Does Nintendo Own Game Freak?
The short answer to this question is no. While Nintendo has published the majority of games from the developer Game Freak, they do not own the company outright.
The History Between Nintendo and Game Freak
Game Freak Inc. has had a long and storied relationship with Nintendo. Game Freak was founded in 1989 and is best known as the developer behind the iconic Pokémon franchise that first released for the original Game Boy in 1996.
Since then, Game Freak has created a number of popular titles for Nintendo hardware, including the critically acclaimed Pokémon series and the evergreen Dr. Mario platformers. Nintendo has continued to be a major collaborator of the developer, helping to secure funding and guidance to help bring many of the company’s games to fruition.
The Relationship Continues
Despite not being fully owned by Nintendo, the relationship between them and Game Freak remains strong. Game Freak recently released Pokémon Sword and Shield for the Nintendo Switch, which has been met with great success and become one of the best selling games on the system to date.
Furthermore, Nintendo has continued to provide support for Game Freak by publishing their titles on their eShop and in multiple markets across the world. Nintendo also publishes all the games released on Game Freak’s own label, making it easier for their titles to reach a wider audience.
Conclusion
To summarize, Nintendo does not own Game Freak outright. However, the two companies have been collaborating for many years, with Nintendo helping to fund and publish the majority of Game Freak’s titles. It is clear that the strong partnership between them will remain for years to come.
