Creatures (company)

Creatures Inc.
Private
Industry Video games
Founded November 8, 1995
Headquarters Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan
Key people
Hirokazu Tanaka
(President)
Products Various video game titles for Nintendo
Number of employees
84[1] (as of April 2014)
Website creatures.co.jp

Creatures Inc. (株式会社クリーチャーズ Kabushiki-gaisha Kurīchāzu) is an affiliate of Nintendo and a Japanese video game development company. It was founded by Tsunekazu Ishihara in November 1995, as a successor to Shigesato Itoi's company Ape Inc.[2] It is well known for producing Pokémon card games and toys. Its current President is Hirokazu Tanaka. The company has its headquarters on the second floor of the Gobancho KU Building (五番町KUビル Gobanchō KU Biru) in Chiyoda, Tokyo,[3] in proximity to the Japan Rail Ichigaya Station.[4]

History

Ape Inc. was founded in March 1989 and Shigesato Itoi became its chief executive officer. Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi had wanted to support new talent in game design. Liking Itoi's work, he proposed the idea of the company to Itoi and invested in it. Ape's staff included Tsunekazu Ishihara, who later became the Pokémon Company's CEO, and Ashura Benimaru Itoh, a renowned illustrator. They began work on Mother, which released in July. Its music was composed by Hip Tanaka, who later became the second CEO of Creatures.[5] The team continued with work on Mother 2. When the project began to falter, Satoru Iwata of HAL Laboratories was brought in to help the project. The game was released in August 1994 and the Ape team dismantled.

Creatures, Inc. was established on November 8, 1995 under CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara and former staff from Ape.[5][6]

Previously Creatures had its headquarters on the 7th floor of the Nintendo Kanda Building (任天堂神田ビル Nintendō Kanda Biru) in Sudachō, Chiyoda, Tokyo.[7] At a later point it was headquartered in the fifth floor annex of the kawasakiteitoku Building (川崎定徳ビル kawasakiteitoku Biru) in Nihonbashi, Chūō, Tokyo.[8] Creatures are also well known for making Pokémon card games and toys for the Pokémon Franchise.[9]

List of games developed

Nintendo Entertainment System

Super Nintendo Entertainment System

Nintendo 64

Game Boy

Game Boy Color

Game Boy Advance

Nintendo DS

Wii

Nintendo 3DS

References

  1. "会社概要". http://www.creatures.co.jp/. Creatures Inc. Retrieved 1 July 2014. External link in |website= (help)
  2. "スペシャル対談/後編1・田尻さんと石原さんの6年". 任天堂マガジン表紙(No.23). Nintendo Co., Ltd. July 2007. Retrieved February 12, 2011.
  3. "Company." Creatures Inc. Retrieved on October 4, 2010.
  4. "Access Map." (Direct image link) Creatures Inc. Retrieved on October 4, 2010.
  5. 1 2 http://earthboundcentral.com/2009/03/quick-history-of-the-mother-series/
  6. "Company Profile." Creatures Inc. Retrieved on October 4, 2010. "設立 1995年11月8日"
  7. "Creatures Welcome Page." Creatures Inc. March 2, 2000. Retrieved on October 4, 2010. "千代田区神田須田町1–22任天堂神田ビル7F"
  8. "Welcome to Creatures Inc." Creatures Inc. Retrieved on October 4, 2010. "東京都中央区日本橋3-2-5川崎定徳ビル別館5F."
  9. "Creatures Pokémon game cards and toys." Creatures Inc. Retrieved on October 4, 2010. "ポケモンカードゲームXY スーパーレジェンドデッキ60「ゼルネアスEX・イベルタルEX」2014.11.14"
  10. http://www.pokemon.co.jp/ex/TANTEI-PIKA/

External links

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