No joke — it’s a rather amusing situation: a game currently exclusive to PlayStation has had development help from a company owned by Nintendo!

Nintendo Pictures, the visual content subsidiary of Nintendo, contributed to the production of Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, as confirmed by the game’s credits. Nintendo Pictures is a Tokyo-based CG animation and motion capture studio. Nintendo acquired the company in 2022 — back when it was still known as Dynamo Pictures — and renamed it to focus on creating visual content based on Nintendo IP. As Dynamo, the company created CG for a variety of films and TV series, and worked on games like Final Fantasy XIII-2 (CG) and provided motion capture for Nier Replicant, Monster Hunter World, and Persona 5.

Since being acquired in 2022, Nintendo Pictures has worked exclusively on Nintendo titles — including The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Pikmin 4, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Super Mario RPG Remake, and Another Code: Recollection. However, the original Death Stranding also featured work from Dynamo Pictures, which suggests that the sequel collaboration may have started prior to the Nintendo acquisition or was the result of a contract signed before the deal closed.

The company’s website lists motion capture services separately from its Nintendo IP-based video content, indicating that it may still be involved in non-Nintendo game projects. Since 2022, it has supported several non-Nintendo animation projects, including CG and motion capture for Pretty Cure, an anime from Toei Animation.

Following the completion of the acquisition, Nintendo Pictures stated its goal is to make Nintendo characters beloved around the world and to produce unique visual content that leaves a lasting impression. To achieve this, all employees would work to build an organization that can grow continuously, staying attuned to what global audiences find interesting — while working on productions they personally enjoy.

Source: VGC