Nintendo Research & Development No. 1 Department[a] (commonly abbreviated as Nintendo R&D1 and formerly known as Nintendo Research & Development Department[b] before splitting in 1978) was a division of Nintendo, and is its oldest development team.[2] Its creation coincided with Nintendo's entry into the video game industry, and the original R&D1 was headed by Gunpei Yokoi.[3] The developer has created several notable Nintendo series such as Donkey Kong, Mario, and Metroid.[4]
 Nintendo logo, used during R&D1's existence | |
 Exterior of the former Nintendo headquarters in Kyoto, Japan, which housed the department | |
Native name | 任天堂開発第一部 |
|---|---|
Romanized name | Nintendō Kaihatsu Daiichi Bu |
| Formerly | Nintendo Research & Development |
| Company type | Department |
| Industry | Video games |
| Genre |
|
| Founded | 1970 |
| Founder | Hiroshi Yamauchi |
| Defunct | 2004 |
| Fate |
|
| Successor | Nintendo Software Planning & Development |
| Headquarters | Kyoto , Japan |
Key people |
|
| Owner | Nintendo |
Number of employees | 100+ |
| Parent | Nintendo Manufacturing Division |
| Footnotes / references [1] | |
R&D1 developed the hugely successful Game Boy line, which was released in 1989.[5][6] They developed some of the line's most popular games, such as Super Mario Land, and created the character of Wario.
Team Shikamaru was a small club within Nintendo R&D1 that was composed of Makoto Kano, Yoshio Sakamoto, and Toru Osawa. The group was responsible for designing characters and coming up with scripts for several games including Metroid, Kid Icarus, Famicom Detective Club, Trade & Battle: Card Hero, and several others.
After Yokoi's resignation in 1997, this group was led by Takehiro Izushi.[7] In 2004, Satoru Iwata restructured the Nintendo R&D1 team. Many of the staff members were later reassigned to the Nintendo SPD team, which in turn merged with Nintendo EAD in 2015 to form Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development.[8]
History
editBackground
editIn 1965, Nintendo, still primarily a hanafuda card manufacturer, hired Gunpei Yokoi, a newly graduated electronics engineer. Yokoi was assigned to the manufacturing division to work on the assembly line machines used to manufacture its cards.[9] In the following year, Hiroshi Yamauchi, president of Nintendo at the time, during a visit to the factory Yokoi was working at, took notice of a toy, an extending arm, that Yokoi had made for his own amusement during his spare time. As Yamauchi was looking to diversify the company's business far beyond its primary card business, Yokoi was ordered to develop the toy into a proper mass-market product for the 1966 holiday rush. The toy was launched as Ultra Hand and it was a huge success selling over 1.2 million units during its lifetime.[10] Following that, Yokoi was assigned to work on other toys including the Ten Billion Barrel puzzle, a miniature remote-controlled vacuum cleaner called the Chiritori, a baseball throwing machine called the Ultra Machine, and a "Love Tester."[11]
1970s-1978: Creation and first electronic games
editSometime before 1972, Nintendo created its first electronics development team, the Research & Development department from Nintendo's manufacturing division, assigning Gunpei Yokoi as its general manager. By 1972 the department had approximately 20 developers. In 1978, the manufacturing division split its single research & development department into two, renaming it to Research & Development No. 1 (R&D1) and creating the Nintendo Research & Development No. 2 (R&D2) department. After the split, Yokoi remained general manager of R&D1.[12][13]
1979-1988: Game & Watch
editIn the late 1970s, Yokoi saw a bored Japanese salaryman playing with a calculator on the Shinkansen high-speed train. This was the inspiration for the creation of the Game & Watch series, a line of handheld electronic games, with each system featuring a single game to be played on an LCD screen in addition to a clock, an alarm, or both.[14] Regardless, it was confirmed that Yokoi was inspired by calculators to develop the line, even using calculator integrated circuits in the systems and button cells to power them.[13] Although Nintendo competitors Mattel and Tomy had already produced portable games, they were mostly bulky systems with low-resolution LED displays and uninspiring gameplay. Yokoi exploited the cheapness of LCDs, producing cheap and light systems, starting in 1980. He would later call this principle Lateral Thinking of Withered Technology: using seasoned technology in radical ways; a principle that echoed throughout Nintendo until the present day.[14]
In 1980, Game & Watch: Ball was the first release of the Game & Watch Silver series, called after its metallic face-plate. Sales weren't reportedly "astonishing", but they were enough to persuade Nintendo to continue developing new titles.[14] The series saw a total of 5 systems, all released during that year. In 1981, Game & Watch: Manhole debuted the Gold series, which was fundamentally the same system with a golden face-plate. It saw only 3 titles which were also released during the same year. In mid-1981, Game & Watch: Parachute was released, debuting the Wide Screen series, sporting a 30% larger display. The series saw a total of 10 titles released until early 1982.
