The Pokémon Company: Difference between revisions

The Pokémon Center Co., Ltd. was founded on April 23, 1998 as a joint venture between [[Nintendo|Nintendo Co., Ltd.]], [[Game Freak|Game Freak, Inc.]] and [[Creatures, Inc.]] (the three companies that jointly own the copyright to Pokémon in Japan) to manage the Pokémon Center stores that were beginning to open.<ref name="his" />

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" />

Pokémon Korea, Inc. ((주)포켓몬코리아 ''(Corporation) Pokémon Korea'') was founded as a subsidiary on August 28, 2006 to manage the franchise in {{pmin|South Korea}}.<ref name="his" /><ref name="Korea" /> In {{pmin|Australia}} and {{pmin|New Zealand}}, the Pokémon franchise is managed by {{wp|Nintendo Australia}}.

A subsidiary called the Pokémon Communications Company ({{j|株式会社ポケモンコミュニケーションズ}} ''Kabushiki gaisha Pokémon Communications'') was founded on March 8, 2010<ref name="his"/><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150601044120/http://www.pokemon-communications.co.jp/ ''Pokémon Communications Company''] (Japanese) (archived from the original June 1, 2015; retrieved April 21, 2020)<small>(requires {{wp|Adobe Flash Player|Flash Player}})</small></ref>, to better reach customers in Asia. On January 25, 2017, The Pokémon Company and the Pokémon Communications Company merged, with the latter being absorbed back into its parent company.<ref name="his" /><ref>[https://gamebiz.jp/?p=177205 ''Pokémon merges with Pokémon Communications, an affiliate company that promotes "Pokémon"'' - Social Game Info] (Japanese) (retrieved April 21, 2020)</ref> In December that year, The Pokémon Company launched websites in {{pmin|Greater China|China, Hong Kong, Taiwan}}, {{pmin|South Asia|India}}, {{pmin|Indonesia}}, {{pmin|Malaysia}}, the {{pmin|the Philippines|Philippines}}, {{pmin|Singapore}}, {{pmin|Thailand}}, and {{pmin|Vietnam}}.<ref>[https://nintendosoup.com/official-pokemon-website-launches-10-asian-countries/ ''Official Pokémon Website Launches in 10 Asian Countries'' - NintenoSoup] (retrieved April 21, 2020)</ref> The company now uses the Pokémon Asia moniker for work in those countries.

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>