Nintendo Integrated Research & Development

Nintendo Integrated Research & Development Division,[lower-alpha 1] commonly abbreviated as Nintendo IRD, was a Japanese developments division that handled everything related to producing Nintendo's console hardware and associated peripherals. Originally established in the 1970s with engineer Genyo Takeda acting as manager, Nintendo Research & Development No. 3 Department[lower-alpha 2] and part of the Manufacturing Division, the department was responsible for various hardware technologies and even developed several arcade and console titles. In 2000, as technology evolved into the 3D era, Takeda's group spun-off and established itself as a division into Integrated Research & Development Division, 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.

Nintendo Integrated Research & Development
Native name
任天堂総合開発本部
Nintendō Sōgō Kaihatsu Honbu
TypeDivision
IndustryVideo games
Founded1970 (1970), as Nintendo Research & Development 3
2000 (2000), as Nintendo IRD
FounderGenyo Takeda
DefunctSeptember 16, 2015 (2015-09-16)
FateMerged with Nintendo System Development
SuccessorNintendo Platform Technology Development
Headquarters
Kyoto
,
Japan
Key people
Genyo Takeda
(General Manager)
Satoru Okada
(RED General Manager)
ProductsVarious Nintendo video game consoles
ParentNintendo
DivisionsIntegrated Research & Development
Research & Engineering Department

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.[1][2][3] On September 16, 2015, IRD merged with the Nintendo System Development division, becoming the Nintendo Platform Technology Development.[4][5]

History

In December 1980, Genyo Takeda was promoted to manager of the Nintendo R&D3 department.[6]

Hardware developed

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.

Year Title Platform(s)
1984 Punch-Out!! Arcade
Super Punch-Out!! Arcade
1985 Arm Wrestling Arcade
1985 Famicom/NES Game Pak Nintendo Entertainment System
1987 Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! Nintendo Entertainment System
1990 StarTropics Nintendo Entertainment System
1994 Zoda's Revenge: StarTropics II Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Punch-Out!! Super Nintendo Entertainment System
1996 Nintendo 64 Hardware
Pilotwings 64 Nintendo 64
Controller Pak Nintendo 64
1997 Transfer Pak Nintendo 64
Rumble Pak Nintendo 64
1998 Expansion Pak Nintendo 64
1999 Nintendo 64DD Nintendo 64
2001 GameCube Hardware
GameCube controller GameCube
Memory Card GameCube
2002 Memory Card 251 GameCube
WaveBird Wireless Controller GameCube
2003 Game Boy Player GameCube
2006 Wii Hardware
2006 (2010) Wii Remote (Plus) Wii
2006 Nunchuk Wii
2006 (2009) Classic Controller (Pro) Wii
2006 Wii Component Cables Wii
2007 Wii Zapper Wii
2008 Wii Wheel Wii
Wii Balance Board Wii
Wii Speak Wii
2009 Wii Motion Plus Wii
2012 Nintendo 3DS XL Hardware
Wii U Hardware
Wii U GamePad Wii U
Wii U Pro Controller Wii U
2013 Nintendo 2DS Hardware
2014 New Nintendo 3DS Hardware
New Nintendo 3DS XL Hardware

Notes
  1. Japanese: 任天堂総合開発本部, Hepburn: Nintendō Sōgō Kaihatsu Honbu
  2. Known in Japan as Nintendō Kaihatsu Daisan Bu (任天堂開発第三部), commonly abbreviated as Nintendo R&D3

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. "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. "Nintendo's Genyo Takeda Announced As 2018 Lifetime Achievement Recipient". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
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