The Pokémon Company International

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The Pokémon Company International

The Pokémon Company International logo
FoundedFebruary 2001
HeadquartersBellevue, Washington & London, UK
TypeSubsidiary
Owner(s)The Pokémon Company
SubsidiariesThe Pokémon Company International Ireland Limited
The Pokémon Company International México S de RL de CV
IndustryVideo games, licencing
Website

Consumer:pokemon.com
Corporate:corporate.pokemon.com

The Pokémon Company International (often abbreviated toTPCi) is a wholly owned subsidiary ofThe Pokémon Company that was first established in February 2001, as Pokémon USA, Inc.[1] In 2009, it merged with the Pokémon UK office[2] to create a company that is responsible for "brand management, licensing, marketing, thePokémon Trading Card Game, theanimated TV series, home entertainment, and theofficial Pokémon website" in markets outside of Asia,[3] as well as managingPokemonCenter.com in the United States.Kenji Okubo is the current President and CEO.

History

This section contains old or outdated information, or has not been updated in a while.
Please check the content of this section and update it as required.
The logo of the former Pokémon USA, Inc.

The Pokémon Company International was founded in February 2001 as Pokémon USA, Inc.[1] inNew York City. It was created to manage the Pokémon franchise outside of Asia, with responsibility for "licensing, merchandising, TV animation, trading card games, theatrical releases, home video entertainment, the official Pokémon website" and other areas[4].

The company's first president wasTatsumi Kimishima (who would later go on to become president ofNintendo)[5], and on November 16, 2001, it oversaw the opening ofPokémon Center NY at theRockefeller Center in New York[6].

In 2002 Tatsumi Kimishima was succeeded byAkira Chiba as president. Following threatened litigation, the licencing agreement withWizards of the Coast for thePokémon Trading Card Game ended in 2003[4], and Pokémon USA, Inc. brought the production and distribution of the game in-house.

In March 2003, the Pokémon UK office opened inLondon,United Kingdom[1].

On January 20, 2005, the journalNature published an article in which a group of researchers named a newly discoveredcancer-causing gene "Pokemon"[7]. Pokémon USA, Inc. responded by threatening legal action, as they said that the image of Pokémon could be undermined by associating it with cancer. As a result, the gene was renamed[8].

Up until the end of 2005, the licensing and merchandising for Pokémon outside of Asia was outsourced to4Kids Entertainment. On December 23, 2005 Pokémon USA, Inc. and 4Kids Entertainment announced that they had agreed not to renew the representation agreement set to expire on December 31 that year, and licencing was brought fully in-house by Pokémon USA, Inc.[9]. This led to Pokémon USA taking over the English-languagedubs of allPokémon animation, as well as several main characters inPokémon the Series beingrecast starting with itsninth season.

In 2007, Akira Chiba stepped down as president and he was replaced byKenji Okubo, previously executive vice president and head of Pokémon USA’sSeattle office. In his new role, he was leader of Pokémon’s operations in New York, Seattle and London[10].

In 2008, Pokémon USA moved production of the English-languagedub ofPokémon the Series fromTAJ Productions[11] toDuArt Film & Video. That year, Pokémon UK worked with design agency Red Central to create a marketing style guide for Europe[12], announced a partnership with Network Distributing to distributePokémon the Series and relatedmovies onDVD in the UK[13], and announced thatJetix Europe (nowDisney XD Europe) would air the animated series starting fromseason 11[14].

In February 2009, Pokémon USA, Inc. struck a deal withToys "R" Us in which their stores would have a dedicatedPokémon Boutique until the end of the year[15], and in the same month announced a DVD distribution deal withUniversal Studios Home Entertainment forPokémon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior[16].

On April 9, 2009 it was announced that Pokémon USA, Inc. and Pokémon UK would be unifying their operations under the name The Pokémon Company International. Kenji Okubo said that the rationale behind the move was that the two companies had worked closely together on a day-to-day basis, and that the change in name was done to reflect the connection between the two offices and ensure their worldwide reach[2].

In 2020, all European (minus British) activities of TPCi were transferred to a new branch located in Dublin, Ireland. This was due to the effects ofBrexit.

In June 2023, The Pokémon Company International opened a new office in Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico City.

Offices

The Pokémon Company International has its headquarters inBellevue, Washington andLondon,United Kingdom.

  • 10400 NE 4th Street, Suite 2800, Bellevue, WA 98004, United States
  • 3rd Floor Building 10, Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, London, W4 5XS, United Kingdom

The Pokémon Company International Ireland Limited has its headquaters inDublin,Ireland.

