – The Pokémon Company, Creatures Inc., Genius Sonority.
  

Research & Development Divisions [link]

Entertainment Analysis & Development (EAD) [link]

{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}} The Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development (or EAD) division is the premier development arm at Nintendo. The group is the largest concentration of R&D, housing more than 800 engineers and designers. The division is rather large and currently broken into seven different subdivisions, each led by a designated producer and group manager. The overseeing managers are Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. Currently, five divisions are located in the central Kyoto R&D building under the Software Development Department, while two divisions reside in the Tokyo offices under the Tokyo Software Development Department.

Software Planning & Development (SPD) [link]

{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}} The Nintendo Software Planning & Development (or SPD) division is the development group includes several of the original development officers from the old software and hardware development sectors. While the group leaders are decade old veterans, the bulk of the development teams working alongside are mainly younger employees. The division is broken up into two departments; Software Planning & Development Department and Software Design & Development Department.

Integrated Research & Development (IRD) [link]

{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}} The Nintendo Integrated Research & Development (or IRD) division is Nintendo's hardware group specialized in all engineering and technological aspects of Nintendo's home console and handheld development. The division also houses industrial designers who design peripherals such as the WaveBird, Wii Zapper, and Wii steering wheel. The group was originally known as Research and Development Department 3 (R&D3),^[6] with the same primary functions, with the exception that manager Genyo Takeda enjoyed moonlighting by developing console and arcade games. On February 16, 2013, Nintendo IRD was combined with Nintendo Research & Engineering Department (or RED), the former hardware group specialized in all engineering and technological aspects of Nintendo's handheld development.^[7][8]
Integrated Research & Development Department (IRD)

• Nintendo IRD Product Group No. 1
• Nintendo IRD Product Group No. 2
• Nintendo IRD Product Group No. 3
• Nintendo IRD Product Group No. 4
• Nintendo IRD Industrial Design Group

Research & Engineering Department (RED)

• Nintendo RED Planning Design Group
• Nintendo RED Technology Design Group
• Nintendo RED Mechanical Design Group
• Nintendo RED Industrial Design Group
  

Nintendo Network Business Department (NBD) [link]

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The Nintendo Network Business Department (or NBD) division, which used to be centered in peripheral and software development, is currently a hybrid development group with several distinct duties. The development team originates from Nintendo Research & Development 2 and was mainly responsible for ports and inhouse development for low profile hardware like the Pokémon Mini and the Super Famicom Satellaview service. The department handles most Nintendo Network programming and server maintenance inside Nintendo's in-house projects and throughout various other external Nintendo software in cooperation with Nintendo Network Services. Lastly, the department also cooperates in software development. The group also created mechanical devices and peripherals like the Pokéwalker and Pokémotion. Current general manager, Masaru Shimomura described the group as a small creative unit that has a hardware and a software team working jointly together to create innovative products.^[9]

Nintendo Network Planning Group - Software development

Nintendo Mechanical Design Group - Hardware development

Research & Development Subsidiaries [link]

Nintendo Software Technology (NST) [link]

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{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}} Nintendo Software Technology (or NST) is an American-based software development arm with a direct connection to the Nintendo-funded DigiPen University. The development team also features several employees who were transplanted from Nintendo Co., Ltd, Rockstar Games, and Electronic Arts among others.

Nintendo Technology Development (NTD) [link]

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Nintendo Technology Development (or NTD) is an American-based technology development arm responsible for platform development, technology development, and chipset design.

Nintendo European Research & Development (NERD) [link]

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Nintendo European Research & Development (or NERD) is a technology and middleware development team located in Paris, France. The company was known as Mobiclip until acquired and renamed by Nintendo in 2012.^[10]

Mobiclip video codecs

NERD video codecs

1. in cooperation with Vidyo
2. in cooperation with Nintendo Software Development & Design

Nintendo Network Service Database (NSD) [link]

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Nintendo Network Service Database (or NSD) was formerly known as Wii no Ma Co., Ltd. Originally created by Nintendo to provide digital entertainment as a service for Wii owners. The company has since been renamed.

Software Development Subsidiaries [link]

1-UP Studio [link]

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1-UP Studio is a Nintendo-funded and owned software development studio located in Tokyo, Japan.

HAL Laboratory [link]

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HAL Laboratory is software development studio located in Tokyo, Japan.

Creatures Inc. [link]

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Intelligent Systems [link]

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{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}} Intelligent Systems is a software development studio located in Kyoto, Japan. This studio primarily focuses on the Fire Emblem series, and has worked with Nintendo since the launch of the NES. It is 100% owned and directed by Nintendo of Japan.

Monolith Soft [link]

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{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}} Monolith Soft is a software development studio located in Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan. This studio was previously owned by Namco Bandai, until 2007 when Namco-Bandai transferred 80% of its 96% stake to Nintendo. At a later date the remaining 16% was sold so the company is currently 96% Nintendo owned and 4% third parties. In 2011, Monolith Soft opened a second studio in Kyoto, Japan.

