The Pokémon Company facts for kids
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Headquarters at Roppongi Hills Mori Tower
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Native name
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株式会社ポケモン
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Romanized name
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Kabushiki gaisha Pokémon |
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Formerly
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The Pokémon Center Company (1998–2000) |
| Joint venture | |
| Founded | 23 April 1998 Nihonbashi, Tokyo, Japan |
| Headquarters | Minato, Tokyo, Japan |
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Key people
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Tsunekazu Ishihara (President and CEO) Takato Utsunomiya (COO) Junichi Masuda (Chief Creative Fellow) |
| Products | Pokémon franchise |
| Services | Brand management |
| Revenue | JPY 204.29 billion (2021) |
 JPY 41.39 billion (2021) |
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| Owners | |
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Number of employees
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448 (2022) |
| Subsidiaries |
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The Pokémon Company (株式会社ポケモン, Kabushiki Gaisha Pokemon, TPC) is a Japanese company that helps manage everything about the Pokémon world. This includes the video games, the trading card game, the anime TV shows, movies, manga comics, and all the cool merchandise you see.
It was created by three companies that own the rights to Pokémon: Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. They started The Pokémon Company because the Pokémon world became so big that it needed its own special team to manage it all!
The company began in April 1998. At first, it just ran the Pokémon Center stores in Japan. But by October 2000, it changed its name to The Pokémon Company and started looking after the whole franchise. Its main office is in Roppongi, Tokyo, Japan.
The Pokémon Company has different branches around the world. For example, The Pokémon Company International handles everything outside of Asia. This includes managing the brand, licensing products, marketing, the Trading Card Game, and the official Pokémon website in places like America and Europe.
Since 2001, The Pokémon Company has published all Pokémon video games in Japan. Nintendo helps distribute them and publishes them worldwide with The Pokémon Company International. These companies work together to make sure the games are ready for players everywhere. Game Freak develops the main Pokémon games, while other companies work on spin-off titles. The Pokémon Company is also fully in charge of publishing and licensing Pokémon mobile games.
Contents
History of The Pokémon Company
In 1998, Nintendo, Creatures, and Game Freak created a company called The Pokémon Center Company. Their goal was to manage the Pokémon Center stores in Japan.
After the games Pokémon Gold and Silver became super popular, many companies wanted to make Pokémon merchandise. Tsunekazu Ishihara from Creatures was in charge of saying yes or no to these products. There were so many ideas that it became too much for one person!
Mr. Ishihara also wanted the Pokémon world to keep growing for a long time. He wanted new anime series and movies every year. So, everyone decided that a new organization was needed to bring all the different parts of Pokémon together.
This led the three companies to change The Pokémon Center Company into The Pokémon Company. This new company had a bigger job: to manage and expand the entire Pokémon franchise. Satoru Iwata, who later became the president of Nintendo, said that setting up The Pokémon Company was one of his first big projects at Nintendo.
Managing the Pokémon Center stores is still a very important part of the company's work. Today, there are Pokémon Center stores in 11 cities across Japan, including Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto.
In 2001, a branch called Pokémon USA, Inc. opened in the United States. This branch helped with licensing Pokémon products in the Americas. In Australia and New Zealand, Nintendo Australia helps with some Pokémon licensing and marketing.
Since 2001, most Pokémon products show "©Pokémon" in their copyright information. This means The Pokémon Company owns the rights, along with Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. These three original companies also own the Pokémon trademarks in Japan. Nintendo owns the Pokémon trademarks in other countries. Other companies, like Tomy and Jazwares, make licensed Pokémon toys.
In 2006, Pokémon Korea, Inc. was started to manage the company's work in South Korea. Its office is in Seoul.
In 2009, Pokémon USA and Pokémon UK joined together to become The Pokémon Company International. This new company handles all Pokémon operations in America and Europe. Their office in the United States is in Bellevue, Washington, and their office in the United Kingdom is in London.
In August 2011, Pokémon Center Co., Ltd. was created. This company focuses on managing the Pokémon Center brand and stores in Japan. They run the Pokémon Store and Pokémon Center shops, look after the Pokémon Stand vending machines, and manage the Pokémon Center Online website. They also design and make Japanese Pokémon Center merchandise.
In April 2022, The Pokémon Company International bought Millennium Print Group. This company prints and packs cards for the Pokémon Trading Card Game. They had been working with The Pokémon Company since 2015. Millennium Print Group still works as a separate company, but The Pokémon Company helps them grow and improve.
On June 1, 2022, Junichi Masuda, one of the creators of Pokémon and a co-founder of Game Freak, joined The Pokémon Company. He became the Chief Creative Fellow, which means he helps with the whole Pokémon franchise, not just the video games.
Pokémon Works
Games & Trading Card Game
- Pokémon video game series
- Pokémon Trading Card Game
- Pokémon Trading Figure Game
Anime
Books
- Pokémon manga
- Pokémon Junior book series
Live-action film
- Pokémon Detective Pikachu
See also
In Spanish: The Pokémon Company para niños
- List of highest-grossing media franchises
