Genyo Takeda
Encyclopedia
is the general manager of Nintendo's integrated research division, and has been working there since it was founded in 1981. He mostly works on improving hardware for home consoles and handhelds, but sometimes develops video games. He is also credited as having created Nintendo's first video game, EVR Race, in 1975, though it was more of an electro-mechanical arcade game
.
after Takeda responded to a newspaper ad. He was interviewed and subsequently hired by Gunpei Yokoi. Takeda worked alongside Masayuki Uemura in Nintendo’s R&D2 team developing what they termed ‘an electronic shooting range.’
After a year at R&D2, Takeda was assigned control as General Manager over Nintendo’s fledgling R&D3 department. By far the smallest of the R&D departments at Nintendo with about 20 employees, R&D3’s primary responsibilities were the technical hardware design and development software for both the arcade systems and the later home consoles, the Famicom and the NES. The team also helped create bank switching and the MMC chips in the NES cartridges. R&D3 also made forays into video game development, producing few such famous titles such as the Punch-Out!! and StarTropics
series of games. R&D3 was also responsible for releasing a series of sports games for Nintendo, including Pro Wrestling
, NES Play Action Football
, and Ice Hockey. These titles were aimed primarily at the American market, where they sold well.
A major limitation with the NES cartridges was the inability to save directly on the cartridge. The cartridges contain RAM, which are easily writable but lose all stored memory as soon as the power is turned off. Takeda is credited for his team’s development of the battery back-up memory, which was first used in the North American and European versions of Shigeru Miyamoto
’s The Legend of Zelda. It supplies a long-life power source to the RAM chip, maintaining the saved data even when the main power supply is cut or the cartridge is removed. Takeda is also credited with the invention of the Analog controller for the Nintendo 64
system, a style which has since been copied by Microsoft and Sony for their respective systems. Takeda’s R&D3 team was renamed Integrated Research and Development in 2000. In that same year, they worked with Conexant to create broadband and modem peripherals for the Nintendo GameCube. Takeda was promoted in 2002 to Senior Management Director, while still maintaining his position as General Manager.
. He is known for disagreement with the contemporary model of adding ever technical and graphical improvements to create new console generations. He claims that such a model is subject to diminishing returns. He has been quoted as saying that “If [Nintendo] had followed existing roadmaps we would have aimed to make [the Wii] faster and flashier. We’d have tried to improve the speed at which it displays stunning graphics. But we could not help but ask, ‘How big an impact would that really have on our customers?’ In development, we came to realize the sheer inefficiency of this path when we compared the hardships and costs of development against the new experiences customers might have.”
Takeda began to have doubts about following this model as early as 2002. He claims to have figured out that consumers will not be satisfied with graphics at any point, that the new improvement effects will eventually wear off, and that “there is no end to the desire of those who just want more. Give them one, they ask for two. Give them two and the next time they will ask for five instead of three, their desire growing exponentially.”
He has famously compared the console industry to the automobile industry. Noticing that not all cars are built to compete at the highest level of racing, he points out that there are lucrative markets for the most fuel-efficient, family-friendly vehicles as well. Takeda meant for the Wii to parallel this model, and has mentioned in an interview that one of his major technical goals on the Wii was (being conscious of rising electricity bills and cost-cutting) to scale back the power necessary to operate the console while maintaining the same high performance. He has compared the Wii to a hybrid vehicle for its mass appeal and conservation attributes.
Director
Scriptwriter
Special Thanks
Supervisor
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
.
Biographical and Professional History
Genyo Takeda was born in Osaka, Japan. As a child, Takeda enjoyed working with his hands, building small items such as miniature trains and airplanes. He attended Shizuoka Government University in Honshū, where he studied semi-conductors. After his graduation in 1970, he was hired by NintendoNintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
after Takeda responded to a newspaper ad. He was interviewed and subsequently hired by Gunpei Yokoi. Takeda worked alongside Masayuki Uemura in Nintendo’s R&D2 team developing what they termed ‘an electronic shooting range.’
After a year at R&D2, Takeda was assigned control as General Manager over Nintendo’s fledgling R&D3 department. By far the smallest of the R&D departments at Nintendo with about 20 employees, R&D3’s primary responsibilities were the technical hardware design and development software for both the arcade systems and the later home consoles, the Famicom and the NES. The team also helped create bank switching and the MMC chips in the NES cartridges. R&D3 also made forays into video game development, producing few such famous titles such as the Punch-Out!! and StarTropics
StarTropics
StarTropics is an action-adventure video game released by Nintendo in 1990 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Unlike most of Nintendo's games, it was never released or intended to be released in Japan. It was released only in North America and Europe, although designed by Japanese designers...
series of games. R&D3 was also responsible for releasing a series of sports games for Nintendo, including Pro Wrestling
Pro Wrestling (video game)
is a Nintendo Entertainment System game, as well as a Family Computer Disk System game for one or two players first released in 1986. The game was the second wrestling game on the Nintendo Entertainment System and was ranked 172 on Nintendo Power's Top 200 Nintendo Games Ever.-Gameplay:The player...
, NES Play Action Football
NES Play Action Football
NES Play Action Football is a football video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was developed by TOSE, published by Nintendo, and was released in 1990. The game was also ported to the Game Boy as Play Action Football, and received a follow up on the Super Nintendo, Super Play Action...
, and Ice Hockey. These titles were aimed primarily at the American market, where they sold well.
