Nintendo Platform Technology Development

Last updated
Nintendo Platform Technology Development
Native name
任天堂技術開発本部
Romanized name
Nintendō Gijutsu Kaihatsu Honbu
Company type Division
Industry Video games
Predecessors
FoundedSeptember 16, 2015;8 years ago (2015-09-16)
Headquarters,
Japan
Key people
  • General Manager
  • Ko Shiota
  • Deputy General Manager
  • Takeshi Shimada
Parent Nintendo

Nintendo Platform Technology Development, [lower-alpha 1] commonly abbreviated as Nintendo PTD, is a Japanese hardware development division for Nintendo. The division was created in September 2015 after the merger of Nintendo's Integrated Research & Development and System Development divisions. [1] [2]

Contents

History

The Nintendo Platform Technology Development division was created on September 16, 2015, as part of a company-wide organizational restructure that took place under Nintendo's then newly appointed president, Tatsumi Kimishima. The division was created after the merger of two Nintendo's divisions, the Integrated Research & Development (IRD), which specialized in hardware development, and System Development (SDD), which specialized operating system development and its development environment and network services. [2]

The new division assumed both of its predecessors' roles. Ko Shiota, formerly Deputy General Manager of the IRD division, serves as the General Manager, while Takeshi Shimada, formerly Deputy General Manager of the Software Environment Development Department of the SDD division, serves the same role. [2]

The division was responsible for the development of the company's hybrid game console, the Nintendo Switch. [3]

On April 27, 2017, following the retirement of general manager and long-time Nintendo hardware developer Genyo Takeda, Ko Shiota was appointed as his successor. [4]

On April 13, 2018, Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development general manager Shinya Takahashi revealed that Nintendo was working on a new hardware video game system. [5]

Products developed

List of products developed by the Nintendo Platform Technology Development division
YearNamePlatform(s)Ref
2016 Pokémon Go Plus Hardware [6]
NES Classic Edition Hardware
2017 Nintendo Switch [lower-alpha 2] Hardware [3]
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller Nintendo Switch [3]
New Nintendo 2DS XL [lower-alpha 3] Hardware [7]
Super NES Classic Edition Hardware
Joy-Con AA Battery Pack Nintendo Switch [8]
2018 Nintendo Labo [lower-alpha 4] Nintendo Switch [9]
Poké Ball Plus [lower-alpha 4] Hardware [10]
2019 Nintendo Switch Lite Hardware [11]
Ring-Con [lower-alpha 5] Hardware [12]
Leg-Strap [lower-alpha 5] Nintendo Switch [12]
Nintendo Switch Stylus Nintendo Switch [13]
2021 Nintendo Switch OLED Model Hardware
2023Pokémon GO Plus +Hardware
2024Joy-Con Charging Stand Nintendo Switch [14]
TBANintendo Switch SuccessorHardware

Notes

  1. Japanese: 任天堂技術開発本部, Hepburn: Nintendō Gijutsu Kaihatsu Honbu
  2. Includes Joy-Con
  3. Includes New Nintendo 2DS XL stylus
  4. 1 2 Co-Developed with Nintendo EPD
  5. 1 2 Developed for Ring Fit Adventure

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo</span> Japanese video game company

Nintendo Co., Ltd. is a Japanese multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes and releases both video games and video game consoles.

Genyo Takeda is a retired Japanese game designer and executive who worked for the video game company Nintendo. Takeda was formerly the general manager of Nintendo's Integrated Research & Development division, and was the co-representative director and "Technology Fellow" of the company until his retirement in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo Integrated Research & Development</span> Defunct R&D Division of Nintendo

Nintendo Integrated Research & Development Division, commonly abbreviated as Nintendo IRD, was a Japanese developments division that handled everything related to producing Nintendo's console hardware and associated peripherals. Originally established in the 1970s with engineer Genyo Takeda acting as manager, Nintendo Research & Development No. 3 Department and part of the Manufacturing Division, the department was responsible for various hardware technologies and even developed several arcade and console titles. In 2000, as technology evolved into the 3D era, Takeda's group spun-off and established itself as a division into Integrated Research & Development Division, and began spending longer periods of time researching and testing the various and rapidly evolving hardware that would power Nintendo's next generation of consoles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo Software Planning & Development</span> Former division of Nintendo

