The Pokémon Company
Encyclopedia
is a corporation responsible for marketing
and licensing the Pokémon
franchise
and is affiliated and owned by Nintendo
. It began operating in 1998 and adopted the moniker "Pokémon Ltd." in 2000. The company is headquartered in the Roppongi Hills
Mori Tower
in Roppongi
Rokuchome, Minato, Tokyo
. The company has separate divisions that handle operations in different parts of the world, with The Pokémon Company International supporting the US
and UK
. The company manages the Pokémon properties and releases.
, before the actual trademark of "Pokémon, Ltd." was established in 2000. Since then, Nintendo has been marketing this branch as "The Pokémon Company". The US
branch (Pokémon USA, Inc) opened in 2001 to handle licensing overseas. Nintendo Australia
does all licensing and marketing of Pokémon products in Australia and New Zealand, as The Pokémon Company does not have an Australian branch. The company is headquartered in the Roppongi Hills
Mori Tower
in Roppongi
Rokuchome, Minato, Tokyo
.
Since 2001, nearly all licensed Pokémon products have "©Pokémon" in the copyright
acknowledgments with the usual three of "©Nintendo
", "©Game Freak
" and "©Creatures Inc.
". The video games, Pokémon Trading Card Game
and licensed toys are still being made by third and second party companies such as Takara Tomy
.
In 2009, Pokémon USA and its UK counterpart merged to become The Pokémon Company International, which will handle non-Asia Pokémon operations under the administration of Kenji Okubo. Australian operations are to still be under control of Nintendo Australia
, which is headed by Managing Director, Yuji Bando. The company's United States offices are in Bellevue, Washington
.
Anime films
Television specials
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
and licensing the 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...
franchise
Media franchise
A media franchise is an intellectual property involving the characters, setting and trademarks of an original work of media , such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or a video game. Generally, a whole series is made in a particular medium, along with merchandising and endorsements...
and is affiliated and owned by 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....
. It began operating in 1998 and adopted the moniker "Pokémon Ltd." in 2000. The company is headquartered in the Roppongi Hills
Roppongi Hills
is a New Urban Centre and one of Japan's largest integrated property developments, located in the Roppongi district of Minato, Tokyo.Constructed by building tycoon Minoru Mori, the mega-complex incorporates office space, apartments, shops, restaurants, cafés, movie theaters, a museum, a hotel, a...
Mori Tower
Roppongi Hills Mori Tower
is a 54-story mixed-use skyscraper located in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo. Completed in 2003 and named for builder Minoru Mori, the tower is the centerpiece of the Roppongi Hills urban development. It is currently the fifth-tallest building in Tokyo at . The building is primarily used for office space,...
in Roppongi
Roppongi
is a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan, famous as home to the rich Roppongi Hills area and an active night club scene. Many foreign embassies are located in Roppongi, and the night life is popular with locals and foreigners alike...
Rokuchome, Minato, Tokyo
Minato, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 1 March 2008, it had an official population of 217,335 and a population density of 10,865 persons per km². The total area is 20.34 km².Minato hosts 49 embassies...
. The company has separate divisions that handle operations in different parts of the world, with The Pokémon Company International supporting the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The company manages the Pokémon properties and releases.
History
Company operations began in 1998 with the opening of Pokémon Center 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...
, before the actual trademark of "Pokémon, Ltd." was established in 2000. Since then, Nintendo has been marketing this branch as "The Pokémon Company". The US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
branch (Pokémon USA, Inc) opened in 2001 to handle licensing overseas. Nintendo Australia
Nintendo Australia
Nintendo Australia Pty. Ltd. established in 1994, located in Victoria is Australia's local head office, sales, licensing and distribution centre for products and other Intellectual Properties created by Nintendo Co., Ltd of Kyoto, Japan and is owned by Nintendo Co., Ltd in Japan. Prior distribution...
does all licensing and marketing of Pokémon products in Australia and New Zealand, as The Pokémon Company does not have an Australian branch. The company is headquartered in the Roppongi Hills
Roppongi Hills
is a New Urban Centre and one of Japan's largest integrated property developments, located in the Roppongi district of Minato, Tokyo.Constructed by building tycoon Minoru Mori, the mega-complex incorporates office space, apartments, shops, restaurants, cafés, movie theaters, a museum, a hotel, a...