The limitations of the LCD display prompted Yokoi and his team to introduce the Multi Screen series with the release of Game & Watch: Oil Panic in mid 1982, adding another screen to potentially double the amount of gameplay each title could offer. The next title of the series was Game & Watch: Donkey Kong a port of the hugely successful Donkey Kong arcade game. Unable to use a joystick like the original game, as it would reduce the system's portability, Yokoi began researching for solutions. Early Game & Watch systems had a button for each action such as moving left and right or jumping. However, for the new system the team introduced the "cross" directional pad (D-pad): a flat, four-way directional control with one button on each point.[14] The design was patented and later earned a Technology & Engineering Emmy Award in 2008.[15][16] From then on, all major video game consoles since have had a D-pad of some shape on their controllers, until the Nintendo Switch in 2017.
1989-1990: Game Boy
edit
When the department started working on a successor to the Game & Watch series, Yokoi envisioned a simple and cheap system with interchangeable game cartridges. Development of the system, however, suffered from disagreements in direction, with assistant director Satoru Okada arguing for a more powerful system with third-party development and long-term support from Nintendo, emulating the successful business model that Nintendo R&D2 had achieved with the Nintendo Entertainment System, while Yokoi planned for a much cheaper, less powerful device with a shorter life-span, similar to its predecessor. During an interview, Okada compared the initial project to the Microvision. Eventually, Yokoi agreed to Okada's plan and the project would be known as the Game Boy.[17]
1991-1994: Virtual Boy
edit
In 1991, Nintendo partnered with Massachusetts-based Reflection Technology, Inc. who had developed a 3D stereoscopic head-tracking prototype called the Private Eye.[18][19] Gunpei Yokoi saw this as a unique technology that competitors would find difficult to emulate. Additionally, the resulting game console was intended to enhance Nintendo's reputation as an innovator[19][20] and to "encourage more creativity" in games.[21]: 514 Code-naming the project "VR32",[19] Nintendo entered into an exclusive agreement with Reflection Technology to license the technology for its displays.[18]
Spending four years in development and eventually building a dedicated manufacturing plant in China,[19] Nintendo worked to turn its VR32 vision into an affordable and health-conscious console design.[20] Yokoi retained RTI's choice of red LED because it was the cheapest,[20] and because unlike a totally backlit LCD, its perfect blackness could achieve a more immersive sense of infinite depth.[19] RTI and Nintendo said a color LCD system would have been prohibitively expensive,[19][22] retailing for more than US$500.[21]: 514 A color LCD system was also said to have caused "jumpy images in tests".[22] With ongoing concerns about motion sickness, the risk of developing lazy eye conditions in young children, and Japan's new Product Liability Act of 1995, Nintendo eliminated the head tracking functionality and converted its headmounted goggle design into a stationary, heavy, precision steel-shielded, tabletop form factor conformant to the recommendation of the Schepens Eye Research Institute.[19][21]: 514
According to David Sheff's book Game Over, the increasingly reticent Yokoi never actually intended for the increasingly downscaled console to be released in its final form. However, Nintendo pushed the Virtual Boy to market so that it could focus development resources on the Nintendo 64.[23]
1995: Game Boy successor
editIn 1995, the department started developing a successor to the Game Boy, under the code-name Atlantis. Despite its predecessors having a monochrome display, the R&D1 team had already experimented with color displays from as early as 1992. The Atlantis prototype consisted of an handheld with a 32-bit ARM7 CPU, a larger color display, and four face buttons. It was reported that the system was supposed to release in late 1996.[24]