Nintendo Software Planning & Development Division, commonly abbreviated as Nintendo SPD, was a Japanese research, planning and development division owned by Nintendo and housed inside the Nintendo Development Center in Kyoto, Japan. The division had two departments: Software Planning & Development Department, which primarily co-produced games with external developers; and Software Development & Design Department, which primarily developed experimental and system software. The division was created during a corporate restructuring in September 2003, with the abolition of the Nintendo R&D1 and Nintendo R&D2 departments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo video game consoles</span>

The Japanese multinational consumer electronics company Nintendo has developed seven home video game consoles and multiple portable consoles for use with external media, as well as dedicated consoles and other hardware for their consoles. As of September 30, 2021, in addition to Nintendo Switch, Nintendo has sold over 863.07 million hardware units.

Nintendo System Development Division, commonly abbreviated as Nintendo SDD and formerly known as Nintendo Network Business & Development (NBD), Nintendo Network Service Development (NSD), and Nintendo Special Planning & Development (SPD), was a Japanese division located in the Nintendo Research Institute in Kyoto, Japan, until it moved to the Nintendo Development Center, also in Kyoto. The division consisted of a single development team that focused on software and peripheral development. SDD was composed of two development departments with different duties: the Network Development & Operations Department, which handled Nintendo Network service programming, in cooperation with Nintendo Network Service Database, and the Environment Development Department, which developed Software Development Kits (SDKs), among other technologies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo 3DS</span> Handheld game console

The Nintendo 3DS is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo. The console was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generation console, its primary competitor was Sony's PlayStation Vita.

The eighth generation of video game consoles began in 2012, and consists of four home video game consoles: the Wii U released in 2012, the PlayStation 4 family in 2013, the Xbox One family in 2013, and the Nintendo Switch family in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo 2DS</span> Handheld game console

The Nintendo 2DS is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. Announced in August 2013, the device was released in North America, Europe and Australia on October 12, 2013. The Nintendo 2DS is an entry-level version of the Nintendo 3DS which maintains otherwise identical hardware, similar functionality, and compatibility with software designed for the Nintendo DS and 3DS. However, the 2DS is differentiated by a new slate form factor rather than the clamshell design used by its precursors and by lacking the Nintendo 3DS's signature autostereoscopic 3D display. The 2DS was sold concurrently with existing 3DS models as an incentive to expand the market for Nintendo 3DS games; former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé stated that the 2DS was primarily targeted towards younger players, whom Nintendo had previously advised not to use the 3D functionality on the 3DS due to potential eye health concerns. The Nintendo 2DS's successor, the New Nintendo 2DS XL, was launched in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Spencer (business executive)</span> American business executive

Phil Spencer is an American business executive and the CEO of Microsoft Gaming. Starting his career at Microsoft as an intern in 1988, Spencer has worked in various sectors within the company, including developing Microsoft's first CD-ROM-based titles. He joined the Xbox team in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Nintendo 3DS</span> Handheld game console

The New Nintendo 3DS is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It is the fourth system in the Nintendo 3DS family of handheld consoles, following the original Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL, and Nintendo 2DS. The system was released in Japan on October 11, 2014, in Australia and New Zealand on November 21, 2014, on January 6, 2015 in Europe in a special Club Nintendo-exclusive "Ambassador Edition", and at retail in Europe on February 13, 2015. Like the original 3DS, the New Nintendo 3DS also has a larger variant, the New Nintendo 3DS XL, released in all three regions. In North America, the New Nintendo 3DS XL was released on February 13, 2015, while the standard-sized New Nintendo 3DS was released later on September 25, 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo Switch</span> Hybrid video game console

The Nintendo Switch is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the Wii U and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4; it also competes with the ninth-generation consoles, Microsoft's Xbox Series X/S and Sony's PlayStation 5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development</span> Division of Nintendo

Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development Division, abbreviated Nintendo EPD, is the largest division within the Japanese video game company Nintendo. The division focuses on developing and producing video games, mobile apps, and other related entertainment software for the company. Nintendo EPD was established in September 2015 after merging their Entertainment Analysis & Development and Software Planning & Development divisions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joy-Con</span> Nintendo Switch game controller

Joy-Con are the primary game controllers for the Nintendo Switch video game console. They consist of two individual units, each containing an analog stick and an array of buttons. They can be used while attached to the main Nintendo Switch console unit, or detached and used wirelessly; when detached, a pair of Joy-Con can be used by a single player, or divided between two as individual controllers. The controllers have been criticized for the tendency of the analog sticks to register inputs when not being touched, which is commonly referred to as Joy-Con drift.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo Switch Pro Controller</span> Alternative controller for the Nintendo Switch

The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is a video game controller developed by Nintendo and produced by various manufacturers for use with the Nintendo Switch console. It serves as an alternative to the Joy-Con controllers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo Labo</span> Toys-to-life concept by Nintendo

Nintendo Labo is a toys-to-life concept developed by Nintendo and released in April 2018. Labo consists of 2 parts, where one part is a game and one part is multiple sheets of cardboard. The games come as kits that include cardboard cut-outs and other materials that are to be assembled in combination with the Nintendo Switch console display and Joy-Con controllers to create a "Toy-Con" that can interact with the included game software and vice versa. Nintendo designed Labo as a way to teach principles of engineering and basic programming.

<i>Pokémon: Lets Go, Pikachu!</i> and <i>Lets Go, Eevee!</i> 2018 video games

Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! are 2018 remakes of the 1998 Game Boy role-playing video game Pokémon Yellow. They were developed by Game Freak and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. Announced in May 2018, Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! were released worldwide for the Nintendo Switch on 16 November 2018. The games are part of the seventh generation of the Pokémon video game series and are the first main series installments to be released for a home game console. They feature connectivity with the mobile game Pokémon Go and support an optional controller, the Poké Ball Plus.

References

  1. Kohler, Chris. "Nintendo Consolidates Its Game Development Teams". Wired. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 Rad, Chloi; Otero, Jose (14 September 2015). "Nintendo Reveals Restructuring Plans". IGN. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 Conditt, Jessica (14 December 2017). "Nintendo is really excited about the Switch's detachable gamepads". Engadget. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  4. Yoshimura, Takuya (April 27, 2017). "Notice Regarding Retirement of a Representative Director and Management Changes" (PDF). Nintendo. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  5. Barder, Ollie. "Shinya Takahashi Of Nintendo Hints At New Hardware But What Will Happen To The Switch?". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-01-11.
  6. Frank, Allegra (2016-07-11). "Pokémon Go Plus: Everything you need to know (update)". Polygon. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
  7. Stein, Scott. "How the Nintendo 2DS XL can succeed alongside Nintendo Switch". CNET. Retrieved 2019-01-16.
  8. Statt, Nick (2017-04-12). "Nintendo introduces new neon yellow Joy-Con color and controller battery pack". The Verge. Retrieved 2019-01-16.
  9. Webster, Andrew (17 January 2018). "Nintendo is making a bunch of weird DIY cardboard toys for the Switch and they're awesome". The Verge. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  10. "Poké Ball Plus Patent (2019-202117)". j-platpat.inpit.go.jp. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
  11. Bankhurst, Adam (2019-07-10). "Nintendo Switch Lite Specs, Features, Release Date Announced". IGN. Retrieved 2019-11-02.
  12. 1 2 Bankhurst, Adam (2019-09-05). "Nintendo Teases 'New Experience' for Nintendo Switch" . Retrieved 2019-11-07.
  13. Haider, Ali (2019-09-30). "Brain Age announced for Nintendo Switch in Japan, Stylus revealed". Twisted Voxel. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
  14. Liszewski, Andrew (2024-07-18). "Nintendo finally made its own Joy-Con controller charging station". The Verge . Retrieved 2024-07-18.