Nintendo Integrated Research & Development

Nintendo
Integrated Research & Development
Native name
任天堂 統合研究開発
Nintendo Integrated Research and Development
Division
Industry Video games
Predecessor Nintendo R&D3
Successor Nintendo PTD
Founded September 30, 2003 (2003-09-30)
Defunct September 16, 2015 (2015-09-16)
Headquarters Kyoto, Japan
Key people
Genyo Takeda
(General Manager)
Satoru Okada
(RED General Manager)
Products Various Nintendo video game consoles
Number of employees
~280[1]
Parent Nintendo
Divisions Integrated Research & Development
Research & Engineering Department

The Nintendo Integrated Research & Development (or IRD) division handled everything related to producing Nintendo's console hardware and associated peripherals. The department was the oldest development faction of Nintendo. Originally formed in the 1980s with engineer Genyo Takeda acting as manager, Nintendo Research & Development 3 was responsible for various hardware technologies and even developed several arcade and console titles. As technology evolved into the 3D era, Takeda's group renamed itself into Integrated Research & Development, 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.

The Nintendo IRD Division was broken up into two departments: the Integrated Research & Development Department (or IRD), which focused on the development of Nintendo home video game console hardware and associated peripherals, and the Research & Engineering Development Department (or RED), which focused on the development of Nintendo handheld video game console hardware and associated peripherals. Both departments were split into several sub-groups. Unlike the software departments, the hardware groups generally worked together on most projects.

On February 16, 2013, Nintendo announced that the Nintendo Research & Engineering Department (or RED), the former hardware group specialized in all engineering and technological aspects of Nintendo's handheld development, was absorbed into Nintendo IRD Division.[2][3] On September 16, 2015, IRD merged with the Nintendo System Development division, becoming the Nintendo Platform Technology Development.[4][5]

Integrated Research & Development Department

General Manager: Genyo Takeda

The Integrated Research & Development Department (or IRD) was the hardware development team responsible for all of Nintendo's home video game consoles and associated peripherals. The department was split into five different groups who worked together on most projects, with each group generally focusing on a different aspect of product design. The manager, Genyo Takeda, and most of the chief engineers originated from the Nintendo R&D3 hardware division.

Group No. 1

Manager/Producer: Hitoshi Yamazaki

Group No. 2

Manager/Producer: Takeshi Nagareda

Group No. 3

Manager/Producer: Junji Takamoto

Group No. 4

Manager/Producer: Shinichiro Tamaki

Group No. 5

Manager/Producer: Akio Ikeda

Title Year Platform(s) Director Producer
EVR Race 1975 Arcade Genyo Takeda
Space Fever 1979 Arcade
SF-HiSplitter 1979 Arcade
Sheriff 1979 Arcade Genyo Takeda
Sheriff 2 1980 Arcade
Space Firebird 1980 Arcade Genyo Takeda
Heli Fire 1980 Arcade
Popeye 1982 Arcade Genyo Takeda
Punch-Out!! 1983 Arcade Genyo Takeda
Super Punch-Out!! 1984 Arcade Genyo Takeda
Arm Wrestling 1985 Arcade Genyo Takeda
Famicom / NES Game Pak 1985 NES
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out! 1987 NES Genyo Takeda Minoru Arakawa
StarTropics 1990 NES Genyo Takeda Genyo Takeda
Zoda's Revenge: StarTropics II 1994 NES Genyo Takeda Genyo Takeda
Super Punch-Out!! 1994 SNES Makoto Wada Genyo Takeda
Nintendo 64 1996 Hardware Genyo Takeda
Pilotwings 64 1996 N64 Makoto Wada Genyo Takeda
Controller Pak 1996 N64
Transfer Pak 1997 N64
Rumble Pak 1997 N64
Expansion Pak 1998 N64
Nintendo 64DD 1999 N64 Takao Sawano Genyo Takeda
Nintendo GameCube 2001 Hardware Genyo Takeda
Nintendo GameCube controller 2001 NGC
Memory Card 2001 NGC
Memory Card 251 2002 NGC
WaveBird Wireless Controller 2002 NGC
Game Boy Player 2003 NGC
Wii 2006 Hardware Ko Shiota Genyo Takeda
Wii Remote (Plus) 2006 (2010) Wii Akio Ikeda Genyo Takeda
Nunchuk 2006 Wii Genyo Takeda
Classic Controller (Pro) 2006 (2009) Wii
Wii Component Cables 2006 Wii
Wii Zapper 2007 Wii Genyo Takeda
Wii Wheel 2008 Wii Kenichiro Ashida Genyo Takeda
Wii Balance Board 2008 Wii Takao Sawano
Wii Speak 2008 Wii Genyo Takeda
Wii Motion Plus 2009 Wii Junji Takamoto Genyo Takeda
Wii U 2012 Hardware Ko Shiota Katsuya Eguchi
Wii U GamePad 2012 Wii U Masato Ibuki Katsuya Eguchi
Wii U Pro Controller 2012 Wii U