  • 3rd Floor, 2 Central Plaza, Dame Street, Dublin 2, D02 TOX4, Ireland

The Pokémon Company International Mexico, S. de R.L. de C.V.

  • Avenida Emilio Castelar 75, Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico City 11550, MX

External links

Official websites

Social media

References

  1. ↑1.01.11.2Company History - The Pokémon Company (retrieved April 21, 2020)
  2. ↑2.02.1Pokémon Merges North American, European Operations - World Screen (archived from the original April 13, 2009; retrieved April 21, 2020)
  3. ↑About the Pokémon Company International - The Pokémon Company International (retrieved April 21, 2020)
  4. ↑4.04.1Pokémon USA, Inc. and Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Resolve Dispute - Business Wire (retrieved April 22, 2020)
  5. ↑5 Reasons Why Tatsumi Kimishima is Good for Nintendo - USgamer (retrieved April 21, 2020)
  6. ↑Pokémon says “I Choose You!” To Rockefeller Center for First U.S. Store Dedicated To the Growing Worldwide Phenomenon - Pokémon USA, Inc. (archived from the original November 19, 2001; retrieved April 22, 2020)
  7. ↑Role of the proto-oncogene Pokemon in cellular transformation and ARF repression - Nature (retrieved April 22, 2020)
  8. ↑Pokémon blocks gene name - Nature (retrieved April 22, 2020)
  9. ↑Pokémon USA Moves Licensing In-House in 2006; 4Kids Entertainment to Transition Its Representation of Pokémon - Business Wire (retrieved April 22, 2020)
  10. ↑President of Pokémon USA, Inc. to Step Down - Business Wire (retrieved April 22, 2020)
  11. ↑TAJ Productions No Longer Dubbing Pokemon - PokéBeach (retrieved April 22, 2020)
  12. ↑Pokémon launches European branding guide for a new era - creativematch (archived from the original September 11, 2018; retrieved April 22, 2020)
  13. ↑UK to get all Pokémon seasons on DVD? - PKMN.NET (retrieved April 22, 2020)
  14. ↑Jetix becomes new home of Pokémon in Europe - Jetix Europe Ltd. (archived from the original November 7, 2012; retrieved April 22, 2020)
  15. ↑Pokémon Boutique Invades Toys R Us - Kotaku (accessed April 22, 2020)
  16. ↑Pokémon Comes to DVD in an all-new Feature-Length Movie - PR Newswire (archived from the original February 26, 2009; retrieved April 22, 2020)
Companies
The Pokémon CompanyThe Pokémon Company International (The Pokémon Company International Ireland • The Pokémon Company International Mexico •Millennium Print Group) • Pokémon Korea • Pokémon Center Co., Ltd. • Pokémon Singapore • Pokémon Shanghai • Pokémon Taiwan •Genius Sonority •The Pokémon Works •Pokémon with You Foundation
Animation &movies4Kids Entertainment •Bang Zoom! Studios •Deluxe •DuArt Media Services •Framestore •Iyuno •Miramax •Moving Picture Company •OLM, Inc. •TAJ Productions •Toho •Universal Pictures Home Entertainment •The Walt Disney Company •Warner Bros.
Books &strategy guidesGolden Books •Media Factory •Prima Games •Scholastic • Simon & Schuster (Pikachu Press)
Collectible cardsArtbox •ConceptLab •D.A.G Inc. •Edibas Collections •Meiji •N-DESIGN Inc. •Studio Bora Inc. •Topps •Toyste Beach •whomor Inc. •Wizards of the Coast
MangaChuang Yi •Outland forlag •Panini Comics •Shogakukan (Shogakukan Asia) •VIZ Media
Merchandise &retailBlokees •Funko •GameStop •Good Smile Company •Hasbro •Jakks Pacific •Jazwares •Jollibee •JR Kikaku •Keeppley •Kotobukiya •Play by Play •Re-Ment •Takara Tomy •Toy Factory •Uniqlo
Video gamesBandai Namco •Creatures, Inc. (Ambrella) •DeNA •Denyusha •Game Freak •HAL Laboratory, Inc. •Hudson Soft •ILCA •Jupiter Corporation •Koei Tecmo •Niantic •Nintendo (Mario Club •Nintendo of America •Nintendo System Development) •ORBITALLINK Inc. •PLANETA •Scopely •Sega •SELECT BUTTON inc. •Spike Chunsoft
This article is part ofProject Mass Media, aBulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on official Pokémon publishing, broadcasting, communications, and other media.