Satoshi Tajiri facts for kids

Satoshi Tajiri (Japanese: 田尻 智, Hepburn: Tajiri Satoshi, born August 28, 1965) is a famous Japanese game designer and director. He is best known as the creator of the amazing Pokémon world! He also helped start the video game company Game Freak, where he is currently the president.

When he was young, Satoshi Tajiri loved playing arcade games. He even created his own magazine about video games called Game Freak with his friend Ken Sugimori. Later, this magazine turned into the game development company we know today. Satoshi Tajiri says that seeing two Game Boys connected by a link cable gave him the idea for Pokémon. He wanted to make a game that felt like his childhood hobby: collecting insects and sharing them with friends.

The first Pokémon games, Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green, took six years to make. These games became a huge success, starting a franchise worth billions of dollars! They also made Nintendo's handheld gaming popular again. Satoshi Tajiri was the director for many Pokémon games. After Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, he became an executive producer. This means he helps oversee the big picture of the games, a role he still has today. He has also worked on other cool projects for Game Freak.

Satoshi Tajiri's Childhood and Early Interests

Satoshi Tajiri was born on August 28, 1965, in Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan. He grew up in Machida, Tokyo, which was a mix of countryside and growing city. As a child, Satoshi loved insect collecting. He and his friends would catch and trade insects. This fun hobby later gave him the idea for his video games! His friends even called him "Dr. Bug." He dreamed of becoming an entomologist, a scientist who studies insects.

As cities grew, many places where bugs lived disappeared. Satoshi wanted to create games that would let kids experience the joy of catching and collecting creatures, just like he did.

Discovering Arcade Games

When Satoshi was a teenager, he became super interested in arcade games. His parents worried a bit about this hobby, but Satoshi loved it. He especially enjoyed playing Space Invaders (1978) by Taito. This game made him want to explore other video games. After playing Space Invaders and similar games, he even thought about making his own version! He also liked Namco games like Dig Dug (1982), which focused on simple, fun actions.

His passion for games grew, and he started planning his own game ideas. He even took apart his Famicom console to understand how it worked! He also won a contest for a video game idea from Sega.

Education and Learning

Because he loved video games so much, Satoshi sometimes skipped school. But he worked hard in make-up classes and still earned his high school diploma. Instead of going to a regular university, Satoshi went to a two-year technical program. He studied electronics and computer science at the National Institute of Technology, Tokyo College. This education helped him learn how to create games.

Creating Game Freak and the Idea for Pokémon

From 1981 to 1986, Satoshi Tajiri wrote and edited a special magazine called Game Freak. This magazine was all about arcade games. It was made by hand and shared tips for winning and finding hidden secrets, called Easter eggs. One popular issue, which sold over 10,000 copies, showed how to get a high score in Xevious.

Meeting Ken Sugimori

Ken Sugimori, who later drew the first 151 Pokémon, saw the Game Freak magazine. He loved it so much that he became its illustrator! As more people joined the Game Freak team, Satoshi realized that many games weren't as good as they could be. So, he and Ken decided to make their own games. Satoshi learned how to program games using a special package called Family BASIC. He then bought all the equipment needed to create games.

From Magazine to Company

In 1989, Satoshi Tajiri and Ken Sugimori turned their magazine into a video game company, also named Game Freak. Their very first game was an arcade-style game called Quinty, which was published by Namco. Satoshi also wrote for other magazines, reviewing arcade games.

The Birth of Pokémon

Satoshi first thought of the idea for Pokémon in 1990. He saw the Game Boy and its link cable, which allowed two Game Boys to connect. This sparked an idea! He imagined little bugs crawling between the two connected consoles, just like his childhood bug-collecting hobby. He realized the Game Boy was perfect for a game where players could trade and collect creatures.

When Satoshi first shared his Pokémon idea with Nintendo, they didn't quite understand it. However, they were impressed by his reputation as a game designer. So, they decided to give it a try! Shigeru Miyamoto, a legendary game designer, became Satoshi's mentor. He helped guide Satoshi through the game creation process.

Challenges and Success

The first Pokémon games, Red and Green, took six long years to develop. This was a very tough time for Game Freak. They almost ran out of money to pay their employees. Some employees even left the company. Satoshi didn't take a salary during this time, relying on his father's support. Luckily, a company called Creatures Inc. invested money, which helped Game Freak finish the games. In return, Creatures Inc. received a share of the Pokémon franchise rights.

Before Pokémon was finished, Satoshi also helped design other games. He worked on two Mario spin-off games for Nintendo: Yoshi and Mario & Wario. He also worked on Pulseman for Sega in 1994.

When Pokémon Red and Green were finally released, not many people paid attention at first. Many thought the Game Boy was an old console. But then, sales slowly grew and grew! Rumors about a secret Pokémon named Mew, which could be found through a special trick, made the game even more popular. Satoshi had put Mew in the game to encourage players to trade and interact. This helped the Pokémon series become one of Nintendo's biggest successes and boosted their sales.

Satoshi made sure his games were not too violent. He designed Pokémon to faint when defeated, instead of dying. He believed it was important for kids to understand that losing a game didn't mean death. Satoshi continues to be involved in the Pokémon games today. For example, he oversaw the creation of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen and approved all the text. He is known for working very long and unusual hours when developing games.

Who Inspired Satoshi Tajiri?

Satoshi Tajiri looks up to Shigeru Miyamoto, another famous game designer, as a mentor. This means Satoshi's way of creating games is similar to Miyamoto's. It's a cool fact that in the Japanese Pokémon TV show, the main character is named Satoshi (who is Ash Ketchum in English). His rival is named Shigeru (who is Gary Oak in English)!

Satoshi also got many ideas from old Japanese TV shows and movies. These included classics like Godzilla and Ultraman. He once said that if he didn't make video games, he would probably be working in the anime world.

Awards and Recognition for Satoshi Tajiri

Satoshi Tajiri has received many honors for his amazing work.

• IGN, a popular video game website, named him one of the top 100 game creators ever. They recognized his skill in making Pokémon a "worldwide phenomenon."
• Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine called him one of the 10 most important people who shaped the modern video game market.
• Edge magazine also included him in their list of "Hot 100 Game Developers of 2008."
• In 2011, Satoshi Tajiri and Tsunekazu Ishihara received a Special Award from the Computer Entertainment Developers Conference.
• The Economist magazine has even called Pokémon "Japan's most successful export," showing its huge global impact!

Games Satoshi Tajiri Has Worked On

Here is a list of some of the games Satoshi Tajiri has helped create or oversee:

See also

In Spanish: Satoshi Tajiri para niños

• Pokémon
• Game Freak
• Ash Ketchum