Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development
Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development Division, commonly abbreviated as Nintendo EAD and formerly known as Nintendo Research & Development No.4 Department (abbreviated as Nintendo R&D4), was the largest software development division within the Japanese video game company Nintendo. It was preceded by the Creative Department, a team of designers with backgrounds in art responsible for many different tasks, to which Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka originally belonged. Both served as managers of the EARD studios and were credited in every game developed by the division, with varying degrees of involvement. Nintendo EAD was best known for its work on games in the Donkey Kong, Mario, The Legend of Zelda, F-Zero, Star Fox, Animal Crossing, Pikmin, and Wii series.
Exterior of the Nintendo Central Office in Kyoto, where the division was housed for most of its existence. | |
Native name | 任天堂情報開発本部 |
|---|---|
Romanized name | Nintendō Jōhō Kaihatsu Honbu |
| Formerly | Nintendo Research & Development No.4 Department (until early 90s) |
| Company type | Division |
| Industry | Video games |
| Predecessors | |
| Founded | September 30, 1983 in Kyoto, Japan |
| Founder | Hiroshi Yamauchi |
| Defunct | September 16, 2015 |
| Fate | Merged with Nintendo Software Planning & Development |
| Successor | Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development |
| Headquarters | , Japan |
Number of locations | 2 (Kyoto and Tokyo) |
Key people | |
| Products | List of games developed |
| Services | Video game development |
| Parent | Nintendo |
Following a large company restructuring after the death of company president Satoru Iwata, the division merged with Nintendo's Software Planning & Development division in September 2015, becoming Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development.