Meanwhile, the department was also working on a revision of the Game Boy. The system would require fewer batteries, providing approximately 10 hours of gameplay, and was also equipped with a DC connector which could be used to power the system.[25] The screen was also changed to a true black-and-white display, rather than the green-tinted monochrome display of the original Game Boy, and had an improved pixel response-time, mostly eliminating the ghosting effect. It finally released as the Game Boy Pocket on July 21, 1996, in Japan, on September 3 in North America, and in Europe during the following year.[26] Although it had no power LED initially, it was soon added to later editions due public demand.[27]
Following the commercial success of the Game Boy Pocket, the Atlantis system was delayed by a year to late 1997. Nonetheless, the system was eventually cancelled due to concerns of it being too big, having a drastically decreased battery life (to approximately 1 hour, as LCD color displays required a back-light at the time), and being too expensive to manufacture.[28][29][30][31] Although it was shelved, the project would later considerably speed up the development of the Game Boy Color in 1997 by the Nintendo Research & Engineering department.[31]
1996-2003: Gunpei Yokoi's departure and hardware team spin-off
editOn August 15, 1996, long-time department general manager, Gunpei Yokoi, left Nintendo to form his own company, Koto Laboratory. Despite speculation that he had left Nintendo due to the commercial failure of the Virtual Boy a year prior, Yokoi clarified that he'd long wished to become independent. Yokoi and his new company eventually worked on the WonderSwan handheld for Bandai before his tragic death in 1997 in a traffic accident.[32] In order to fill Yokoi's vacancy, long-time Nintendo engineer Takehiro Izushi was appointed as the new general manager of the department.[33] Additionally, the department's hardware team was spun-off into a new development department, called Nintendo Research & Engineering and led by Satoru Okada.[34] The software development team, however, remained at R&D1. This new department would be responsible for continuing the Game Boy's legacy becoming the source of every major Nintendo handheld game console until its closure in 2012.[35]
Following Yokoi's departure, and no longer having a dedicated hardware development team, the department focused instead on developing games for other Nintendo-developed consoles. It was responsible for the re-releases of its Game & Watch classics in the Game & Watch Gallery series for both the Game Boy and Game Boy Color, starting in 1997. It also developed sequels to its Wario Land classic in the form of Wario Land II, released in 1998, and Wario Land 3, in 2000, both for the Game Boy Color, and Wario Land 4 for the Game Boy Advance, released a year later. The department was also responsible for creating the Wario spin-off series with WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames!, released in 2003 for the Game Boy Advance. After an 8-year hiatus, R&D1 introduced a new installment in its Metroid series, Metroid Fusion, released in 2002. In 2004, R&D1's last project was launched, Metroid: Zero Mission a remake of the original game.
2004: Absorbed into Nintendo Software Planning & Development
editIn 2004, the department, along with Nintendo Research & Development 2, was absorbed into the newly created Nintendo Software Planning & Development division.[36] Then-Nintendo president Satoru Iwata created and appointed himself as general manager of the new division to focus on co-producing and supervising second-party development, thus relieving the Entertainment Analysis & Development division (EAD) and its general manager Shigeru Miyamoto to focus on first-party projects. Although that was the division's primary focus, it went on to develop some video games titles internally.[37][38]
In 2018, former general manager of the R&D1 department Takehiro Izushi retired from Nintendo after 43 years in the company.[39]
Products developed
editElectronic games
editVideo game consoles
edit| Year | Name | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Game Boy | |
| 1995 | Game Boy Play-It-Loud! | |
| Virtual Boy | ||
| 1996 | Game Boy Pocket |
Video games
editNotes
editReferences
edit- ^ "IGN: IGNCube's Nintendo "Revolution" FAQ". IGN. Retrieved 2007-03-23.
- ^ IGN Staff (10 January 2001). "Developer Profile: Intelligent Systems". Retrieved 9 March 2018.
