Satoshi Tajiri
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese
video game designer best known as the creator of Pokémon
and the founder of development company Game Freak, Inc
. An avid fan of arcade games, Tajiri wrote for and edited his own video gaming fanzine
Game Freak
with Ken Sugimori
, before evolving it into a development company of the same name. Tajiri claims that the joining of two Game Boy
s via a link cable inspired him to create a game which embodied the collection and companionship of his childhood hobby, insect collecting
. The game, which became Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green (Pokémon Blue outside of Japan), took six years to complete and went on to spark a multi-billion dollar franchise which reinvigorated Nintendo
's handheld gaming
. Tajiri continued to work as director for the Pokémon series until the development of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire
, when he changed his role to simply executive producer.
Tajiri has also worked for numerous major game projects, including Pulseman
, Mario
spin-offs and the Legend of Zelda
. His work has earned him numerous accolades from his peers.
to a Nissan car salesman and a housewife
. Tajiri grew up in Machida, Tokyo
, which at the time still maintained a rural atmosphere. As a child, Tajiri enjoyed insect collecting
as a hobby; this childhood activity would prove an inspiration for his later video game work. In fact, other children called him "Dr. Bug", and he wanted to have a profession as an entomologist. As the urban areas of Japan spread and more was paved over, many of the places for hunting bugs were lost. Tajiri wanted his games to allow children to have the feeling of catching and collecting creatures as he had. The character of Ash Ketchum
(Satoshi in Japan), is largely a version of Tajiri as a child.
Tajiri became fascinated with arcade game
s as a teenager, though his parents thought him a delinquent for it. He particularly enjoyed playing Taito
's Space Invaders
, which drew him into other video games. His interest eventually evolved into attempting to plan his own games. He took his Famicom
apart to see how it worked, and ended up winning a contest for a video game idea sponsored by Sega
.
Because of his fascination with video games, Tajiri frequently cut classes
; as a result, he nearly did not graduate. His father attempted to get him a job at The Tokyo Electric Power Company
, but Tajiri refused the job and managed to take make-up classes for his high school diploma. Tajiri did not attend college, but instead went to two-year technical school at Tokyo National College of Technology, where he studied electronics. Tajiri has also been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome
.
called Game Freak, which focused on the arcade game scene, from 1981 to 1986. Game Freak was handwritten and stapled together. Nonetheless, Ken Sugimori
, who later illustrated the original 151 Pokémon, saw the magazine at a dōjinshi
shop, and decided to get involved. As more contributors came to Game Freak, Tajiri began to realize most games were lacking in quality, and he and Sugimori decided the solution was to make their own games. After Nintendo released the Family BASIC programming language, Tajiri studied it to better grasp the designs of Nintendo Entertainment System games. He then purchased the hardware to develop games. Tajiri and Sugimori evolved the magazine into the video game development company Game Freak
in 1989. Soon after, the two pitched their first game, an arcade
-style game called Quinty
to Namco
, who published the game. Tajiri also wrote as a freelance writer for the magazine Famicom Hisshoubon, later called Hippon.
Tajiri first conceived the idea of Pokémon in 1990. After he saw a Game Boy
, the idea came together, and he decided it made the most sense on the handheld console. Tajiri pioneered the idea of connectivity between handheld game console
s, by suggesting that Game Boy
s could use its link cables in order to have friends do more than simply play against each other. This ability to communicate between consoles drew Tajiri to the Game Boy as a system.
Tajiri had worked on The Legend of Zelda before, and so Nintendo
was willing to consider his new game idea. When he first pitched the idea of Pokémon to Nintendo
, they could not quite picture the concept, but were impressed enough with Tajiri's prior game programming that they decided to explore the concept. Shigeru Miyamoto
began to mentor Tajiri, guiding him during the creation process. Pokémon Red and Green
took six years to produce, and nearly bankrupted Game Freak in the process; often, there was barely enough money to pay the employees. Five employees quit, and Tajiri did not take a salary, instead living off of his father's income. Investment from Creatures Inc.
allowed Game Freak to complete the games, and in return, Creatures received one-third of the franchise rights.
In between the approval and finish of the project, Tajiri assisted in the design of two Mario
spin-off games for Nintendo: Yoshi and the Japanese-only release Mario & Wario. He also worked on the 1994 Pulseman
.
