Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development

Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development Division,[a] 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.

Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development
Native name
任天堂企画制作本部
Nintendō Kikaku Seisaku Honbu
Company typeDivision
IndustryVideo games
Predecessors
FoundedSeptember 16, 2015; 9 years ago (2015-09-16)
Headquarters,
Japan
Number of locations
2 (Kyoto and Tokyo)
Key people
Brands
ParentNintendo

History

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The division was created on September 16, 2015, after the consolidation of two of Nintendo's former software divisions, Entertainment Analysis & Development (EAD) and Software Planning & Development (SPD), as part of a company-wide organizational restructure under Nintendo's newly appointed president, Tatsumi Kimishima.[1][2][3]

The division assumed both of its predecessors' roles, focusing on the development of games and software for Nintendo platforms and mobile devices; it also manages and licenses the company's various intellectual properties, alongside producing and supervising development for external studios.

Shinya Takahashi, former general manager of Nintendo SPD,[4] has the same title in EPD, with Yoshiaki Koizumi, Katsuya Eguchi, Eiji Aonuma, and Hisashi Nogami as deputy general managers, and, Kensuke Tanabe, Yoshio Sakamoto and Takashi Tezuka as senior officers. The others had been in such positions since the division's formation, and Aonuma, Tanabe, and Nogami were promoted into higher positions within the division in 2019.[3][5] By 2023, Takahashi and Koizumi were promoted to more senior positions, with Takayuki Shimamura being named deputy general manager and Aonuma and sound designer Koji Kondo named senior officers.[6][7][8][9]

Structure

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Mainly located in Kyoto, the Nintendo division works similarly to its two predecessors before the merger and is divided into many groups. It has ten production groups responsible for development or production of games, each of them having their own managers, producers and project leads working on specific series and focus, with them using the pool of talents in the division for each project. In the overall division, the general manager, deputy general managers, and senior officers oversee different aspects in those production groups. There are currently 10 production groups in Nintendo EPD, and the known groups in the department are:

Games developed

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List of video games developed by Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development
Year Title Genre(s) Platform(s) Details
2015 The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes[26] Action-adventure Nintendo 3DS Co-developed with Grezzo.
Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival[27] Party Wii U Co-developed with NDCube.
2016 Miitomo[28] Social networking service Android
iOS
Star Fox Zero[29] Scrolling shooter Wii U Co-developed with PlatinumGames.
Star Fox Guard [29] Tower defense
Animal Crossing: New Leaf - Welcome Amiibo[30] Social simulation Nintendo 3DS
Miitopia[31] Role-playing game
Super Mario Run[32] Platformer iOS
Android
Tank Troopers[33] Action Nintendo 3DS Co-developed with Vitei.
2017 1-2-Switch[34] Party Nintendo Switch
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild[35] Action-adventure Wii U
Nintendo Switch
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[36][37] Kart racing
Arms[38] Fighting, sports
Splatoon 2[39] Third-person shooter
Metroid: Samus Returns[40] Action-adventure Nintendo 3DS Co-developed with MercurySteam.
Super Mario Odyssey[41] Platformer Nintendo Switch
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp[42] Social simulation Android
iOS
2018 Nintendo Labo[43][b] Construction set Nintendo Switch
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker[44] Action puzzle Nintendo 3DS Co-developed with Nintendo Software Technology.
Nintendo Switch
2019 New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe[45] Platformer
Super Mario Maker 2[46] Level editor, platformer
Dr. Mario World[47] Puzzle Android Co-developed with LINE and NHN Entertainment.
iOS
Mario Kart Tour[48] Kart racing Android
iOS
Ring Fit Adventure[49] Exergame, role-playing Nintendo Switch
Dr Kawashima's Brain Training for Nintendo Switch[50] Puzzle Co-developed with indieszero.
2020 Animal Crossing: New Horizons[51] Life simulation
Jump Rope Challenge[52] Exergame
Super Mario 3D All-Stars[53] Platformer Co-developed with 1-Up Studio and Nintendo European Research & Development.
Pikmin 3 Deluxe[54] Action, puzzle Co-developed with Eighting.
2021 Bowser's Fury[55] Platformer Co-developed with Nintendo Software Technology and 1-Up Studio
Game Builder Garage[56] Programming
Metroid Dread[57] Action-adventure Co-developed with MercurySteam.
Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain[58] Puzzle Co-developed with indieszero.
2022 Nintendo Switch Sports[59] Sports
Splatoon 3[60] Third-person shooter
2023 The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom[61] Action-adventure
Everybody 1-2-Switch![62] Party Co-developed with NDcube
Pikmin 4[63] Action, puzzle Co-developed with Eighting
Super Mario Bros. Wonder Platformer
2024 Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition Arcade, action Co-developed with indieszero
Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club Adventure Co-developed with MAGES
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Action-adventure Co-developed with Grezzo

Nintendo EPD 4 also co-developed Alarmo alongside Nintendo PTD.

Notes

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  1. ^ Japanese: 任天堂企画制作本部, Hepburn: Nintendō Kikaku Seisaku Honbu
  2. ^ Nintendo Labo is a brand of cardboard-based DIY construction sets that use the Nintendo Switch, with included software, and its Joy-Con controllers in a variety of ways.

References

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  2. ^ Kohler, Chris (September 14, 2015). "Nintendo Consolidates Its Game Development Teams". Wired. Condé Nast. Archived from the original on September 15, 2015. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
  3. ^ a b Rad, Chloi; Otero, Jose (September 14, 2015). "Nintendo Reveals Restructuring Plans". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on September 15, 2015. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
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  9. ^ "Annual Report 2024" (PDF). www.nintendo.co.jp. July 8, 2024. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
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  38. ^ Schwartz, Terri (January 13, 2017). "Arms Announced for Nintendo Switch". IGN. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
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  40. ^ "Metroid Dread announced for Switch". June 15, 2021.
  41. ^ Sanchez, Miranda (January 13, 2017). "Super Mario Odyssey Announced for Nintendo Switch". IGN. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
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  46. ^ Bankhurst, Adam (May 15, 2019). "Super Mario Maker 2 Features Story Mode, Online Multiplayer, Co-Op Creation Mode". IGN. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
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  54. ^ Nintendo of America [@NintendoAmerica] (August 5, 2020). "Prepare yourselves, brave explorers! Set-off for the lush planet PNF-404 when #Pikmin 3 Deluxe lands on 10/30! This version features multiple difficulty modes, new side-story missions featuring Olimar & Louie, and all the DLC from the original release. https://t.co/UbljqJUQjX" (Tweet). Retrieved July 18, 2024 – via Twitter.
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