Mori Tower
Roppongi Hills Mori Tower
is a 54-story mixed-use skyscraper located in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo. Completed in 2003 and named for builder Minoru Mori, the tower is the centerpiece of the Roppongi Hills urban development. It is currently the fifth-tallest building in Tokyo at . The building is primarily used for office space,...
in Roppongi
Roppongi
is a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan, famous as home to the rich Roppongi Hills area and an active night club scene. Many foreign embassies are located in Roppongi, and the night life is popular with locals and foreigners alike...
Rokuchome, Minato, Tokyo
Minato, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 1 March 2008, it had an official population of 217,335 and a population density of 10,865 persons per km². The total area is 20.34 km².Minato hosts 49 embassies...
.
Since 2001, nearly all licensed Pokémon products have "©Pokémon" in the copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
acknowledgments with the usual three of "©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....
", "©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:...
" and "©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...
". The video games, Pokémon Trading Card Game
Pokémon Trading Card Game
The Pokémon Trading Card Game is a collectible card game based on the Pokémon video game series, first introduced in Japan in October 1996, then North America in December 1998...
and licensed toys are still being made by third and second party companies such as Takara Tomy
Takara Tomy
is a Japanese toy, children's merchandise and entertainment company created from the March 2006 merger of two companies: Tomy and long-time rival, Takara...
.
In 2009, Pokémon USA and its UK counterpart merged to become The Pokémon Company International, which will handle non-Asia Pokémon operations under the administration of Kenji Okubo. Australian operations are to still be under control of Nintendo Australia
Nintendo Australia
Nintendo Australia Pty. Ltd. established in 1994, located in Victoria is Australia's local head office, sales, licensing and distribution centre for products and other Intellectual Properties created by Nintendo Co., Ltd of Kyoto, Japan and is owned by Nintendo Co., Ltd in Japan. Prior distribution...
, which is headed by Managing Director, Yuji Bando. The company's United States offices are in Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is...
.
Games
- Pokémon Battle RevolutionPokémon Battle Revolutionis the first Wii incarnation of the Pokémon video game franchise. It is also the first Wii game to use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection in North America and Japan and the first Wii game to wirelessly interact with the Nintendo DS handheld....
- Pokémon BattrioPokémon Battriois a Triforce arcade video game that was announced on April 11, 2007 and released on November 21, 2007 in Japan. The game requires players to move around certain pucks with Pokémon on a grid. The game is made for two player multiplayer where players will battle each other's Pokémon. Each Player can...
- Pokémon Black and WhitePokémon Black and Whiteare role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. They are the first installments in the fifth generation of the Pokémon series of role-playing games...
- Pokémon Box: Ruby & Sapphire
- Pokémon ChannelPokémon ChannelPokémon Channel, released in Japan as is a virtual pet video game for the GameCube, developed by Ambrella. Its focus is the adventures the player has with Pikachu, most of them involving a new television network...
- Pokémon ColosseumPokémon Colosseumis a role-playing video game developed by Genius Sonority and published by Nintendo as part of the Pokémon series. It was released exclusively for the Nintendo GameCube on November 21, 2003 in Japan; March 22, 2004 in North America; and May 14, 2004 in Europe...
- Pokémon Dash!
- Pokémon Diamond and PearlPokémon Diamond and Pearlare role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. With the enhanced remake Pokémon Platinum, the games comprise the fifth installment and fourth generation of the Pokémon series of RPGs...
- Pokémon Emerald
- Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreenPokémon FireRed and LeafGreenare enhanced remakes of the original Pokémon Red and Blue video games, which were released in 1996. The new titles were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance and have compatibility with the Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter, which originally came bundled with...