Once the games were finished, very few media outlets gave it attention, believing the Game Boy was a dead console; a general lack of interest of merchandising convinced Tajiri that Nintendo would reject the games. The Pokémon games were not expected to do well, but sales steadily increased until the series found itself among Nintendo
's top franchises. Rumors of a hidden Pokémon, Mew
, which could only be obtained by exploiting programming errors, increased interest in the game. Tajiri had included Mew in the game in order to promote trading and interaction between players, but Nintendo was not aware of the creature upon release. The franchise helped revive Nintendo
, whose sales had been waning. Tajiri deliberately toned down violence in his games. In this vein, he had Pokémon faint rather than die after defeat, as he believed it was unhealthy for children to equate the concept of death with losing a game. After the completion and release of Red and Green in Japan, Tajiri later worked on the 1997 Bushi Seiryūden: Futari no Yūsha. Tajiri also continues to be involved in the more modern Pokémon titles as well. On the most recent incarnations he supervised the process from start to finish and approved all the text. While developing games, Tajiri works irregular hours, often laboring 24 hours at a time.
as a major influence, thinking of him as a sort of mentor. For this reason, his developmental style closely matches that of Miyamoto. In the Pokémon anime
, the main character is named Satoshi, while his rival is Shigeru. Tajiri claims that Western audiences understand his work better; instead of focusing exclusively on prominent characters like Pikachu
, he believes they understand that the games are about partnership and identification with one's team.
Tajiri drew much of his inspiration from old Japanese shows and anime, including Godzilla
and Ultraman
. He has stated that if he did not design video games, he would most likely be in the anime
field.
named Tajiri one of the top 100 game creators of all time, mainly for his ability to turn Pokémon into a "worldwide phenomenon". Electronic Gaming Monthly
credited Tajiri as one of the 10 most influential people who made the modern video game market. Video game magazine Edge
placed Tajiri on their list of the "Hot 100 Game Developers of 2008".
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
video game designer best known as the creator of Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
and the founder of development company Game Freak, Inc
Game Freak
is a Japanese video game developer that currently creates games exclusively for Nintendo. It has developed the Pokémon series of role-playing games and several other games.-History:...
. An avid fan of arcade games, Tajiri wrote for and edited his own video gaming fanzine
Fanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
Game Freak
Game Freak (magazine)
Game Freak was a self-published gaming magazine created by Satoshi Tajiri and Ken Sugimori in the 1980s. Tajiri wrote and edited the text and Sugimori illustrated. In 1989, Tajiri and Sugimori started a video game development company of the same name, which developed games such as Mendel Palace,...
with Ken Sugimori
Ken Sugimori
is a Japanese video game designer, illustrator, manga artist, and director. He is most famous as the character designer and art director for the Pokémon franchise. Sugimori is also credited with the art direction for other titles, including Pulseman. Sugimori drew all of the original 151 Pokémon...
, before evolving it into a development company of the same name. Tajiri claims that the joining of two Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
s via a link cable inspired him to create a game which embodied the collection and companionship of his childhood hobby, insect collecting
Insect collecting
Insect collecting is the collection of insects for hobby, scientific study or profit. Historically insect collecting has been widespread and a very popular educational hobby. Insect collecting has left traces in European cultural history, literature and songs Insect collecting is the collection of...
. The game, which became Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green (Pokémon Blue outside of Japan), took six years to complete and went on to spark a multi-billion dollar franchise which reinvigorated Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
's handheld gaming
Handheld game console
A handheld game console is a lightweight, portable electronic device with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are run on machines of small size allowing people to carry them and play them at any time or place...
. Tajiri continued to work as director for the Pokémon series until the development of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
are the third installments of the Pokémon series of role-playing games, developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. The games were first released in Japan in late 2002 and later released to the rest of the world in 2003 . Pokémon Emerald, a special edition version,...
, when he changed his role to simply executive producer.
Tajiri has also worked for numerous major game projects, including Pulseman
Pulseman
Pulseman is an action platform game developed by Game Freak and published by Sega for the Mega Drive in 1994. The game was released in cartridge format only in Japan, with the North American version being released via the Sega Channel as an "exclusive"...
, Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
spin-offs and the Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda, originally released as in Japan, is a video game developed and published by Nintendo, and designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. Set in the fantasy land of Hyrule, the plot centers on a boy named Link, the playable protagonist, who aims to collect the eight fragments...
. His work has earned him numerous accolades from his peers.
Early life
Tajiri was born on August 28, 1965 in TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
to a Nissan car salesman and a housewife
Housewife
Housewife is a term used to describe a married woman with household responsibilities who is not employed outside the home. Merriam Webster describes a housewife as a married woman who is in charge of her household...
. Tajiri grew up in Machida, Tokyo
Machida, Tokyo
is a city located in the western part of the greater metropolis of Tokyo, Japan. The city was founded on February 1, 1958.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 424,669 and a population density of 5,928.65 persons per km². The total area is 71.63 km²...