Research & Engineering Department

Nintendo Research & Engineering Department
R&D Branch and Subsidiary of Nintendo
Industry Video games
Founded September 30, 2003
Headquarters Kyoto, Japan
Key people
Satoru Okada (General manager)
Products Handheld game consoles
Number of employees
150
Website Nintendo.co.jp

The Research & Engineering Department (or RED) was the hardware development team responsible for all of Nintendo's portable and handheld systems, and associated peripherals. The department was split into four different groups who worked together on most projects, with each group generally focusing on a different aspect of product design. The manager, Satoru Okada, and most of the chief engineers originate from the Nintendo R&D1 hardware division that created all the Game & Watch and hand held LCD cabinets in the early 1980s.[6]

On February 16, 2013, Nintendo RED was combined with Nintendo Integrated Research & Development.[7][3]

Planning Design Group

Manager/Producer: Hironori Akai

Technology Design Group

Manager/Producer: Ryuji Umezu

Mechanical Design Group

Manager/Producer: Kazunori Koshiishi

Industrial Design Group

Manager/Producer: Kenich Sugino

Title Year Platform(s) Director Producer
Game Boy 1989 Hardware Satoru Okada Satoru Okada
Gunpei Yokoi
Virtual Boy 1995 Hardware Kenichi Sugino Gunpei Yokoi
Game Boy Pocket 1996 Hardware Satoru Okada Satoru Okada
Game Boy Light 1998 Hardware Satoru Okada Satoru Okada
Game Boy Camera & Printer 1998 GB Masato Kuwahara Hirokazu Tanaka
Game Boy Color 1998 Hardware Satoru Okada Satoru Okada
Game Boy Advance 2001 Hardware Masahiko Ohta Satoru Okada
Nintendo e-Reader 2002 GBA Kazuhiko Fukuda Satoru Okada
Game Boy Advance SP 2003 Hardware Kenichi Sugino Satoru Okada
Nintendo DS 2004 Hardware Satoru Okada Satoru Okada
Play-Yan 2005 GBA/NDS
Game Boy Micro 2005 Hardware Kenichi Sugino Satoru Okada
Nintendo DS Lite 2006 Hardware Kazuo Yoneyama Satoru Okada
Nintendo DSi 2008 Hardware Masato Kuwahara Satoru Okada
Nintendo DSi XL 2009 Hardware Masato Kuwahara Satoru Okada
Battle & Get! Pokémon Typing DS Keyboard 2011 NDS Masato Kuwahara Tsunekazu Ishihara
Nintendo 3DS 2011 Hardware Kazunori Koshiishi Hideki Konno
Circle Pad Pro (XL) 2012 3DS
Nintendo 3DS XL 2012 Hardware Kazunori Koshiishi Hideki Konno

Discography Credits [8]

References

  1. Steve, Dent. "Nikkei: Nintendo to launch unified console and handheld division by February 16th (update: confirmed)". Engadget. Retrieved 23 March 2014. That's why it's allegedly bringing the brain power from all its divisions together to inaugurate the unified division by February 16th of this year -- transferring in 130 console and 150 handheld engineers, to start.
  2. "Report: Nintendo to Restructure Hardware Divisions". IGN. 2013-01-15.
  3. 1 2 "Nintendo Confirms Hardware Development Reorganization". IGN. 2013-02-01.
  4. Kohler, Chris. "Nintendo Consolidates Its Game Development Teams". Wired. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  5. Rad, Chloi; Otero, Jose. "Nintendo Reveals Restructuring Plans". IGN. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  6. Famitsu Online. Game Boy Micro Development Interview
  7. "Report: Nintendo to Restructure Hardware Divisions". IGN. 2013-01-15.
  8. N-Sider.com. N-Sider Database
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