- ^ Stuart, Keith (21 April 2014). "Nintendo Game Boy – 25 facts for its 25th anniversary". the Guardian. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
- ^ "GameSpy: Nintendo R&D1". www.gamespy.com. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
- ^ Sheff, David (2 November 2011). Game Over: How Nintendo Conquered The World. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. ISBN 9780307800749. Retrieved 9 March 2018 – via Google Books.
- ^ McFerran, Damien (13 March 2010). "Feature: The Making of the Nintendo Game Boy". Retrieved 9 March 2018.
- ^ "Takehiro Izushi Retires After Four Legendary Decades at Nintendo". 12 February 2018.
- ^ "Nintendo Reveals Restructuring Plans - IGN".
- ^ "Forgotten Giant: The Brilliant Life and Tragic Death of Gunpei Yokoi". Game Informer. Vol. 12, no. 105. January 2002. p. 116.
- ^ Voskuil, Geplaatst door Erik. "Nintendo Ultra Hand (ウルトラ ハンド, 1966)". Retrieved 2019-01-25.
- ^ Buchanan, Levi (2009-09-10). "From Janitor to Superstar". IGN. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
- ^ "Iwata Asks: Game & Watch: 1. When Developers Did Everything". Nintendo of Europe GmbH. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
- ^ a b "Iwata Asks: Game & Watch: 2. Using a Calculator Chip". Nintendo of Europe GmbH. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
- ^ a b c d "Feature: The History of the Nintendo Game & Watch". Nintendo Life. 2010-02-24. Retrieved 2019-01-26.
- ^ "Nintendo Wins Emmy For DS And Wii Engineering | Technology | Sky News". News.sky.com. 2008-01-09. Archived from the original on 2012-07-11. Retrieved 2010-08-30.
- ^ Magrino, Tom (2008-01-08). "CES '08: Nintendo wins second Emmy - News at GameSpot". Gamespot.com. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
- ^ Barder, Ollie. "New Interview With Satoru Okada Delves Into The Hidden History Behind Nintendo's Gaming Handhelds". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
- ^ a b "April Brings Virtual Boy". GamePro. No. 67. IDG. February 1995. p. 162.
- ^ a b c d e f g Edwards, Benj (August 21, 2015). "Unraveling The Enigma Of Nintendo's Virtual Boy, 20 Years Later". Fast Company. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
- ^ a b c Boyer, Steven. "A Virtual Failure: Evaluating the Success of Nintendos Virtual Boy." Velvet Light Trap.64 (2009): 23–33. ProQuest Research Library. Web. May 24, 2012.
- ^ a b c Kent, Steven L. (2002). The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World. New York: Random House International. pp. 513–515, 518, 519, 523, 524. ISBN 978-0-7615-3643-7. OCLC 59416169. Archived from the original on July 9, 2017. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
- ^ a b Rafferty, Kevin. "Super Mario Takes Leap into Three Dimensional Space." The Guardian (1959-2003): 2. ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Guardian (1821-2003) and The Observer (1791-2003). November 16, 1994. Web. May 24, 2012.
- ^ Sheff, David; Eddy, Andy (1999). Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children. GamePress. ISBN 978-0-9669617-0-6. OCLC 26214063.
- ^ "Nintendo's New Color Handheld". Next Generation. No. 18. Imagine Media. June 1996. p. 20.
- ^ "The Incredible Shrinking Game Boy Pocket". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 84. Ziff Davis. July 1996. p. 16.
- ^ "Game Boy". Nintendo of Europe GmbH. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
In 1997, Nintendo went one better, shrinking the Game Boy's dimensions to create the even smaller Game Boy Pocket series.
- ^ "Game Boy Relaunched". Next Generation. No. 20. Imagine Media. August 1996. p. 26.
- ^ "GDC09: DSi architect reveals unreleased Nintendo handhelds". Engadget. Retrieved 2019-01-15.
- ^ Kohler, Chris (2009-03-25). "GDC: Nintendo's Unreleased Portable Prototypes". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2019-01-15.
- ^ "A look into Nintendo's unreleased Game Boy successor - Nintendo Everything". nintendoeverything.com. 17 April 2016. Retrieved 2019-01-15.