, which at the time still maintained a rural atmosphere. As a child, Tajiri enjoyed insect collecting
Insect collecting
Insect collecting is the collection of insects for hobby, scientific study or profit. Historically insect collecting has been widespread and a very popular educational hobby. Insect collecting has left traces in European cultural history, literature and songs Insect collecting is the collection of...
as a hobby; this childhood activity would prove an inspiration for his later video game work. In fact, other children called him "Dr. Bug", and he wanted to have a profession as an entomologist. As the urban areas of Japan spread and more was paved over, many of the places for hunting bugs were lost. Tajiri wanted his games to allow children to have the feeling of catching and collecting creatures as he had. The character of Ash Ketchum
Ash Ketchum
Ash Ketchum, known as for all appearances in Japan, is a fictional character in the Pokémon franchise owned by Nintendo. He was created by, and named after, Satoshi Tajiri as the protagonist of the anime and manga series, as well as on various merchandise related to the franchise...
(Satoshi in Japan), is largely a version of Tajiri as a child.
Tajiri became fascinated with arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
s as a teenager, though his parents thought him a delinquent for it. He particularly enjoyed playing Taito
Taito Corporation
The is a Japanese publisher of video game software and arcade hardware wholly owned by publisher Square Enix. Taito has their headquarters in the Shinjuku Bunka Quint Building in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo, sharing the facility with its parent company....
's Space Invaders
Space Invaders
is an arcade video game designed by Tomohiro Nishikado, and released in 1978. It was originally manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and was later licensed for production in the United States by the Midway division of Bally. Space Invaders is one of the earliest shooting games and the aim is to...
, which drew him into other video games. His interest eventually evolved into attempting to plan his own games. He took his Famicom
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
apart to see how it worked, and ended up winning a contest for a video game idea sponsored by Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
.
Because of his fascination with video games, Tajiri frequently cut classes
Truancy
Truancy is any intentional unauthorized absence from compulsory schooling. The term typically describes absences caused by students of their own free will, and usually does not refer to legitimate "excused" absences, such as ones related to medical conditions...
; as a result, he nearly did not graduate. His father attempted to get him a job at The Tokyo Electric Power Company
The Tokyo Electric Power Company
, also known as or TEPCO, is an electric utility servicing Japan's Kantō region, Yamanashi Prefecture, and the eastern portion of Shizuoka Prefecture. This area includes Tokyo...
, but Tajiri refused the job and managed to take make-up classes for his high school diploma. Tajiri did not attend college, but instead went to two-year technical school at Tokyo National College of Technology, where he studied electronics. Tajiri has also been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome
Asperger syndrome
Asperger's syndrome that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development...
.
Career
At 17, Tajiri began writing and editing a fanzineFanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
called Game Freak, which focused on the arcade game scene, from 1981 to 1986. Game Freak was handwritten and stapled together. Nonetheless, Ken Sugimori
Ken Sugimori
is a Japanese video game designer, illustrator, manga artist, and director. He is most famous as the character designer and art director for the Pokémon franchise. Sugimori is also credited with the art direction for other titles, including Pulseman. Sugimori drew all of the original 151 Pokémon...
, who later illustrated the original 151 Pokémon, saw the magazine at a dōjinshi
Dojinshi
is the Japanese term for self-published works, usually magazines, manga or novels. Dōjinshi are often the work of amateurs, though some professional artists participate as a way to publish material outside the regular industry. The term dōjinshi is derived from and . Dōjinshi are part of a wider...
shop, and decided to get involved. As more contributors came to Game Freak, Tajiri began to realize most games were lacking in quality, and he and Sugimori decided the solution was to make their own games. After Nintendo released the Family BASIC programming language, Tajiri studied it to better grasp the designs of Nintendo Entertainment System games. He then purchased the hardware to develop games. Tajiri and Sugimori evolved the magazine into the video game development company Game Freak
Game Freak
is a Japanese video game developer that currently creates games exclusively for Nintendo. It has developed the Pokémon series of role-playing games and several other games.-History:...
in 1989. Soon after, the two pitched their first game, an arcade
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
-style game called Quinty
Mendel Palace
Mendel Palace, originally released in Japan as , is a 1989 action/puzzle arcade game co-developed by Game Freak and KID. It was published in Japan by Namco and in North America by Hudson Soft. Mendel Palace was Game Freak's debut title, and the first game designed by Satoshi Tajiri.-Plot:The...
to Namco
Namco
is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
, who published the game. Tajiri also wrote as a freelance writer for the magazine Famicom Hisshoubon, later called Hippon.
Tajiri first conceived the idea of Pokémon in 1990. After he saw a Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
, the idea came together, and he decided it made the most sense on the handheld console. Tajiri pioneered the idea of connectivity between handheld game console
Handheld game console
A handheld game console is a lightweight, portable electronic device with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are run on machines of small size allowing people to carry them and play them at any time or place...
s, by suggesting that Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
s could use its link cables in order to have friends do more than simply play against each other. This ability to communicate between consoles drew Tajiri to the Game Boy as a system.