- Pokémon Gold and SilverPokémon Gold and Silverare the second installments of the Pokémon series of role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color. The games have dual-mode capabilities allowing them to also be played on earlier Game Boy models. They were first released in Japan in 1999 and to...
- Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilverPokémon HeartGold and SoulSilverare enhanced remakes of the 1999 video games Pokémon Gold and Silver. The games are part of the Pokémon series of role-playing video games, and were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS...
- Pokémon miniPokémon miniThe is a handheld game console designed and manufactured by Nintendo and themed around the Pokémon media franchise. It is the smallest game system with interchangeable cartridges ever produced by Nintendo, weighing just under two and a half ounces...
- Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue TeamPokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Teamand are a matched pair of Pokémon games for the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance, respectively. These two games were developed by Chunsoft and were published by Nintendo....
- Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky
- Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of DarknessPokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darknessand are a matched pair of Pokémon games for the Nintendo DS. The two games were released in Japan on September 13, 2007, and were released in North America on April 20, 2008...
- Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & SapphirePokémon Pinball: Ruby & SapphirePokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire is a pinball game developed by Jupiter and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance handheld game console. It was first revealed at E3 in 2003, and was released in the same year – on August 1, August 25, and November 14 in Japan, North America, and PAL regions...
- Pokémon PlatinumPokémon Platinumis a title in the Pokémon series of video games. It was developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. It is an enhanced remake of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl in the same vein as Pokémon Yellow, Crystal, and Emerald were for their respective games...
- Pokémon Red and BluePokémon Red and BluePokémon 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...
- Pokémon Ruby and SapphirePokémon Ruby and Sapphireare 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,...
- Pokémon RangerPokémon Rangeris an action/role-playing video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS video game console. The game was released at various dates, varying between continents. The game was first released in Japan on March 22, 2006 and was later released in North America and...
- Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of AlmiaPokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almiais an action/role-playing video game developed by Creatures Inc. for the Nintendo DS video game console. It is the sequel to the Pokémon Ranger video game, also for the DS....
- Pokémon Ranger: Guardian SignsPokémon Ranger: Guardian Signsis an action role-playing game video game for the Nintendo DS. It is the sequel of Pokémon Ranger and Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia and third installment of its series. It was released in Japan on March 6, 2010, North America on October 4, 2010, and Europe on November 5, 2010. Gameplay revolves...
- Pokémon RumblePokémon RumblePokémon Rumble is a Pokémon video game for WiiWare. It was developed by Ambrella. Pokémon Rumble was rated "E10+" by the ESRB, making it the first Pokémon video game to be given an ESRB rating higher than "E" for Everyone...
- Pokémon SnapPokémon Snapis a first-person rail shooter and simulation video game developed by HAL Laboratory with Pax Softnica and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It is part of the Pokémon series, and one of the first console games based on the Pokémon series...
- Pokémon Stadium 2Pokémon Stadium 2Pokémon Stadium 2, known as in Japan, is a video game for the Nintendo 64. It features all 251 Pokémon from the first and second generations. It was released in North America as simply Pokémon Stadium 2, as it was the second Stadium game to be released there. In Japan, Pokémon Stadium Kin Gin was...
- Pokémon StadiumPokémon StadiumPokémon Stadium, known as in Japan, is a strategy game developed by Nintendo EAD with the assistance of Creatures and HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 video game console. It was released on April 30, 1999 in Japan, February 29, 2000 in North America, and April 7, 2000...
- Pokémon Trozei!Pokémon Trozei!, released as Pokémon Link! in Europe, is a Pokémon-themed puzzle video game for the Nintendo DS. It was released in Japan on October 20, 2005, in North America on March 6, 2006, in Australia on March 30, 2006, and in Europe on May 5, 2006.-Gameplay:...
- Pokémon XD: Gale of DarknessPokémon XD: Gale of DarknessPokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, released in Japan as , is the second console role-playing game from Nintendo's Pokémon franchise for the Nintendo GameCube. It is the successor of the GameCube game Pokémon Colosseum. The game takes place in Orre, the setting of Pokémon Colosseums adventure mode...