A major limitation with the NES cartridges was the inability to save directly on the cartridge. The cartridges contain RAM, which are easily writable but lose all stored memory as soon as the power is turned off. Takeda is credited for his team’s development of the battery back-up memory, which was first used in the North American and European versions of Shigeru Miyamoto
Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
’s The Legend of Zelda. It supplies a long-life power source to the RAM chip, maintaining the saved data even when the main power supply is cut or the cartridge is removed. Takeda is also credited with the invention of the Analog controller for the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
system, a style which has since been copied by Microsoft and Sony for their respective systems. Takeda’s R&D3 team was renamed Integrated Research and Development in 2000. In that same year, they worked with Conexant to create broadband and modem peripherals for the Nintendo GameCube. Takeda was promoted in 2002 to Senior Management Director, while still maintaining his position as General Manager.
Development of the Wii
Takeda was one of the lead developers on the newest generation of Nintendo console, the WiiWii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
. He is known for disagreement with the contemporary model of adding ever technical and graphical improvements to create new console generations. He claims that such a model is subject to diminishing returns. He has been quoted as saying that “If [Nintendo] had followed existing roadmaps we would have aimed to make [the Wii] faster and flashier. We’d have tried to improve the speed at which it displays stunning graphics. But we could not help but ask, ‘How big an impact would that really have on our customers?’ In development, we came to realize the sheer inefficiency of this path when we compared the hardships and costs of development against the new experiences customers might have.”
Takeda began to have doubts about following this model as early as 2002. He claims to have figured out that consumers will not be satisfied with graphics at any point, that the new improvement effects will eventually wear off, and that “there is no end to the desire of those who just want more. Give them one, they ask for two. Give them two and the next time they will ask for five instead of three, their desire growing exponentially.”
He has famously compared the console industry to the automobile industry. Noticing that not all cars are built to compete at the highest level of racing, he points out that there are lucrative markets for the most fuel-efficient, family-friendly vehicles as well. Takeda meant for the Wii to parallel this model, and has mentioned in an interview that one of his major technical goals on the Wii was (being conscious of rising electricity bills and cost-cutting) to scale back the power necessary to operate the console while maintaining the same high performance. He has compared the Wii to a hybrid vehicle for its mass appeal and conservation attributes.
Software works
Producer- EVR Race
- Sheriff (arcade game)Sheriff (arcade game)is an arcade game developed by Nintendo R&D1 in 1979, designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Genyo Takeda. Some sources claim that Ikegami Tsushinki also did design work on Sheriff. It is one of the earliest Western-style video games developed . The player controls a county sheriff who must defend the...
- Space FirebirdSpace Firebirdis a 1980 arcade game developed by Nintendo R&D1. It was published by Nintendo in Japan and in the North America. It was also published by Sega-Gremlin in the US as well...
- Popeye (arcade game)Popeye (arcade game)is a 1982 arcade game developed and released by Nintendo based on the Popeye cartoon characters licensed from King Features Syndicate. Some sources claim that Ikegami Tsushinki also did design work on Popeye....
- Punch-Out!! (arcade game)
- Super Punch-Out!! (arcade game)
- Arm Wrestling (video game)
- StarTropicsStarTropicsStarTropics is an action-adventure video game released by Nintendo in 1990 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Unlike most of Nintendo's games, it was never released or intended to be released in Japan. It was released only in North America and Europe, although designed by Japanese designers...
- Zoda's Revenge: StarTropics IIZoda's Revenge: StarTropics IIZoda's Revenge: StarTropics II is a video game released only in North America in 1994. It was developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System as the sequel to the 1990 game, StarTropics. It is the second to last licensed game released on the NES, Wario's Woods being the...
- Zoda's Revenge: StarTropics II
- Pilotwings 64Pilotwings 64is a video game for the Nintendo 64, originally released in 1996 along with the debut of the console. The game was co-developed by Nintendo and the American visual technology group Paradigm Simulation. It was one of three launch titles for the Nintendo 64 in Japan as well as Europe and one of two...
- Pokémon Puzzle LeaguePokémon Puzzle LeaguePokémon Puzzle League is a puzzle game for the Nintendo 64 console. It is based on Nintendo's Panel de Pon puzzle games, but with Pokémon likenesses. It was only available in North America starting in 2000, and in Europe in 2001, making it the first Pokémon game produced for North America first...
- Dr. Mario 64Dr. Mario 64Dr. Mario 64 is a puzzle game based on the original Dr. Mario. It was developed and published by Nintendo, released for the Nintendo 64 in 2001, and is an enhanced remake of the original Dr. Mario, which was released for the NES and Game Boy in 1990.Originally, it was released only in North America...
Director
- Punch-Out!! (NES)
- StarTropics
- Zoda's Revenge: StarTropics II
Scriptwriter
- StarTropics
- Zoda's Revenge: StarTropics II
Special Thanks
- Donkey Kong CountryDonkey Kong CountryDonkey Kong Country is a side-scrolling platformer video game developed by Rare, featuring the character Donkey Kong. It was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994. Following an intense marketing campaign, the original SNES version sold over 8 million copies worldwide, making...
- Killer Instinct Gold
Supervisor
- Punch-Out!! (Wii)Punch-Out!! (Wii)Punch-Out!! is a boxing video game for the Wii. It is the latest game in the Punch-Out!! series. It was developed by Canadian developer Next Level Games. Game designer Shigeru Miyamoto served as the game's producer. It was first revealed at Nintendo's conference on October 2, 2008...