Tajiri had worked on The Legend of Zelda before, and so Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
was willing to consider his new game idea. When he first pitched the idea of Pokémon to Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
, they could not quite picture the concept, but were impressed enough with Tajiri's prior game programming that they decided to explore the concept. Shigeru Miyamoto
Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
began to mentor Tajiri, guiding him during the creation process. Pokémon Red and Green
Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version, originally released in Japan as , are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. They are the first installments to the Pokémon series. They were first released in Japan in 1996 as Red and Green, with Blue being...
took six years to produce, and nearly bankrupted Game Freak in the process; often, there was barely enough money to pay the employees. Five employees quit, and Tajiri did not take a salary, instead living off of his father's income. Investment from Creatures Inc.
Creatures Inc.
is a subsidiary of the Japanese game development company Nintendo. It was founded by Tsunekazu Ishihara in November 1995, as a successor to Shigesato Itoi's company Ape Inc. Its current president is Hirokazu Tanaka. The company has its headquarters on the second floor of the in Chiyoda, Tokyo, in...
allowed Game Freak to complete the games, and in return, Creatures received one-third of the franchise rights.
In between the approval and finish of the project, Tajiri assisted in the design of two Mario
Mario (series)
The video game series, alternatively called the series or simply the series, is a series of highly popular and critically acclaimed video games by Nintendo, featuring Nintendo's mascot Mario and, in many games, his brother Luigi. Gameplay in the series often centers around jumping on and...
spin-off games for Nintendo: Yoshi and the Japanese-only release Mario & Wario. He also worked on the 1994 Pulseman
Pulseman
Pulseman is an action platform game developed by Game Freak and published by Sega for the Mega Drive in 1994. The game was released in cartridge format only in Japan, with the North American version being released via the Sega Channel as an "exclusive"...
.
Once the games were finished, very few media outlets gave it attention, believing the Game Boy was a dead console; a general lack of interest of merchandising convinced Tajiri that Nintendo would reject the games. The Pokémon games were not expected to do well, but sales steadily increased until the series found itself among Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
's top franchises. Rumors of a hidden Pokémon, Mew
Mew (Pokémon)
is one of the fictional species of Pokémon creatures from Nintendo's and Game Freak's multi-billion-dollar Pokémon media franchise—a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards, and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri...
, which could only be obtained by exploiting programming errors, increased interest in the game. Tajiri had included Mew in the game in order to promote trading and interaction between players, but Nintendo was not aware of the creature upon release. The franchise helped revive Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
, whose sales had been waning. Tajiri deliberately toned down violence in his games. In this vein, he had Pokémon faint rather than die after defeat, as he believed it was unhealthy for children to equate the concept of death with losing a game. After the completion and release of Red and Green in Japan, Tajiri later worked on the 1997 Bushi Seiryūden: Futari no Yūsha. Tajiri also continues to be involved in the more modern Pokémon titles as well. On the most recent incarnations he supervised the process from start to finish and approved all the text. While developing games, Tajiri works irregular hours, often laboring 24 hours at a time.
Inspirations
Tajiri cites Shigeru MiyamotoShigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
as a major influence, thinking of him as a sort of mentor. For this reason, his developmental style closely matches that of Miyamoto. In the Pokémon anime
Pokémon (anime)
, abbreviated from , is a children's TV anime series, which has since been adapted for the North and South American, Australian and European television markets...
, the main character is named Satoshi, while his rival is Shigeru. Tajiri claims that Western audiences understand his work better; instead of focusing exclusively on prominent characters like Pikachu
Pikachu
is one of the species of Pokémon creatures from the Pokémon media franchise—a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards, and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri. As do all Pokémon, Pikachu fight other Pokémon in battles central to the anime, manga, and games of the series...
, he believes they understand that the games are about partnership and identification with one's team.
Tajiri drew much of his inspiration from old Japanese shows and anime, including Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
and Ultraman
Ultraman
is Japanese television series that first aired in 1966. Ultraman, the first and best-known of the "Ultra-Crusaders," made his debut in the tokusatsu SF/kaiju/superhero TV series, , a follow-up to the television series Ultra Q...
. He has stated that if he did not design video games, he would most likely be in the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
field.
Awards and recognition
IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
named Tajiri one of the top 100 game creators of all time, mainly for his ability to turn Pokémon into a "worldwide phenomenon". Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
credited Tajiri as one of the 10 most influential people who made the modern video game market. Video game magazine Edge
Edge (magazine)
Edge is a multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. It is known for its industry contacts, editorial stance, distinctive anonymous third-person writing style, yearly awards and longevity....
placed Tajiri on their list of the "Hot 100 Game Developers of 2008".
External links
- Satoshi Tajiri at Bulbapedia, The Pokémon encyclopedia