Nintendo

Nintendo (Japanese: 任天堂; {{Template:nasdaq|NTDOF}}, {{Template:tyo|7974}}) was originally founded in 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards, for use in a Japanese playing card game of the same name. Over the years, it became a video game company, one of the most powerful in the industry. Aside from video games, Nintendo is also the majority owner of the Seattle Mariners, a Major League Baseball team.

Divisions

First-party

• Nintendo EAD Tokyo — Youngest group inside Nintendo; responsible for .
• Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development (Originally "Nintendo Research & Development 4") — Largest division at Nintendo. Managed by Shigeru Miyamoto. Responsible for Mario, Zelda, and F-Zero franchises.
• Nintendo Integrated Research & Development (Originally "Nintendo Research & Development 3") — Produced arcade games in the 1980s.
• Nintendo Licensing Division — Produces (and licenses) first-party games by independent developers.
• Nintendo Research & Development 1 — Oldest team inside Nintendo.
• Nintendo Research & Development 2 — "Experimental" group, responsible Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble and .
• Nintendo Research & Engineering — Hardware oriented.
• Nintendo Software Planning Division — Specializing in communicating with overseas developers.
• Nintendo Software Technology Corporation — First inhouse development studio of Nintendo of America.
• Nintendo Special Planning & Development — Recently formed development group focusing on Pokémon Mini, the e-Reader, and the Game Boy Advance.

Second-party

• Brownie Brown — Software developer consisting of former members of Squaresoft.
• Game Freak — developer of the Pokémon video game series.
• Genius Sonority — Newly formed developer; responsible for Pokemon Colosseum.
• HAL Laboratory — Responsible for the Kirby franchise, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and the development of the e-Reader.
• Intelligent Systems (Often confused with Nintendo Research & Development 1) — Established in 1986 by members of Nintendo Research & Development 1 to develop games. Responsible for Metroid, Fire Emblem, and Nintendo Wars franchises.
• Retro Studios — Former second-party, now wholly-owned by Nintendo; responsible for the Metroid Prime series.
• iQue — Responsible for Nintendo products in China, partially owned by Nintendo