- ^ a b "Satoru Okada - Interview". Nintendo. Archived from the original on October 26, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
- ^ Ashcraft, Brian. "Game Boy Creator Said He Didn't Leave Nintendo Because Of The Virtual Boy". Kotaku. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
- ^ "Takehiro Izushi Retires After Four Legendary Decades at Nintendo". GameRevolution. 2018-02-12. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
- ^ Barder, Ollie. "New Interview With Satoru Okada Delves Into The Hidden History Behind Nintendo's Gaming Handhelds". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-01-14.
- ^ O'Brien, Lucy (2013-01-15). "Report: Nintendo to Restructure Hardware Divisions". IGN. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
- ^ "Iwata Asks: New Super Mario Bros. Wii". Nintendo of Europe GmbH. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
R&D2 would later be merged into the Software Planning and Development Division
- ^ Iwata, Satoru (February 17, 2015). "Third Quarter Financial Results Briefing for Fiscal Year Ending March 2015 - Q & A". Nintendo.
In 2004, we established the Software Planning & Development Division to relieve Mr. Miyamoto from handling the games co-developed with second parties to enable him to concentrate on internal development. After that, I was in charge of the Software Planning & Development Division
- ^ "Iwata Asks: Pandora's Tower for Wii". Nintendo of Europe GmbH. Retrieved 2019-01-20.
In 2004, the Software Planning and Development department had only just been created.
- ^ Reseigh-Lincoln, Dom (2018-02-12). "Legendary Nintendo Developer Takehiro Izushi Has Officially Retired". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
- ^ a b c d Parish, Jeremy (2014-07-25). "Forgottendo: 10 Nintendo Games You've Probably Never Heard Of". USgamer. Archived from the original on 2018-09-02. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
- ^ "Ball AC-01 (1st Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Game & Watch Console Variations". The Database for all console colors and variations!. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
- ^ "Flagman FL-02 (2nd Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
- ^ "Vermin MT-03 (3rd Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
- ^ "Fire RC-04 (4th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
- ^ "Judge Green IP-05 (5th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
- ^ "Judge Purple IP-05 (5th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
- ^ "Manhole MH-06 (6th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
- ^ "Helmet CN-07 (7th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
- ^ "Lion LN-08 (8th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
- ^ "Parachute PR-21 (9th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
- ^ "Octopus OC-22 (10th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
- ^ "Popeye PP-23 (11th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
- ^ "Chef FP-24 (12th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
- ^ "Mickey Mouse MC-25 (13rd Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
- ^ "Egg EG-26 (14th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
- ^ "Fire FR-27 (15th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
- ^ "Turtle Bridge TL-28 (16th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
- ^ "Fire Attack ID-29 (17th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
- ^ "Snoopy Tennis SP-30 (18th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
- ^ "Oil Panic OP-51 (19th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
- ^ "Donkey Kong DK-52 (20th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
- ^ "Donkey Kong Jr. DJ-101 (21st Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Mickey & Donald DM-53 (22th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Green House GH-54 (23rd Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Donkey Kong II JR-55 (24th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Mario Bros. MW-56 (25th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Donkey Kong Jr. CJ-71 (26th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Mario's Cement Factory CM-72 (27th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Mario's Cement Factory Mitsubishi". consolevariations.com. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Snoopy SM-73 (28th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Rain Shower LP-57 (30th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Popeye PG-74 (31st Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Manhole NH-103 (32nd Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Snoopy SM-91 (33th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Popeye PG-92 (34th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Donkey Kong Jr. CJ-93 (35th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Life Boat TC-58 (36th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Mario's Bombs Away TB-94 (37th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Pinball PB-59 (38th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Spitball Sparky BU-201 (39th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Crab Grab UD-202 (40th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Mickey Mouse DC-95 (41th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Boxing/Punch Out BX-301 (42nd Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Donkey Kong 3 AK-302 (43rd Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Donkey Kong Circus MK-96 (44th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Donkey Kong Hockey HK-303 (45th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Black Jack BJ-60 (46th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
- ^ "Tropical Fish TF-104 (47th Game)". www.gameandwatch.ch. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
External links
edit- IGN listing for R&D1
- N-Sider: The Rise and Fall of R&D1 Archived 2013-01-27 at the Wayback Machine