Game Freak Explained
| Game Freak Inc. |
| Native Name: | 株式会社ゲームフリーク |
| Native Name Lang: | ja |
| Romanized Name: | Gēmu Furīku |
| Type: | Private KK |
| Industry: | Video games |
| Genre: | Video game development |
| Founded: | in Tokyo, Japan |
| Hq Location: | Kanda Square, 2-2-1 Kandanishiki-cho |
| Hq Location City: | Chiyoda, Tokyo |
| Hq Location Country: | Japan |
| Num Locations: | 1 Kanda Square |
| Num Locations Year: | 2020 |
| Products: | Games |
| Brands: | Pokémon |
| Num Employees: | 207 |
| Num Employees Year: | 2024 |
| Footnotes: | [1] [2] |
is a Japanese video game developer, best known as the primary developer of the Pokémon series of role-playing video games, and as one of the co-owners of the Pokémon series.
History
Predating the video game company, Game Freak was a self-published video game magazine created by Satoshi Tajiri and Ken Sugimori in the 1980s. The first issue was published in 1983 by Tajiri.[3] Sugimori would join the magazine at a later date as an illustrator after finding the magazine in a shop and liking it.[4] Tajiri also used "Game Freak" as his pen name when he wrote as a freelance writer to publications such as Family Computer Magazine and Famicom Tsūshin.[5] [6]
On April 26, 1989, Tajiri, Sugimori and Junichi Masuda started a video game development company with the same name.[7] [8] One of Game Freak's first games was the Nintendo Entertainment System action and puzzle game Quinty, which was released in North America as Mendel Palace. Its most popular series, Pokémon—the romanized portmanteau of the Japanese brand [9] —is published and distributed respectively by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo worldwide.
In October 2015, Game Freak acquired Koa Games, a mobile development company.[10] The company was subsequently merged into Game Freak on December 1, 2015.[11]
In May 2019, Game Freak director Masayuki Onoue revealed that Game Freak is increasingly prioritizing original game creation, in order to grow the experience of its staff.[12] The company's Gear Project initiative, which encourages creators to pitch original game ideas during quiet periods, has so far resulted in original games HarmoKnight, Pocket Card Jockey, Tembo the Badass Elephant and Giga Wrecker.[13]
In February 2020, Game Freak relocated their headquarters to Kanda Square, an office building in Nishikichō shared with Nintendo's Tokyo branch.[14]
Games
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: 会社概要｜GAME FREAK 株式会社ゲームフリーク｜GAME FREAK 株式会社ゲームフリーク. 2020-07-04. GAME FREAK 株式会社ゲームフリーク オフィシャルサイト. ja.
- Web site: GAME FREAK Secret Base for GAME FREAK's 30th Anniversary GAME FREAK. 2020-07-04. GAME FREAK Secret Base for GAME FREAK's 30th Anniversary GAME FREAK. en.
- Book: ポケモンをつくった男 田尻智 . Satoshi Tajiri: A Man Who Created Pokémon . 太田出版. 978-4872338331 . 2004 . 宮昌太朗 . 田尻智 .
- Web site: Interview: Tajiri and Ishihara on Pokemon's Beginnings . live . https://archive.today/20210118225356/http://lavacutcontent.com/satoshi-tajiri-ishihara-interview/#selection-575.1-575.456 . Dr Lava’s notes: Before it was a video game company, Game Freak was a gaming magazine Tajiri hand-wrote and stapled together from home in the early 1980’s. . 2021-01-18 . 2020-11-25 . 2021-12-06.
- Family Computer Magazine. ja:ぼくたちゲーセン野郎. ja. Satoshi Tajiri. https://twitter.com/chou_nosuke/status/606052702246666241. January 6, 1989. 114–115. November 29, 2015. Satoshi Tajiri.
- Biweekly Famicom Journal. ja:ビデヲゲーム通信. ja. Satoshi Tajiri. https://twitter.com/chou_nosuke/status/612229058202505216/photo/1. August 1, 1986. November 29, 2015. Satoshi Tajiri.
- Pokémon Creators' Fanzine Fetches High Price . Wired . Chris . Kohler . April 19, 2010 . November 16, 2010 .
- Web site: Gifford. Kevin. April 7, 2008. COLUMN: 'Game Mag Weaseling': Just Checking In . GameSetWatch. November 16, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080412172635/http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2008/04/column_game_mag_weaseling_just.php. dead. April 12, 2008.
- Web site: The Pokemon Series Pokedex . March 22, 2007 . November 16, 2010 . Swider . Matt . Gaming Target .
- Web site: Pokémon Developer Game Freak Has Purchased a Mobile Game Development Company. October 27, 2015. Gamnesia. Lamoreux. Ben. dead. May 23, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210523102155/https://gamnesia.com/pokemon-developer-game-freak-has-purchased-a-mobile-game-development-compan/.
- Web site: （法人名）の情報｜国税庁法人番号公表サイト .
- Web site: Game Freak 'prioritising' original game projects. Robinson . Andy . . May 22, 2019 . June 27, 2023.
- Web site: Game Freak interview: 'We're trying to create something more than Pokémon'. Robinson . Andy . Video Games Chronicle. July 8, 2019. June 27, 2023.
- Web site: Game Freak Is Moving Closer to Nintendo's Headquarters. February 3, 2020. Siliconera. Sahdev. Ishaan. en. June 27, 2023.
- Web site: Pocket Card Jockey for Nintendo 3DS. Nintendo of America, Inc.. May 7, 2016.
- Web site: Game Freak's Giga Wrecker is coming to consoles in 2019. Good. Owen. January 18, 2019. Polygon. January 19, 2019.
- Web site: Marks . Tom . Game Freak's Little Town Hero Releases Next Month . . September 4, 2019 . September 5, 2019.
- Web site: Romano . Sal . Game Freak announces Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! for Apple Arcade . Gematsu . 3 January 2023 . 3 January 2023 . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20230103171416/https://www.gematsu.com/2023/01/game-freak-announces-pocket-card-jockey-ride-on-for-apple-arcade . 3 January 2023 . live.
- Web site: Romano . Sal . Game Freak and WonderPlanet announce free-to-play sailing adventure RPG PAND LAND for iOS, Android . Gematsu . 2024-06-20 . 2024-06-20 . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20240620051239/https://www.gematsu.com/2024/06/game-freak-and-wonderplanet-announce-free-to-play-sailing-adventure-rpg-pand-land-for-ios-android . 2024-06-20 . live.
- Web site: Rousseau . Jeffrey . 2023-05-09 . Private Division and Game Freak team up for new IP Project Bloom . 2023-05-09 . GamesIndustry.biz . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20230509203118/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/private-division-and-game-freak-team-up-for-new-ip-project-bloom . 2023-05-09 . live.
