The Pokémon Company: Difference between revisions

'''The Pokémon Company''' ('''{{j|株式会社ポケモン}}''' ''{{wp|Kabushiki gaisha}} Pokémon'') is a company responsible for the licensing and marketing of the [[Pokémon]] franchise. Founded on April 23, 1998 with the name '''The Pokémon Center Company''' ('''{{j|ポケモンセンター株式会社}}''' ''Pokémon Center kabushiki gaisha'') as a {{wp|joint venture}} by [[Nintendo]], [[Game Freak]], and [[Creatures, Inc.|Creatures]], it was created to manage the [[Pokémon Center (store)|Pokémon Center stores]] in Japan<ref name="his">[https://www.pokemon.co.jp/corporate/en/history/ ''Company History'' - The Pokémon Company] (retrieved April 21, 2020)</ref>. It has since expanded to be responsible for the {{pkmn|games|game software}}, {{pkmn|Trading Card Game|card games}}, license management, {{pkmn|anime|TV animation}} and {{pkmn|movie|films}}, and other ancillary businesses in Japan and Asia<ref name="biz">[https://www.pokemon.co.jp/corporate/en/about/ ''Company Profile'' - The Pokémon Company] (retrieved April 21, 2020)</ref>. Its wholly owned subsidiaries, Pokémon Korea, Inc. and [[The Pokémon Company International]], manage these responsibilities in {{pmin|South Korea}} and areas outside Asia, respectively<ref name="Korea">[https://pokemonkorea.co.kr/fp/company ''About Us'' - Pokémon Korea, Inc.] (Korean) (retrieved April 21, 2020)</ref><ref name="TPCi">[https://www.pokemon.com/us/about-pokemon/ ''About the Pokémon Company International'' - The Pokémon Company International] (retrieved April 21, 2020)</ref>.  

By 2000, the overwhelmingly positive response to {{game|Gold and Silver|s}} meant that [[Tsunekazu Ishihara]] of Creatures began being inundated with requests to license the Pokémon brand from companies across the globe. This, along with a desire to establish long-term goals for the franchise, meant that a single company would be needed to steward the brand, and manage key areas<ref>[https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/ds/pokemon/0/2 ''Iwata Asks: "Just Being President Was A Waste!"'' - Nintendo] (retrieved April 21, 2020)</ref>. It was decided in October 2000, with the help of [[Satoru Iwata]] who had newly joined Nintendo from [[HAL Laboratory, Inc.]], to transform The Pokémon Center Company into The Pokémon Company to first take responsibility for video games, and in December of that year to begin its licencing business<ref name="his" />. Since 2001, it has published all Pokémon mobile apps worldwide and all Pokémon video games in Japan, with Nintendo being the publisher of console and handheld games elsewhere.

In February 2001, Pokémon USA, Inc. was established in {{wp|Delaware}}, {{pmin|the United States|United States}}, and in March 2003 Pokémon UK opened its office in {{wp|London}}, {{pmin|the United Kingdom|United Kingdom}}<ref name="his" />. In 2009 these two merged to create [[The Pokémon Company International]]<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090413121437/http://worldscreen.com/articles/display/20547 ''Pokémon Merges North American, European Operations'' - World Screen] (archived from the original April 13, 2009; retrieved April 21, 2020)</ref> which manages the franchise outside of Asia<ref name="TPCi" />.

In July 2002, the company launched the Pokémon Hiroba website for mobile phones, and November that year it launched the official Japanese Pokémon website. In January 2004, it launched the [[Pokémon Daisuki Club]]<ref name="his" />.

On August 25, 2011, Pokémon Center Tokyo Co., Ltd. ({{j|株式会社ポケモンセンタートウキョー}} ''Kabushiki gaisha Pokémon Center Tokyo'') was established to manage the company's {{OBP|Pokémon Center|store}} and [[Pokémon Store]] operations<ref name="his" /><ref name="Center">[https://www.pokemon.co.jp/corporate/job/pokemoncenter/company/ ''Company Profile'' - Pokémon Center Co., Ltd.] (Japanese) (retrieved April 21, 2020)</ref>. In March 2013 it was renamed to Pokémon Center Co., Ltd. ({{j|株式会社ポケモンセンター}} ''Kabushiki gaisha Pokémon Center'')<ref name="Center2">[https://pokemoncenter-recruit.jp/production/static/company_overview.html ''Company Overview'' - Pokémon Center Co., Ltd.] (Japanese) (retrieved April 21, 2020)</ref>.

Pokémon Center Co., Ltd. was established in August 2011 to manage the Pokémon Center brand and stores in Japan. Its operations include running [[Pokémon Store]] and {{OBP|Pokémon Center|store}} stores, maintaining the [[Pokémon vending machines#Pokémon Stand vending machines|Pokémon Stand vending machines]] and operating [[Pokémon Center Online]], as well as overseeing the design and manufacture of Japanese Pokémon Center brand merchandise. Yomiomi Uego is President and CEO<ref name="Center" /><ref name="Center2" />.

==External links==