Tokyo Software Development Studio

• Xenosaga series
• Baten Kaitos series
• Xenoblade

Kyoto Software Development Studio

• Unnamed Nintendo 3DS project
  

Nd Cube [link]

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Nd Cube is a software development studio located in Tokyo and Sapporo, Japan. Nintendo and Nintendo advertising firm Dentsu co-ventured this software studio which is 98% Nintendo owned, and 2% by undisclosed parties.

Retro Studios [link]

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Retro Studios is a software development studio located in Austin, Texas, United States. Former Nintendo of America employee Michael Kelbaugh was appointed president of the branch. It is 100% owned and directed by Nintendo of Japan.

Affiliated/contracted developers [link]

Former Nintendo development teams [link]

Nintendo development teams [link]

• Nintendo Research & Development 1 (or Nintendo R&D1) (1970–2002): The original game development team at Nintendo. Originally created in the 1970s by Hiroshi Imanishi as the "games division" of Nintendo Co., Ltd. Gunpei Yokoi was the original engineer and inventor designated to create electronic toys and arcade coin-operated software. With the conception of the Famicom (called the Nintendo Entertainment System in the West), and Game Boy, the group was reassigned to concentrate on developing the premier software for console and portable gaming straying away from its original toys, Game & Watch, and arcade roots.
• Nintendo Research & Development 2 (or Nintendo R&D2) (1972–2002): This group mainly concentrated on hardware technology and system operating tools. Masayuki Uemura was hired away from Sharp Corporation where he specialized in solar cell technology. The solar technology fueled the original bean gun games which Nintendo introduced to huge success. The team would go on to develop several peripherals and eventually even some video game software. The team generally assisted Nintendo R&D1 and Nintendo R&D3 with their arcade games, but it also became the first team to specialize in software ports at Nintendo with the task of porting all the original arcade titles like Donkey Kong, Mario Bros., and Popeye to the Famicom.^[14]
• Nintendo Research & Development 3 (or Nintendo R&D3) (1974–1996): Originally created as a hardware engineering division, Genyo Takeda managed to diversify his group and create software on the same arcade boards being designed for Gunpei Yokoi's R&D1 team. After developing the arcade hits like Sheriff, Punch-Out!! and Arm Wrestling, the team was involved in developing a variety of unique software for the NES that was mainly aimed at the Western market, Mike Tyson's Punch-Out and StarTropics to name a few. The team also helped create bank switching and the MMC chips in the NES cartridges.
• Nintendo Tokyo R&D Products (1987–1989): In the early 1980s, Nintendo planned to expand software R&D into the Tokyo manufacturing branch building to operate alongside its overcrowded Kyoto headquarters. The initial plans became delayed and shortly after the development of the original Mother, the group ceased development.
• Nintendo of America (NOA) Special-Projects (1990–1994): The first development branch at Nintendo of America. Nintendo wanted to deliver more software based at the U.S. market following the trails of the Sega Genesis marketing blitz. Nintendo of America appointed product analysts Jeff Hutt and Don James to head the division. The group initially concentrated on sports games, which lead to the NES Play Action and Ken Griffey, Jr. Presents Major League Baseball franchises.
• Nintendo Research & Engineering Department (or Nintendo RED) was the hardware development team responsible for all of Nintendo's portable and hand held systems. The manager Satoru Okada and most of the chief engineers originate from the old Nintendo R&D1 hardware division that created all the Game & Watch and hand held LCD cabinets.^[15] On February 16, 2013, Nintendo RED was combined with the Nintendo Integrated Research & Development (or IRD) division.^[7][8]

Affiliated development teams [link]

• St.GIGA - Games for the Satellaview

  Stopped making games for Nintendo when the Satellaview was discontinued. Eventually, they went out of business.

• Radical Entertainment - Mario's Time Machine, Mario is Missing!

  Stopped making games for Nintendo after the Mario Discovery series ended. Now a fully owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard.

• Left Field Productions – Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside series

  Bought out Nintendo's stake in the company in 2002.^[16]

• Rare - Donkey Kong Country series, GoldenEye 007, Star Fox Adventures, Diddy Kong Racing, Donkey Kong 64, Conker's Bad Fur Day, Banjo-Kazooie, Diddy Kong Racing DS

  Sold to Microsoft Studios in 2002.^[17]

• Marigul Management

  Closed in 2003.

• Silicon Knights – Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem

  Publishing contract with Nintendo ended in 2004.^[18]

• Factor 5 - Star Wars: Rogue Squadron series

  Closed in 2009.

• Cing – Hotel Dusk: Room 215, Another Code: Two Memories

  Filed for bankruptcy in 2010.

• Hudson Soft - Mario Party series

  Absorbed into Konami in 2012.

• Project Sora – Kid Icarus: Uprising

  Closed in 2012^[19]

See also [link]

• List of products published by Nintendo

References [link]

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