- Pokémon YellowPokémon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition, is a 1998 role-playing video game developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy handheld video game console. Along with the release of Pokémon Yellow, a special edition yellow Pokémon-themed Game Boy Color was also released.-Gameplay:...
- PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure
- Pokemon Rumble BlastPokémon Rumble BlastPokémon Rumble Blast received mixed reviews, IGN giving the game a 6.5/10. The reviewer concluded that: "As a whole, Pokemon Rumble Blast certainly has more to offer than its predecessor. With more to do, way more Pokemon to collect and far more areas to explore, the game certainly represents a...
Anime
TV series- Pokémon anime meta seriesPokémon (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...
- Pokémon ChroniclesPokémon ChroniclesPokémon Chronicles, known in Japan as , is a spin-off series of the Pokémon anime, revolving around characters other than Ash Ketchum.It first aired in Britain on Toonami, where the initial run has now finished. The only places where episodes are currently airing for the first time are the...
Anime films
- Pokémon: The First MoviePokémon: The First MoviePokémon: The First Movie, originally released as , is a 1998 Japanese animated film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama, the chief director of the Pokémon television series. It is the first theatrical release in the Pokémon franchise...
- Pokémon: The Movie 2000Pokémon: The Movie 2000Pokémon: The Movie 2000, originally released in Japan as , is a 1999 Japanese animated film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama as the second Pokémon feature-length film, complementing the Orange Islands saga of the series and featuring several new Pokémon, including Lugia and Slowking...
- Pokémon 3: The MoviePokémon 3: The MoviePokémon 3: The Movie, originally released in Japan as , is a 2000 Japanese animated film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama as the third feature-length Pokémon film. It was released in Japanese theaters on July 8, 2000, and the English adaptation, entitled Pokémon 3: Spell of the Unknown was released...
- Pokémon 4EverPokémon 4EverPokémon 4Ever: Celebi - Voice of the Forest, originally released in Japan as , is a 2001 Japanese anime film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and based on the television series Pokémon. It is the fourth official Pokémon film. It was released in Japan on July 14, 2001. The film was directed in Japan by...
- Pokémon HeroesPokémon HeroesPokémon Heroes: Latios and Latias, originally released in Japan as , is a 2002 Japanese animated film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama. It is the fifth film in the Pokémon series, complimenting Pokémon: Master Quest...
- Pokémon: Jirachi Wish Maker
- Pokémon: Destiny DeoxysPokémon: Destiny DeoxysPokémon: Destiny Deoxys, originally released in Japan as is the seventh film in the Pokémon series, complementing the seventh season . It is the second film released under Pocket Monsters Advanced Generation in Japan. The original Japanese version was released in theaters on July 17, 2004...
- Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of MewPokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of MewPokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, originally released in Japan as , is an anime film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama as the eighth film in the Pokémon franchise. It was released in theaters in Japan on July 16, 2005, followed by the Japanese DVD release on December 22, 2005...
- Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea
- Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai
- Pokémon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior
- Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life
- Pokémon: Zoroark: Master of Illusions
Television specials
- Pokémon: The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon
- Pokémon: Mewtwo ReturnsPokémon: Mewtwo ReturnsPokémon: Mewtwo Returns, released in Japan as , is an animated film based on the Pokémon anime, and is the direct follow-up to Pokémon: The First Movie. It originated as a feature-length TV special in Japan on December 30, 2000 and was released on VHS and DVD in Japan on March 21, 2001...
- Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go-Getters Out Of The Gate!
- Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of TimePokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darknessand are a matched pair of Pokémon games for the Nintendo DS. The two games were released in Japan on September 13, 2007, and were released in North America on April 20, 2008...
- Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of DarknessPokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darknessand are a matched pair of Pokémon games for the Nintendo DS. The two games were released in Japan on September 13, 2007, and were released in North America on April 20, 2008...