Nintendo Developers - Research and Development Divisions

Research and Development Divisions

• Nintendo Software Planning & Development (Nintendo SPD): The development group includes several of the original development officers from the old software and hardware development sectors. While the group leaders are decade old veterans, the bulk of the development teams working alongside are mainly newer employees. The development teams are minuscule compared to the average larger staffed Nintendo EAD project teams. The division is divided into three groups, one that develops in-house software, while the other two mainly co-develop and produce Nintendo Co. software with outhouse or external development teams.
• Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development (Nintendo EAD): The premier development team at Nintendo. The group is the largest concentration of R&D, housing more than 500 engineers and designers. The division is rather large and currently broken into six different subdivisions, each led by a designated producer. The overseeing managers are Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. Currently, five divisions are located in the central Kyoto R&D building, while the sixth division resides in the Tokyo offices.
• Nintendo Software Design & Development (Nintendo SDD): The experimental team that created the Touch! Generations line of software. The team is responsible for creating several Nintendo DS retail software and downloadable applications. Most of the Wii Channels are also developed by this R&D group.
• Nintendo Network Service Development (Nintendo NSD): Originally operated under Nintendo Special-Planning & Development. The division is described as an interesting mix of a hardware team coupled with a design team. The team creates both hardware peripherals, gadgets, toys, and software.
• Nintendo Integrated Research & Development (Nintendo IRD): Nintendo's hardware group specializing in all engineering and technological aspects of Nintendo's console development. The division also houses industrial designers who design peripherals such as the WaveBird, Wii Zapper, and Wii steering wheel. The group was originally known as Research and Development Department 3 (R&D3), with the same primary functions, with the exception that manager Genyo Takeda enjoyed moonlighting by developing console and arcade games.
• Nintendo Research Engineering & Development (Nintendo RED): Nintendo's hardware group specializing in all engineering and technological aspects of Nintendo's handheld development.
• Nintendo Software Technology Corporation (Nintendo STC): American-based software development arm with a direct connection to the Nintendo-funded DigiPen University. The development team also features several employees who were transplanted from Nintendo Co., Ltd, Rockstar Games, and Electronic Arts among others.
• Nintendo Business Technology Development (Nintendo BTD): The group in charge of producing and overseeing Nintendo published software developed by other developers that need little development assistance other than funding and marketing. Examples of the software are games like Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber and Kuru Kuru Kururin.
• NTD: American-based technology development arm.
• Nintendo European Research & Development France (NERD): A technology and middleware development team located in Paris, France. The company was known as Mobiclip until acquired and renamed by Nintendo in 2012.
• Unnamed Nintendo's development studio: According to a report in Nikkei Online Edition, Nintendo will open a new studio at the end of December 2013. Anyhow, Nikkei has reported that Nintendo is planning to revive 3rd party old franchises on their system. Yoot Saito, the creator of Seaman games, hinted that Seaman could appear on Nintendo 3DS.