Nintendo Platform Technology Development[Edit][Talk]
Nintendo Platform Technology Development is the new hardware division of Nintendo established in 2015 that merged Nintendo Integrated Research & Development with the Nintendo System Development, consolidating both software and hardware development for Nintendo platforms into a single division. Ko Shiota serves as the division's General Manager and leads hardware development while Takeshi Shimada and Kiyoshi Mizuki are the Deputy General Managers, with the former leading middleware and software infrastructure and the latter leading system application and Nintendo Network services.
History
Nintendo had been starting to consolidate its hardware divisions since the early 2010s. The Nintendo Network Service Development was renamed to Nintendo Network Business & Development in 2011, incorporating the former Mechanical Design Group, working on system software and peripherals, with the new Network Planning Group, for Nintendo Network services. This group was renamed again in 2013 to the Nintendo System Development Division with the Network Planning Group turning into the Network Development & Operation Department, and the Mechanical Design Group's software side turning into the Environment Development Department for SDKs with the hardware side being no more. In February 2013, Nintendo merged the handheld division. Nintendo Research and Engineering Department, into Nintendo IRD, consolidating both sides of hardware development. In September 2015, the new President, Tatsumi Kimishima, brought more sweeping consolidation, creating the Nintendo Platform Technology Development division, streamlining console development, as well as the Nintendo Entertainment Planning and Development division, which streamlined game development. With Genyo Takeda becoming a Technology Fellow, Ko Shiota was promoted.
